Belarus gets new Russian missile system amid troops rotation

June 2, BPN. Russian troops are arriving in Belarus as part of “scheduled rotation” of the regional group of forces, the Belarusian defense ministry has said.

It said the troops include “personnel, weapons and equipment from combined arms and tank formations.” It also said “another S-400 anti-aircraft missile system” was delivered from Russia.

The regional group of forces has been deployed in the country since October, officially in response to “aggravation on the western borders of the Union State,” a political and economic alliance between Russia and Belarus.

The ministry said the deployment is intended to “improve the defense capabilities of the Union State.”

Belarusian ruler Alaksandr Łukašenka announced last year that Belarus put S-400 and Iskander air defense missile systems, handed over by Russia, on combat duty.

Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko said last month that many Russian units that trained in Belarus “are being withdrawn… but there is no replenishment at the training ranges.” He said that Russian presence decreased to 2,500 from 10,000-11,000 a few months earlier.