MINSK, 23 September (BelTA) – The second stage of the Belarusian-Russian army exercise Slavyanskoye Bratstvo 2020 [Slavonic Brotherhood] continues. The protection of aerial borders of the Union State of Belarus and Russia is in focus, the Defense Ministry told BelTA.
According to Chief of the Air Force and Air Defense Command of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Major-General Igor Golub, Belarusian Air Force duty units and Russian units have already performed a number of missions. They are now switching to delivering air strikes against enemy units. They will also escort transport aircraft, which are dropping paratroopers in a designated area.
Two Russian bombers Tu-160 were escorted by a couple of Belarusian jet fighters Su-30. At the same time army helicopters were in the air in order to provide support to special operations forces and units of the Airborne Forces of Russia in the course of an operation designed to eliminate the enemy's sabotage and recon forces in the army exercise area Brestsky.
Three army exercise areas have already been used for the exercise – Brestsky, Gozhsky, and Obuz-Lesnovsky. A tactical episode will be carried out in the 210th aviation exercise area Ruzhany today where a large number of aerial units will be deployed. Aerial units will practice providing aerial support to defending troops. Units of Russia's long-range aviation, Belarusian jet fighters Su-30 and assault aircraft Su-25 and Yak-130 will deliver strikes against designated targets. They will be protected by jet fighters and military transport helicopters Mi-8MTV-5.
