MINSK, April 5 (AVN) - Russian long range bombers flew over Belarus once again on Thursday taking part in the command post training of the CIS Unified Air Defence System.
The Russian planes functioned as manoeuvre enemy, i.e. target for strikes of Belarussian Air Force and Air Defence formations.
Having accomplished the missions, two TU-22M3 Blinder heavy bombers landed at the military airfield in the Belarussian city of Baranovichi. Two TU-95MS Bear bombers landed at the Machulishchi military airfield near Minsk. They were serviced and fuelled before taking off and heading for Russia.
An operations group of the 37th strategic Air Force army headquarters was sent to Belarus to co-ordinate and control flights. The group was headed by Major General Vladimir Kashirin, 37th army deputy chief-of-staff.
Both Russian and Belarussian units successfully accomplished their missions during the training, Kashirin told the Military News Agency.
Ukraine took part in the training as well. There it was supervised by Colonel General Vladimir Tkachev, deputy defence minister and air defence troops commander. The manoeuvres involved on-duty combat crews of Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defence command posts, as well as three Ukrainian SU-27 Flanker fighters and two Russian SU-24 Fencer frontline bombers.