The situation is not critical but there are factors that raise concerns. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he visited the central command post of the Air Force and Air Defense Command where he received a report about the organization and fulfillment of air defense alert tasks, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “No need for lengthy reports. Let's look at what is happening around our country, primarily in the air. We very often discuss matters of security of our state, particularly in air space. As I can see, we don't have a critical situation now. Nevertheless, there are factors that raise concerns.”
The president remarked that the troops have been on heightened alert for several days already. The president was informed that the troops had been raised to the highest readiness state after incidents on Saturday.
Aleksandr Lukashenko went on saying: “Three days after events next to us. I mean in Bryansk Oblast where four airborne vehicles were shot down. We had to respond to that. We, our troops have been on heightened alert since then. This is why I am interested in the situation around the country. And naturally directions and prospects of development of this situation. Make it brief. Without scaremongering. About what is going on and what we expect in the short term.”
After the report was delivered to the head of state, Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Belarus Andrei Lukyanovich shared details with reporters. The officer stated that in light of the recent events happening at the western and southern borders, including due to ongoing combat training events of NATO countries led by the USA, the duty forces have been reinforced. “Additional assets and means are being utilized. Every day we put 750-1,000 people in our kind of the Armed Forces on air defense alert. The duty forces were raised to combat readiness number one after incidents in the Russian Federation. Those were air defense missile forces, radio technology forces, and aviation,” Andrei Lukyanovich said.
In his words, alert units have been reinforced as well as the units guarding all the airfields and a number of installations belonging to radio technology forces and air defense missile forces.
On the whole, Andrei Lukyanovich noted that the Belarus president pays a lot of attention to developing and ensuring the combat readiness of the Armed Forces. “The key task of our kind of the Armed Forces is to be on air defense alert in time of peace. The head of state heard out information about the forces and assets being utilized for alert duties and about results. We check the readiness of air defense alert units every month. The last check was done on 11 May. Results indicate that our kind of the Armed Forces has done its job. The results are confirmed by instrumental data,” he said.
Close attention is also paid to the improvement and purchases of new weapons and military hardware. For instance, this year the Air Force and Air Defense Command will get new radar stations Rosa and Vostok of Belarusian make. Plans are also in place to buy new hardware in the future as part of the plan on building and developing the Armed Forces till 2025. “This year we also expect the delivery of new air defense missile systems and new aircraft Su-30SM for aviation,” Andrei Lukyanovich added.