According to reports, Russian and Belarusian military units conducted air exercises at the Rusany training ground in the western Brest region of Belarus, during which they trained, among other things, to defeat enemy air defense facilities, command and control facilities, as well as military personnel. and military equipment and combat aircraft that simulate air support for attack aircraft and bombers, Reuters reported.
Belarus insists that the air force’s two-week maneuvers, which began on January 16, are defensive in nature.
To prepare for potential combat deployments, But the move is of growing concern as some speculate that Moscow is pushing Minsk to join the conflict in Ukraine.
For its part, the Kremlin has denied pressuring Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to take a more active role in the fighting in Ukraine.
The Secretary of the Belarusian State Security Council, Alexander Volfovich, who reviewed the Belarusian-Russian military exercises, stated that the exercises were defensive in nature and did not threaten anyone, unlike what “we observe in the vicinity.”
The Belarusian Defense Ministry also said that Russia and Belarus had started a week-long training of personnel for the joint command of the regional army group.
The training is said to be part of preparations for joint military exercises between the two countries in Russia in September.
Cover image source: Getty Images
