MINSK, January 26. /TASS/. The first Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jet of Russia’s Aerospace Force has arrived in Belarus to participate in an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.
The inspection will run as part of the Union Resolve 2022 joint drills on Belarusian territory, the ministry said, posting a video clip of the Russian fighter’s landing.
"A Su-35S of Russia’s Aerospace Force that has been the first to arrive for participation in an inspection of the Union State’s response forces on the territory of Belarus is making a landing at the Baranovichi airfield of the 61st fighter aviation base," the ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier on Wednesday that the crews of Su-35S multirole fighters of Russia’s Eastern Military District were deploying to Belarus for an inspection of the Union State’s response forces.
As the ministry specified, during their flight, the crews were making intermediate stopovers at airfields of Russia’s Central and Western Military Districts to prepare for the next flight and for the crews to have a rest.
Upon their arrival at the airfields in the Republic of Belarus, the crews of the Su-35S multirole fighter jets will go on air defense combat alert as part of a check of the Union State’s integrated air defense system, the Russian Defense Ministry specified.
Inspection of Union State’s response forces
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 Russia-Belarus joint regional air defense system.
The Belarusian and Russian militaries will also inspect the readiness of the air defense combat alert forces and capabilities 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.