Russian jets fly in as Belarus begins fortnight of joint air force ‘exercises’

Belarus has launched a joint air force exercise with Russia on January 16, 2023that will last until February 1, as fears grow that start that Moscow is seeking to persuade Minsk to join the war against Ukraine.

"The exercise is purely defensive in nature," said Pavel Muraveyko, first deputy state secretary of Belarusian Security Council said in a statement.

"It will be a set of measures to prepare our and Russian aviation to carry out the relevant combat missions."

The exercises involve training for "aerial reconnaissance, deflecting air strikes, air cover of important objects and communications," Muraveyko added.

On January 8, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense said: "All airfields and ranges of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus will be involved during the tactical flight exercise.”

MiG-31K (Bort No '89 Red', serial RF-95200) took part in a flypast over the Dubrovichi range near Ryazan, Russia, during the 'Aviamix' scenario of the international 'Aviadarts-2019' competition on August 10, 2019. The all-grey missile is the 9-S-7760-EDM display and training mock-up of the Kinzhal missile. Note its end cap with two horizontal stabilisers - this part is blown off shortly after it is released, exposing the engine nozzle seconds before ignition
MiG-31K (Bort No '89 Red', serial RF-95200) took part in a flypast over the Dubrovichi range near Ryazan, Russia, during the 'Aviamix' scenario of the international 'Aviadarts-2019' competition on August 10, 2019. The all-grey missile is the 9-S-7760-EDM display and training mock-up of the Kinzhal missile. Note its end cap with two horizontal stabilisers - this part is blown off shortly after it is released, exposing the engine nozzle seconds before ignition Russian MOD

According to monitoring group Belaruski Gayun, at least eight fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces have flown into the military airfield in Baranovichi, among them were four Su-34s, with registration numbers: RF-95001; RF-****; RF-81853 and RF-81862. There were four Su-30s, with registration numbers: RF-85805; RF-85806; RF-81874 and, RF-81875.

It is understood that two Su-30SM aircraft were flying from Kursk, in Russia and that a further two RuSAF Su-34s were already stationed in Baranovichi.

In addition, four RuSAF Antonov transport planes also arrived at Baranovichi the same day. The monitoring group reported that there were three AN-12s (registrations RF-93586, RF-12560 and RF-95409) and an AN-26 (RF-90319). Three of them came from the Russian Federation, and one (RF-93586) was in Machulishchi from January.

It has also been claimed that two RuSAF MiG-31Ks have been deployed. The jet is equipped to carry the hypersonic Kinzhal air-to surface missile, which has been used to attack targets in Ukraine. It is understood that there are four Kinzhals in Belarus.

The exercises comes just a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Minsk, during which he said Belarusian jets had been adapted to carry “special warheads”.

At a meeting with Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko, in Minsk on December 19, 2022, Putin said: "I think it would be possible to continue implementing the proposal made by the Belarusian President to train crews for Belarusian combat planes, which have already been retooled to potentially use air-based munitions with a special warhead.”