MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Two battalions of S-400 ‘Triumf’ surface-to-air missile systems have begun redeploying to Belarus to go on air defense combat alert in an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
"Two battalions of S-400 ‘Triumf’ anti-aircraft missile systems from the Eastern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army involved in an inspection of the Union State’s response forces have conducted a march to the point of embarkation in the Khabarovsk Region… The air defense units will conduct a combined march by railway and on their vehicles to unfamiliar training grounds in the Republic of Belarus," the ministry said in a statement.
Upon their arrival at the sites of accomplishing their assigned training tasks, the Russian personnel will equip positions and "go on air defense combat training alert as part of the Belarus-Russia single regional air defense system," the statement says.
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier, the inspection will run in two stages. At the first stage before February 9 the Belarusian and Russian militaries will practice redeploying troops and creating task forces in dangerous directions on the territory of Belarus within a short period of time. During the first stage, the troops will practice protecting and defending vital state and military facilities and protecting the state border in the airspace, including as part of the Belarus-Russia joint regional air defense system.
The Belarusian and Russian militaries will also inspect the readiness of the air defense combat alert forces and capabilities, including the joint air defense combat training center, to accomplish the tasks of shielding key facilities on the territory of Belarus.
At the second stage of the inspection that will run on February 10-20, the Union Resolve 2022 joint drills will be held, in which the troops will practice repelling external aggression, countering terrorism and protecting the interests of the Union State.
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported, during the joint drills, the troops will practice reinforcing state border sections in potential areas of the illegal penetration of armed gangs into the territory of Belarus and shutting down channels of the supply of arms, munitions and other means that can be used for destabilizing the situation in the country, eliminating outlawed armed gangs and enemy subversive and reconnaissance groups.
The troops will practice their joint operations at the Obuz-Lesnovsky, Osipovichsky, Brestsky, Gozhsky and Domanovsky training grounds and the Baranovichi, Luninets, Lida and Machulishchi airfields, it said.