The six or seven Russian Su-27 Flankers deployed Bobruisk airfield in eastern Belarus were photographed carrying Vympel R-73 missiles (NATO reporting name AA-11 Archer). The aircraft were deployed to Belarus at the request of President Aleksandr Lukashenko amid concerns over increased NATO military activity in eastern Europe.
MOSCOW, March 27 (Xinhua) — The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that the air force is holding large-scale drills in the South, Northwest and Far East of Russia.
Satellite imagery captured on March 22, 2014 shows eight Su-27/30 Flankers at Primorko-Akhtarsk Air Base in southern Russia. These units could ostensibly be used in any military action against Ukraine.
Russia has reportedly deployed six Su-27 Flanker fighters to Belarus as the request of President Lukashenko amid concerns over instability in Ukraine and NATO’s deployment of USAF combat aircraft to Lithuania and Poland.
The Finnish Air Force has increased surveillance flights within its airspace in response to escalating tension between Russia and NATO. Russia has announced plans to deploy up to 24 Su-27 fighter aircraft to Belarus in response to NATO deployments of fighter aircraft to Lithuania and Poland as a result of the current crisis in Crimea.
By the end of the year 24 Su-27SM3 fighter jets will have been deployed at the Russian aviation base in Belarus.
Russian fighter jets regiment, composed of 24 Su-27SM3 fighter jets, will ensure the “Union State’s” air defense and the integrity of the air space, ITAR-TASS reports with a reference to the Commander in Chief of Russia’s air forces Viktor Bondarev.
Russian fighter jets allegedly twice violated Ukraine’s air space over the Black Sea during the night, Interfax news agency quoted the Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.
It said Ukraine’s air force had scrambled a Sukhoi SU-27 interceptor aircraft and prevented any “provocative actions” but gave no further details.
A photograph taken on March 1, 2014 shows Ukranian “Blue 45” in flight armed with a full complement of ten air-to-air missiles (R-27 Vympel and R-73 Vympel). The aircraft is believed to be based at Mirgorod. The aircraft wears Ukraine’s “digital flanker” camouflage scheme.
Photo by Andrey Rakul