Russia sends nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over Belarus

3 years ago 231

MOSCOW – Russia sent 2 nuclear-capable strategical bombers connected a grooming ngo implicit Belarus for a 2nd consecutive time Thursday successful a beardown amusement of Moscow's enactment for its state amid a dispute implicit migration astatine the Polish border.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said 2 Russian Tu-160 strategical bombers practiced bombing runs astatine the Ruzany firing range, located successful Belarus astir 60 kilometers (just implicit 37 miles) eastbound of the borderline with Poland. As portion of the associated training, Belarusian combatant jets simulated an intercept, the ministry said.

The missions marked the 2nd clip successful 2 days that Russia sent its nuclear-capable bombers into the skies implicit Belarus.

A brace of Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers flew a akin patrol Wednesday, and Belarusian aerial defence assets practiced intercepting them.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that specified Russian bomber flights volition beryllium conducted connected a regular basis.

Russia has powerfully supported Belarus amid a tense standoff this week arsenic thousands of migrants and refugees, astir of them from the Middle East, gathered connected the Belarusian broadside of the borderline with Poland successful the anticipation of crossing into Western Europe.

The European Union has accused Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging amerciable borderline crossings arsenic a “hybrid attack” to retaliate against EU sanctions connected his authorities for its crackdown connected interior dissent aft Lukashenko's disputed 2020 reelection.

Belarus denies the allegations but has said it volition nary longer halt refugees and migrants from trying to participate the EU.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry accused Poland connected Thursday of an “unprecedented” subject buildup connected the border, saying that migration power did not warrant the attraction of 15,000 troops backed by tanks, aerial defence assets and different weapons.

“It looks much similar forming a onslaught radical of forces,” the ministry said, adding that the Polish subject buildup prompted Belarus to respond with actions “both independently and wrong the existing agreements with our strategical ally,” a notation to Russia.

Russia and Belarus person a national statement envisaging adjacent governmental and subject ties. Lukashenko has stressed the request to boost subject practice successful the look of what helium has described arsenic assertive actions by NATO allies.

Lukashenko connected Thursday called the Russian bomber flights a indispensable effect to the tensions connected the Belarus-Poland border.

“Let them shriek and squeak. Yes, those are nuclear-capable bombers, but we person nary different choice,” the president, who has been successful bureau since 1994, said.

Col. Gen. Retired Leonid Ivashov, the erstwhile caput of the Russian Defense Ministry's overseas practice department, said the Russian bomber flights implicit Belarus were intended to show Moscow's enactment for its state amid soaring tensions.

“Military drills and bomber flights are portion of grooming for associated action,” Ivashov was quoted by the Interfax quality bureau arsenic saying. “It's needed to avert a imaginable subject struggle that could escalate into a large war. It's indispensable to show our readiness.”

Amid the tensions connected the Belarus-Poland border, Russia has powerfully backed Belarus, charging that the West destabilized the Middle East and truthful bears work for migrants and refugees seeking information successful Europe.

At the aforesaid time, Moscow angrily rejected Poland's assertion that Russia has helped foment a concern with humanitarian arsenic good arsenic governmental dimensions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted the thousands of troops that person been deployed connected either broadside of the Polish-Belarusian borderline and said “it's a origin for heavy interest of each sober-minded radical successful Europe.”

Asked astir German Chancellor Merkel’s petition for Russian President Vladimir Putin to exert power connected Belarus, Peskov responded that “Russia, similar each different countries, is trying to assistance resoluteness the situation.” He said Putin has remained successful interaction with Lukashenko, but didn’t elaborate.

Russia's nationalist emblem carrier, Aeroflot, responded to reports that the EU was mulling sanctions against the hose for its alleged engagement successful bringing to refugees and migrants to Belarus. Aeroflot powerfully rejected the claim.

“The accusation astir Aeroflot’s information oregon assistance to organizing wide proscription of migrants to the territory of Belarus doesn’t conform to reality,” the hose said successful a statement.

Aeroflot noted that it wasn’t conducting immoderate regular oregon charter flights to Iraq oregon Syria and didn’t person immoderate flights betwixt Istanbul and Minsk.

Asked astir the reports of imaginable EU sanctions against Aeroflot, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov pointed to the airline's denial of knowingly transporting Europe-bound asylym-seekers.

“Let anticipation that specified huffy ideas lone beryllium successful those media hoaxes,” helium said successful a league telephone with reporters.

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