For the first time in a year and a half, a MiG-31K carrying Kinzhal missiles has landed in Belarus.

The Russian fighter jet MiG-31K landed on one of the airfields in Belarus on October 9. This aircraft serves as a carrier for the hypersonic "Kinzhal" missiles. According to the monitoring project "Belarusian Hayun," MiG-31K fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces have been in Belarus for the past 1.5 years.

Monitoring data indicates that the MiG-31K of the Russian Aerospace Forces landed at the Belarusian airfield "Machulishchy", located near Minsk. This is the traditional base for MiG-31K in the Republic of Belarus.

It is noteworthy that Russian MiG-31K fighters had not been present in Belarus for the last one and a half years, with the last departure on April 6, 2023. At that time, Russia and Belarus were also simulating MiG-31K flights, which in turn led to large-scale air alerts in Ukraine.

MiG-31K is a modification of the Soviet multipurpose interceptor MiG-31, designed to launch hypersonic "Kinzhal" missiles. The MiG-31K can perform interception tasks against aerial targets and strike ground objects using precision missiles. The primary weapon of the MiG-31K is the air-launched ballistic missile "Kinzhal," which has a range of up to 2000 km.

The Kinzhal carrier arrived in Belarus amid a warm meeting between Putin and Lukashenko

Almost simultaneously with the landing of the Russian MiG-31K in Belarus, Russian leader Vladimir Putin hosted the self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, in the Kremlin on October 9. Lukashenko has been in Moscow since October 8 – he arrived for the CIS summit and was granted a personal meeting today.

During this meeting, Putin announced that Lukashenko would be awarded the highest state honor of the Russian Federation – the Order of Apostle Andrew the First-Called for his special merits in strengthening bilateral ties between Russia and Belarus. It cannot be ruled out that the permission to once again station the MiG-31K in Machulishchy, or at least to allow a landing, is a gesture in response from the illegitimate Belarusian leader. The coincidence is too strange.

Kinzhal missiles and MiG-31K in Belarus

On November 1, 2022, British intelligence reported that Russia had recently transferred MiG-31K interceptor fighters capable of carrying "Kinzhal" ballistic missiles to Belarus (Machulishchy airfield), and likely the missiles themselves. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, this was done to create the impression that Belarus is increasingly being drawn into the war.

The MiG-31K was based in Belarus for 113 days, conducted 39 sorties, and finally left Machulishchy on April 6, 2023. Specifically, the fighters that took off in April had been in Belarus since December 13, 2022. At that time, this was already the second rotation for this type of aircraft in Belarus. Previously, a trio of MiGs arrived on October 16, 2022, and stayed in Belarus for 46 days. By the way, there were two incidents involving Kinzhal carriers in Belarus – they caught fire.

Belarus – an ally of the aggressor, but Lukashenko's army does not fight

It is worth recalling that on the evening of August 25, information emerged that the Belarusian military had approached a dangerous distance to the Ukrainian border. It was noted that Belarus was conducting exercises involving units of the Wagner Private Military Company. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacted to such maneuvers with a warning and a call to withdraw troops, as they pose threats to Ukraine, especially regarding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Previously, Informator reported that despite the accumulation of military equipment and units along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, Alexander Lukashenko has not yet demonstrated readiness for large-scale actions. However, his show of force may be part of a larger plan coordinated with Moscow. It is quite possible that the demonstrative actions of the Belarusians are yet another psychological game aimed at Kyiv and the West.

Lieutenant General Serhiy Naiev, the former commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, assures that currently there are no forces on Belarusian territory capable of conducting offensive actions against Ukraine, particularly towards Chernihiv region. According to General Naiev, Ukrainian military personnel do not observe active preparations of Belarusian forces for an offensive. Currently, the enemy lacks sufficient resources for such actions, but the situation could change.

As of September 2024, according to insider information from Informator and confirmed data from "Belarusian Hayun", there is an accumulation of military forces in the border areas of Belarus, including UAVs, communication means, and about 2,000 Russian soldiers.

However, there is no aggressive rhetoric from Lukashenko himself; he denies any statements about plans for an offensive. Military expert Ivan Stupak mentioned that he continuously monitors how Lukashenko conducts his meetings and assures that there are no calls for war with Ukraine in his rhetoric or in Belarusian propaganda.

Informator reminds that Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, including from Belarusian territory. Belarus effectively provided its territory to the occupying country as a military base, particularly for launching missile and air strikes on Ukraine. Later, Lukashenko acknowledged that his country is participating in Russia's war against Ukraine, but allegedly "is not killing anyone and is not directing its military anywhere."

At the same time, on August 27, 2024, Lukashenko stated that he was "advised to spit on this Russia" and to fight alongside Ukraine against the Russian Federation. He did not specify who exactly suggested to him to "spit on Russia," but mentioned the West.

"Just spit on this Russia, turn away from this Russia. Let's fight together with Ukraine against Russia. And we will bring NATO troops to the border near Smolensk." It even comes to this. Today, I am receiving proposals from all sides that we cannot accept 99% of," he said.

Telegram channel, to not miss important news. You can subscribe to the channel on Viber here.