Dictator On Russian Military Base: I Asked Putin For 20 Planes, He Was Ready To Give Only 10

Lukashenka has confessed that he didn’t object to locate the Russian Federation’s military base near Babruisk.

The dictator has said this at today’s “Big Talk” conference, commenting upon arrival of the Russian troops to Belarus this summer, BelaPAN reports.

“If someone thinks the Russians loaded several thousand wagons with soldiers and will occupy us, that Russia sends its troops here — don’t be naïve! Has Russia totally lost its mind and forgot how to combat? How is it possible to fight at railway platforms? The troops will come here and leave the same way. Such situation is out of the question. The troops will be located somewhere near the shooting ground, they will set a camp, there will be very little ammunition — just enough to shoot at the training targets, all the rest will be blank ammunition. Everything is under control,”— Lukashenka has assured.

He has noted that he offered Vladimir Putin to hold joint exercises twice a year, in turns, in Russia and in Belarus. “It’s out time and we will host the exercise. This will be an open exercise, we will invite everyone,” — the dictator has underlined.

Lukashenka has recalled the Russian air base. “Oh, come on. Who needs these 10 planes that Russia wanted to locate in Babruisk? I told Putin it was time to reinstate that airfield, the half of the flight strip had been dismantled, why 10 planes? Give me 20 planes, we have excellent pilots, excellent school. You know that we are good at fighting at military planes, give us 20 planes, we are a single group, but no." — the dictator has said.

According to him, a plane is capable of 10 minutes of fighting in the conditions of the modern war. “It flies up and then there was none. The war today is different. One can fly in Syria where there is no air defense forces system. In Belarus, it happens like this: you take off some 200 kilometers away, we notice you and you are on your last legs. And then again, what is an airfield at the forefront of the military actions theatre? God forbids, in case of a war, two missiles on the flight stripe and no aircraft would take off. Why taking them here?” — he has said.

It takes four minutes for the aircraft from Smolensk to reach the site, Lukashenka has added. According to him, Vladimir Putin agreed during their conversation that there was no need for the Russian air base in Belarus. "Why did they claim they wanted a base here, before the presidential election, when there started some moves with the West? Not a base, they wanted to locate 10 or 20 planes here — it was a demonstration. Do we need it, this demonstration? We have enough planes of our own, but if you bring some 20 more here, no objections,” — Lukashenka has noted.

He has also informed that before the Ice Hockey World Championship in 2014, Belarus offered Russia to send a fighter unit here to maintain security together. "They brought four planes to Baranavichy, the Russians worked in Belarus. I thought like, okay, they had fulfilled their mission and would leave the planes here. No, they took them away and demanded a base. Why? Everything is over, everything is normal in the military aspect, let them serve together — a Russian and a Belarusian in one plane. They said no, give us the base,”— Lukashenka has said. This wasn’t a military offer, he thinks.