MINSK, January 20. /TASS/. Russian and Belarusian Air Force crews within the air component of the joint regional battlegroup are practicing the objectives of disabling enemy air defenses and delivering strikes on adversary command posts during the drills, the Defense Ministry of Belarus reported on Friday.

"Today aviation units continue accomplishing assigned missions from all the airfields of the Air Force and Air Defense Troops of the Republic of Belarus as part of the joint tactical flight exercise. The flight crews are practicing combat employment at the Ruzhansky training ground where aircraft are disabling air defenses, striking command posts, amassed manpower and equipment of a simulated enemy while fighter jets are providing cover for the strike groups of ground attack planes and bombers," the statement reads.

Similar to the scenario practiced on January 19, an A-50 long-range air surveillance and control aircraft took off from the Machulishchi airfield to conduct air reconnaissance and exercise command and control of the crews of multirole fighter jets, the ministry said.

On January 19, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced the commencement of the second stage of the drills, in which Air Force units within the air component of the joint regional battlegroup began accomplishing assigned missions.

In particular, fighter jets that took off from the Baranovichi airfield exercised to shield vital state and military facilities. At the Lida airfield, the crews are practicing breaching enemy air defenses and striking adversary military aerodromes and helipads. Search and rescue measures have also been organized to practice the evacuation of the crews of air strike groups.

Tactical flight exercise

The tactical flight exercise of the Air Force component of the Russia-Belarus joint regional battlegroup is running on Belarusian soil on January 16 - February 1. The Russian-Belarusian joint tactical flight drills are aimed at boosting interoperability in jointly fulfilling combat training objectives and the maneuvers are focused on conducting air reconnaissance, carrying out joint aerial patrols along the state border, providing air support for combat teams, landing a tactical assault force, delivering cargo and evacuating casualties. The drills involve all of the airfields and training grounds of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Troops.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on October 10, 2022 that Belarus and Russia had begun deploying a regional group of forces mostly consisting of Belarusian military personnel. As the Belarusian leader pointed out, the decision to deploy the joint group of forces had been made during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was prompted by the escalation on the western borders of the Belarus-Russia Union State.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced on October 15, 2022, the arrival of the first military trains with Russian troops in the republic. As the ministry specified, the Russian military contingent in the joint regional group of forces would total about 9,000 personnel and there were plans to deploy about 170 tanks, as many as 200 armored combat vehicles and 100 artillery guns and mortars to Belarus from Russia.

President Putin announced on December 19, 2022, following talks with his Belarusian counterpart Lukashenko in the capital of Belarus that Moscow and Minsk would continue the practice of joint drills and other combat training measures, including as part of the joint group of forces.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry reported in early January 2023 that measures continued to beef up the regional group of forces and the designated troops were ready for accomplishing the objectives of defending the Belarus-Russia Union State.