New Russian pilots stationed at Baranovichi airfield

The second shift of Russian pilots has been stationed for joint combat alert duty at the 61st Fighter Airbase of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense.

The day before the first shift of Russian pilots was swapped out, aircraft and personnel of the 1st command of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Western Military District of the Armed Forces of Russia arrived at the Baranovichi airfield.

The joint combat alert duty for air defense purposes has been arranged in accordance with the Belarus-Russia agreement on protecting the Union State border in the air space and on creating the united regional air defense system.

The first shift of Russian pilots was stationed in December 2013. During their shift the Russian pilots demonstrated high professional skills and flying mastery, including during the combat readiness check ordered by the Belarus president. The Russian crews together with Belarusian personnel successfully carried out their missions by intercepting and destroying control targets.

BelTA has been told that the joint combat alert duty has allowed increasing the combat ability of the duty forces within the framework of the Belarus-Russia united regional air defense system. The system is designed to protect the air space in the Eastern Europe collective security region. It has become a most important part of the regional military taskforce and a component of the united CIS air defense system. The Belarus-Russia air defense system keeps the western air border secure and ensures control over air space usage.