Russia announced on Tuesday (18) the sending of 12 Sukhoi Su-35 fighters and Pantsir and S-400 anti-aircraft missiles to military exercises in Belarus in February. However, the announcement comes in parallel with tensions in Ukraine.
According to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, the purpose of the exercise is to test the readiness of the collective reaction force of the Union State.
“Within the framework of testing the functioning of the Union State single air defense system, twelve Su-35 aircraft and two battalions of the S-400 air defense system, as well as a Pantsir-S missile and artillery battalion will be redeployed to Belarus. ”, stated.
Fomin says the redeployment of military apparatus will take place during the first of two phases of Union State collective force readiness checks. The first phase runs until February 9. Military groups will be redeployed to protect the most threatened routes and key government and military installations, as well as the Union State air border.
The move has only heightened anxiety in the region, with fears mounting of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has already deployed more than 100 troops on the border with the former USSR member, wanting to prevent its accession to NATO, the US-led military alliance.
Belarusian and Russian equipment was spotted in Mozyr today moving along the R31 highway towards the village of Penki which is about 40 km from the border with # Ukrainepic.twitter.com/NDMFsmpYyz
- marqs (@MarQs__) January 19, 2022
Belarus, which is already in a refugee crisis with Poland, has strengthened its ties with Moscow in response to sanctions imposed by the West. President Alexander Lukashenko has already voiced his for Putin and his military build-up in the region, while also receiving from the Kremlin in dealing with the vetoes.
He has also abandoned his country's supposedly neutral stance on the conflict in Ukraine and publicly endorsed Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
This is what 2 S-400 battalions in Belarus could cover https://t.co/tBEi26tVaH pic.twitter.com/1gX2UeAh3V
- OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 18, 2022
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Lukashenko said the United Resolve exercise will take place in western Belarus, close to the borders with Poland and Lithuania, both NATO , and its southern flank with Ukraine. "Set an exact date and let us know, so we don't get blamed for gathering some troops here out of the blue, as if we were getting ready to go to war", he told senior military officials.
While Russia is increasing its military presence in the region, the US and NATO reinforce the Ukrainian arsenal with anti-tank missiles and other armaments, in addition to the greater presence of intelligence and communication aircraft in flight.
With information TASS e The Guardian
