MINSK, Dec 1 - RIA Novosti. Belarus needs Russian S-400 or S-500 anti-aircraft missile systems for effective protection against a missile attack, President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
"Today we are completely covering our borders with our defense - Minsk, there, and so on and so forth. But in order to be effective against a missile attack, we need just the S-400, and maybe the S-500," the Belarusian leader said.
To the clarifying question when these systems can be delivered to Belarus, Lukashenko noted: "President Putin will make this decision."
"We are not just ready (for deliveries - ed.), we have justified it. You understand that the S-400 and S-500 are very expensive systems. And let's be honest, there are no unnecessary systems in Russia today. They have something to cover," the president said, adding that the S-400 combat anti-aircraft missile system is already in Belarus, in the training center.
"We have created these centers. This is already in the development of this program. What are the centers for? In order for us to study the new weapons that have now appeared in Russia. Let's say (operational-tactical missile system - ed.) "Iskander". We have (multiple rocket launcher system - ed.) "Polonaise" similar, but "Iskander" is a long-range weapon. We don't know it, it should be," he said.
According to Lukashenko, "but before it should be, it is necessary to teach people, to teach this." "We have created a center, we are training, another center for S-400. Russia has supplied the S-400 to this center, we need to see it, study it," he said. "I want to ask the president (Putin - ed.) to stay here, this complex," the President of Belarus said, specifying that the complex is combat-ready.
