Belarusian military officials confirmed on June 29 that the country had deployed additional air defence systems near the country’s border with Ukraine. The development comes amid growing tensions between the two neighbours, and follows a Ukrainian drone incursion deep into Belarusian territory. “The system of visual observation posts has been expanded with the sole purpose of providing information to the firing units of the anti-aircraft missile and air defence forces of the operational commands on combat duty. To this end, air defence forces and means have been additionally deployed to designated areas to cover the southern borders and critical facilities of the Republic of Belarus,” it was reported at the time. Officials added that this was preceded by a significant expansion of Ukrainian air defences near the Belarusian border, stressing that this was done despite Ukrainian air defences being stretched thinly across the country.
The backbone of Belarus’ ground based air defences are formed by S-400 surface to air missile systems, with the latest deliveries made on May 28, 2023. These systems have been used in joint exercises with Russian forces. The S-400 is currently in production in Russia on a scale sufficient to furnish multiple regiments per year, allowing for exports to Belarus while also replenishing Russian wartime losses. Each S-400 regiment is comprised of two battalions, while each battalion consists of eight launch vehicles. Belarus also deploys seven battalions’ worth of Soviet-built S-300PS systems. Much like Russia, the country has relied increasingly on ground based air defence systems to compensate for the extreme decline of its fighter and interceptor fleets since the end of the Cold War, as both countries not only lack counterparts to the latest U.S. and Chinese fifth generation fighters, but are also increasingly outnumbered by the fleets of their adversaries.
The backbone of the Belarusian Air Force’s fighter fleet is currently comprised of MiG-29 medium weight fighters, which are gradually being replaced by Su-30SM fighters. As a frontier state between Russia and NATO members, Belarus’ airspace has further benefitted from Russian protection in the form of Su-35 and Su-30SM fighters deployed to airfields in the country, as well as deployments of ground based systems such as Russian S-400s complementing those operated by local forces.