Belarus says Russian Iskander missile systems ready for use - Al Jazeera English

Deployment of weapons comes amid Moscow’s expanding unit connected Minsk to assistance its penetration of Ukraine.

The Iskander tactical rocket systems and the S-400 aerial defence systems that Russia has deployed to Belarus are afloat prepared to execute their intended tasks, a elder Belarusian authoritative has said.

“Our servicemen, crews person afloat completed their grooming successful the associated combat grooming centres of the equipped forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus,” Leonid Kasinsky, caput of the Main Directorate of Ideology astatine the Belarusian defence ministry, said successful a video posted online connected Sunday.

“These types of weapons [Iskander and S-400 systems] are connected combat work contiguous and they are afloat prepared to execute tasks for their intended purpose.”

It is unclear however galore of the Iskander systems — susceptible of carrying atomic weapons — person been deployed to Belarus aft Russian President Vladimir Putin said successful June that Moscow would proviso Minsk with the Iskander and the aerial defence systems.

The quality comes amid Moscow’s increasing unit connected Minsk to assistance its penetration of Ukraine, now successful its 10th period and with nary extremity successful sight.

Russian forces utilized Belarus arsenic a motorboat pad for their abortive onslaught connected the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, successful February, and determination has been a increasing flurry of Russian and Belarusian subject enactment successful caller months.

The Iskander-M, a mobile guided rocket strategy code-named “SS-26 Stone” by NATO, replaced the Soviet “Scud”. Its 2 guided missiles person a scope of up to 500km (300 miles) and tin transportation accepted oregon atomic warheads.

That scope reaches heavy into Belarusian neighbour territory — Ukraine and NATO-member Poland — starring to strained relations with Minsk.

The S-400 strategy is simply a Russian mobile, surface-to-air rocket (SAM) interception strategy susceptible of engaging aircraft, drones, arsenic good arsenic cruise missiles.

Kasinsky besides said the country’s subject craft person been converted to transportation “special aviation ammunition”.