Belarusian, Russian pilots, troops begin two-week drills

January 16, BPN. Belarusian and Russian pilots have started tactical air drills to “improve interoperability when carrying out joint training and combat missions,” the defense ministry’s press office reported.

The drills scheduled from January 16 to February 1 include air reconnaissance, joint border patrol, paratrooper landing, cargo delivery, and troop evacuation training, it added.

All Belarusian military airfields and training ranges will be involved in the exercises, the ministry noted.

Russian aircraft and personnel arrived at Belarusian airfields the day before, reports said. On the same day, a senior Belarusian security official, Pavieł Muraviejka, described the drills as “purely defensive.”

“This is a training and flying exercise of our joint units that is taking place on a routine basis,” he said. “That is why all this hysteria is just a far-fetched step aimed to draw attention to a non-existent problem,” he added, referring to fears that joint forces of Russia and Belarus may attack Ukraine.

The drills are taking place amid ongoing Russia’s war on Ukraine. Authorities in Minsk denied Belarusian troops’ involvement in combat operations on the Russian side. However, Belarus allowed Russian troops to attack Ukraine from its territory on multiple occasions.