Belarusian, Russian pilots practice redeployment, including to Russian airfields

January 26, BPN. Belarusian and Russian military air crews are practicing redeployment to operational airfields, including in Russia, as a part of joint air and tactical drills, the defense ministry’s press office reported.

The day before, the ministry announced reconnaissance of alternate airfields and helipads for “further redeployment of aviation units by air and on the ground.”

The military aircraft are also “acting as control targets to check air defense forces on high alert,” it added. A Mi-8MTV-5 helicopter has been used for practicing “elements of parachute and parachute-free landing of special operations forces” at the Brest training ground, the report said.

The air crews perform tasks of air support of troops, reconnaissance as well as rescue and evacuation missions, Chief of the General Staff Viktar Hulevič said.

He described them as “people who are worth their weight in gold.” “Pilot training is very expensive and we have to do our best to preserve the flight crews,” he stressed.

On January 18, Andrej Łukjanovič, commander of the Belarusian Air/Air Defense Forces, said that the drills should “improve interoperability.”

Russia and Belarus announced a plan to set up a regional group of forces last October. Russia increased its contingent in Belarus to an estimated 11,000 troops and delivered weapons, vehicles and equipment. Russian and Belarusian troops completed combat coordination on January 6.

Joint Belarusian-Russian air and tactical drills started on January 16 and are expected to continue until February 1. 

The drills are taking place amid ongoing Russia’s war against 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.

On January 26, Ukraine came under a new mass missile attack.