Minsk. February 17. INTERFAX - Belarus plans to buy or receive as a gift from Russia operational-tactical missile systems "Iskander-M", other promising weapons.
"As for technology. I looked at it today: there are several types of promising equipment that we need. "Iskander" and not only. We will buy this equipment and receive it as a gift from our older brothers," Lukashenko told reporters on Thursday at the Osipovichsky training ground, where the Allied Resolve - 2022 joint exercises with Russia are taking place.
The words of Lukashenka are transmitted by the state agency BELTA.
On February 3, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Russia was sending a group of 30,000 military and, in particular, Iskander-M missile systems to Belarus for exercises.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation did not report on the transfer of Iskander-M complexes to Belarus for exercises.
The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system was developed at the Kolomna Machine-Building Design Bureau (High-Precision Complexes Holding, Rostec). It was reported that the missiles of the complex can carry a nuclear warhead. In the variant for the Russian army, the complex includes two types of missiles: ballistic and cruise. The flight range of the Iskander-M missiles was officially called - up to 500 km.
On August 2, 2019, the United States officially terminated its participation in the Intermediate-range and Shorter-Range Missiles Treaty (INF Treaty). Before that, the United States accused Russia of violating the treaty. Washington had claims to the range of the Russian 9M729 cruise missile of the Iskander-M complex. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the range of Iskander missiles did not violate the INF Treaty.
Last November, Lukashenko said that Minsk would like to receive several divisions of Iskander-M complexes from Russia in order to install them in the western and southern directions.
Earlier, Minsk announced its desire to buy long-range S-400 Triumph air defense systems from Russia.
On February 10, Russia and Belarus began major maneuvers "Allied Resolve - 2022". The exercises in Belarus, to which Russia has transferred a number of units and units of the Eastern Military District (VVO), will last until February 20.
Earlier, the Russian military announced the arrival of a number of air defense units with regular weapons in Belarus for exercises. In addition, it was officially reported that the Russian S-400 Triumph long-range air defense system, the Pantsir-S division of short-range air defense systems, as well as Su-35 multi-purpose fighters of the fourth generation and Su-25 attack aircraft were relocated to Belarus for maneuvers.
Moscow and Minsk announced that the Russian military will return to their permanent deployment points after the exercises.
The maneuvers are taking place against the backdrop of a crisis in relations between Russia and NATO.
The United States, other NATO countries and Ukraine announced the concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border and the threat of a Russian invasion.
