Russia sends strategic bombers to protect Belarus border
Russia has sent long-range strategic Tu-22M3 bombers to the western borders of Belarus, while the Polish Prime Minister does not rule out war.
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Long-range strategic Tu-22M3 bombers
Russia has sent long-range strategic Tu-22M3 bombers to the Belarusian border to join the airspace patrols, the Belarusian defense ministry announced on Saturday.
The Belarusian military mentioned that Su-30SM fighters’ jets from both countries are taking part in the patrols as well.
This initiative comes in light of the tensions witnessed by the EU and Belarus due to the migrants’ crisis along the Polish-Belarusian border.
Back in November, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko said that his country "does not desire any conflicts on its borders."
"I want to emphasize once again: we do not want any conflict on our state border. This is absolutely troublesome for us", Lukashenko said.
While hundreds of migrants have been trying to cross the Polish-Belarusian border for months, tension rose last week following Poland’s deployment of 10,000 soldiers on its common border with Belarus, following the influx of migrants.
Click here: The Polish-Belarusian Border Crisis
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense said that Poland's deployment of 10,000 soldiers near the common border without notifying the Belarusian side is a "violation of bilateral additional agreements on regional confidence and security measures."
On November 11, the Russian foreign ministry broadcasted a video of two strategic Tu-160 bombers, able to carry nuclear weapons, patrolling in the Belarus airspace.
It is worth noting that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Moravitsky said earlier that he does not rule out an escalation to war on their common border with Belarus.