MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Multirole Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jets from Russia’s Eastern Military District have completed their deployment to Belarus for an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

"Multirole Su-35S fighter jets from the Eastern Military District, dispatched for an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, have completed their deployment at airfields in Belarus," the ministry stated.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday that the crews of Su-35S multirole fighters of Russia’s Eastern Military District were being deployed to Belarus for an inspection of the Union State’s response forces. As the ministry specified, during their flight, the crews made 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.

The crews of the Su-35S multirole fighter jets are now scheduled to go on air defense combat alert in Belarus as part of a check of the Union State’s integrated air defense system, the ministry stated.

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.