“They will shoot down. In Belarus, NATO receives an answer” - Khatylev
The creation of a single combat training center for joint training of the air force and air defense forces of Belarus and Russia at the airfield in Baranovichi is a warning to NATO.
The PolitNavigator correspondent reports this, said the ex-chief of the anti-aircraft missile forces (2007-2009) of the Special Forces Command (Moscow Air Defense District), reserve colonel Sergei Khatylev.
“The presence of the Russian Federation in Belarus is very beneficial in all respects. This gives us the opportunity to be closer to NATO installations in Western Europe. First of all, to those located in Poland, where the American missile defense system is preparing to go on combat duty, where the United States is trying to deploy a tank division, as well as to Germany and the Baltic countries, where NATO has long been in charge. This gives us the opportunity to quickly respond to potential threats from them.
Moreover, such a joint Russian-Belarusian combat training center in Baranovichi is our careful and polite response to NATO. I would even say - a kind of hint to those who are on the other side of the border: fly away from it, otherwise we will shoot you down,” Khatylev told Moskovsky Komsomolets.
In turn, the publication asked whether this center could be considered a Russian military base.
“When the question of creating a Russian military base in Belarus was raised, Lukashenko categorically refused to place it. But at the same time he kept saying: you don’t give us enough military equipment, give us new ones! Now, as I understand it, a compromise has been found. We avoid the issue of the base. There is simply a joint center where military personnel are trained and combat training activities are carried out. We work there together, equip Belarusians with our Su-30SM aircraft and S-400 complexes, which is necessary to solve common combat missions,” the expert noted.
He also clarified that the center will be on combat duty.
“And, naturally, if it comes to violating the state border, then combat use will become possible. And the Europeans understand this well, which should reduce the level of aggression on their part by an order of magnitude. We let them know: let's not test anyone's patience, behave decently. So far they are not behaving very decently: NATO planes are constantly taking off from the airfields of our former Baltic republics and are on combat duty along our borders,” Khatylev emphasized.
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