MINSK, June 3. /TASS/. NATO's long-range radar detection aircraft closely monitored the joint exercises of the Russian and Belarusian militaries from the skies over Poland and the Baltic states, a senior Belarusian defense official said.

"During the active phase of [our] exercise, several long-range radar detection aircraft hovered over Poland and the Baltic states. We realized that they were monitoring all our flights and tracking our activities," Leonid Davidovich, Deputy Commander of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces and Chief of Aviation, said.

According to him, Belarus "long ago learned to respond to them." "We are countering them in a certain way, taking measures to reduce the effectiveness of their intelligence," the defense official said.

He pointed out that during the joint Belarusian-Russian air exercises on May 27-31, most of the aviation of the Belarusian Air Force was involved, "that is, all air bases, all types of aircraft took part in the exercises in one way or another." "The maximum number of servicemen took part [in the exercise], the maximum range of tasks was performed. Of course, during the exercise the sides exchanged experience. More, of course, Russian pilots with our pilots," Davidovich pointed out.

On May 27-31, Moscow and Minsk held joint flight and tactical exercises with the participation of forces and means of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces.