At Odds With The West, Russia Sends Sukhoi Su-30SM Fighter Jets And Air Defense Missiles To Belarus

JAKARTA - The Press Service of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced that the Su-30SM fighter jet belonging to the Russian Air Force, arrived in Belarus for the establishment of the Joint Air Force and Air Defense training center, on its Telegram channel.

"Russian Aerospace Forces' Su-30SM aircraft arrived at Baranovichi airport to establish a joint Russian and Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense training center", the statement said, citing TASS September 8.

"Pilots of the two countries are expected to carry out joint patrols of the United States' air borders", the Defense Ministry statement added.

Before the Sukhoi Su-30, the Russian missile air defense missile unit arrived in Grodno, Belarus on August 28. The decision to establish a joint training center was made during the two countries' Defense Minister talks on March 5. A total of three training centers are planned, the other two are located in the Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad Regions of Russia.

The announcement came two days before the start of Belarusian and Russian military exercises, sparking concern among the NATO military alliance and European Union countries.

Report Reuters September 9, Belarus has been at loggerheads with the West since President Alexander Lukashenko launched a crackdown on mass street protests last year. Tensions prompted Belarus to turn to its traditional ally Russia for financial and diplomatic support.

President Lukashenko is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this Thursday. Early last September, President Lukashenko said Russia would send large military hardware to Belarus, including planes, helicopters, and air defense systems.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, last week urged Russia to be transparent in conducting the 'Zapad-2021' ('West-2021') exercises. Meanwhile, Poland said on Monday the drills would trigger tensions that are already mounting over the influx of migrants crossing the border from Belarus into the European Union.

Russia itself sees Belarus as a security buffer on its western side in the face of the 'challenges' of NATO and the European Union. Russia and Belarus are officially part of the 'united states' and have been in talks for years to better integrate their countries.