Russia Sent Six Mi-8 Helicopters And Tor-M2 Battery To Belarus

Another 12 Su-30SM aircrafts are waiting for their redeployment.

Six Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters and a battery of the anti-aircraft missile system Tor-M2 received Belarus from Russia in 2017. Commander of the Air Force and air defense forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus Major-General Ihar Holub informed journalists about that, Tass reports.

"In the first half of this year, under the previously signed contracts, we received from Russia six Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters and the fourth battery of the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system to expand our single regional grouping in the context of military-technical cooperation," – he said.

According to Holub, the Belarusian Defense Ministry has concluded a contract with the Irkut scientific and production corporation for the supply of 12 Su-30SM aircrafts from 2018 to 2020 and a contract for the delivery of the Contender-GE radar stations.

"All these activities are aimed at building up our single regional grouping of troops and forces. The regional air defense system of Russia and Belarus keeps improving to work effectively," – Holub said.

He recalled that at the end of August, operative-tactical exercises of the Air Force and air defense troops of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Air Force had been conducted.

The Russian-Belarussian exercises West-2017 will start on the territory of Belarus in September. A record number of rail cars — more than 4 thousand — was involved to transfer the Russian contingent. Many politicians and military experts believe that Russian troops will remain in Belarus after the exercises.

The Prevention Rally demanding the cancellation of the exercises West-2017 will take place at 7 p.m. on September 8 in the Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk.