MINSK, 10 May (BelTA) – Belarus intends to keep Russian air defense missile systems S-400 and short-range ballistic missile systems Iskander. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement during the government conference held on 10 May to discuss this year's state defense contracts, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We and Russia have agreed that we may retain the S-400 systems that are deployed in Belarus. A system like that will see from Minsk all the way to Berlin. It is a weapon intended for major armies, territories. Let's say, like Russian. While we may not need to see things in Berlin. And then again the S-300 systems that we have are rather good modern weapons. Virtually on par with S-400. But S-400 systems are good hardware. We've seen them during this operation, too. Very good. The defense minister and I have agreed that tomorrow he will simply train several groups of guys to operate this equipment.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also mentioned plans to buy short-range ballistic missile systems Iskander from Russia: “These are the weapons that we need a lot. We have them today. And then again I've reached an agreement with Russians that we are going to buy Iskanders from them. They will not be removed from Belarus. They can be used to defend our space.”
According to the president, the weapons the Belarusian army already has allow ensuring its defensive capacity. “I think those are good weapons for the army. It means that our army will be able to fight and cause unacceptable damage to the enemy. Just like we've planned. We are realists and we understand that we will be unable to defeat NATO. But we have all these weapons in order to cause damage, particularly to the territories that are going to attack us. Those are weapons capable of hitting the entire territory of Poland and to the Baltic Sea. Let alone the Baltic Sea countries. And practically Ukraine beyond Kiev. God forbid, I am not hinting at something but I want the shooting distance of the weapons we have to be understood.”
