Belarus would be able to carry out military exercises at Russian training grounds

Exercises of Belarusian military aviation at Russian training grounds can be organized both autonomously and in cooperation with Russia.

Thanks to the new agreements with Russia, Belarus would be able to organize military drills of the air forces and air defense at Russian training grounds at scheduled basis, BelaPAN was told by the Defense Ministry of Belarus.

It is envisaged by the protocol to the Agreement of 1996 signed by Defense ministers of the two countries in Moscow on January 29. Under the protocol, Belarusian air defense units are given a possibility to carry out combat firing at Russian fining ranges gratuitously.

As said by the representative of the Defense Ministry of Belarus, use of aviation during Belarusian military exercises at Ashuluk training centre (Astrakhan region, Russia) had been tried for a number of years on the basis of one-time agreements. Now this work would be transferred to a planned basis.

The protocol envisages that exercises of Belarusian military aviation at Russian firing ranges could be organized both autonomously and in cooperation with air defense missile formations of the air forces and air defense of Belarus with Russia’s air forces.

We remind that in 2009 Belarusian and Russian governments held joint military exercise “West-2009” (Zapad - 2009). Then British Telegraph with a reference to Polish magazine Wprost wrote that during the joint Belarusian-Russian military drills West 2009, an amphibious landing on the Polish coast and the firing of nuclear weapons were simulated.