June 2, Pozirk. The Belarusian Air/Air Defense Forces and the Russian Air Force carried out a joint drill that focused on training Belarusian pilots, Leanid Davidovič, deputy commander of the Belarusian Air/Air Defense Forces, has told the STV TV channel on Sunday evening.
All Belarusian air bases and all types of aircraft participated in the drill that ended on May 31, he added.
NATO’s aircraft equipped with long-range radars were observing the active stage of the drill from Belarus’ western neighbors’ airspace, the official said.
Belarusian pilots, engineers and mechanics had already undergone theoretical and practical training with regular inspections on a scheduled basis, Davidovič noted, commenting on the recent joint tactical nuclear drills with Russia.
The Belarusian defense ministry announced a joint Belarusian-Russian air and air defense exercise on May 27. The drill reportedly aimed at “improving the common regional air defense system” and “increasing the interaction and training of control and flight personnel.”
On May 6, the Russian General Staff reported preparations for an exercise involving tactical nuclear weapons to “increase the nonstrategic nuclear forces’ combat readiness.”
A day later, Łukašenka also ordered the Armed Forces to hold tactical nuclear drills involving “delivering special munitions to missile and aviation military units, loading them onto launchers and attaching them to aircraft.”
