Sukhoi Su-27 jets of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force
_____________________________
On Wednesday, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters that Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months. The airbase, post-Soviet Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defence collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Located in Lida, a city of nearly 100,000, the base would be an important element in the “strategic defence of the Union State”, General Bondarev said, adding that Russian would deploy Su-27SM3 fighter jets there. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in May that the base wasn’t being set up in response to deployment of an American missile shield in Europe strongly opposed by Russia. However, Moscow takes issue with NATO jets flying combat air patrols close to Russian airspace. Belarus borders NATO nations Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.
26 June 2013
RIA-Novosti
http://en.rian.ru/world/20130626/181896268/Russia-to-Open-Airbase-in-Belarus-Within-Months.html
Voices from Russia 
You must be logged in to post a comment.