They're planning to spend $23 million on the construction of the facilities .
Radio Svaboda published satellite images of the military town No. 2 “Paudniovy” in Asipovichy, where three brigades of the Belarusian Armed Forces (the 51st Artillery, the 336th Rocket Artillery and the 465th Rocket Brigade) are stationed. Two storage facilities for military equipment are being built on the territory of the military town.
The storage facilities under construction are very similar to the storage facility for the Iskander-M missile systems, which was built on the territory of the military town in 2022-2023. The storage facility was designed for the storage of 13 vehicles (including those mounted on the MZKT-7930 chassis). This is enough to accommodate the “main” equipment of the missile divizion. In addition, the storage facility included a technical maintenance station for two vehicles.
Since the Polonez-M MLRS in service with the 336th Brigade are placed in storage facilities located at the combat vehicle park (near Varashylava and Yubileinaya streets in Asipovichy), the storage facilities under construction are most likely designed specifically for the Iskander-M missile systems.
It is known that in 2023-2023, the Belarusian Armed Forces received at least 18 pieces of equipment from the composition of the Iskander-M missile system (including at least 6 self-propelled launchers). This number of vehicles corresponds to 1.5 missile divizions (it was officially repeatedly stated that two divizion sets were transferred to the Belarusian Armed Forces). Therefore, the amount of transferred equipment couldn’t fit into the storage facility built in 2022-2023.
The construction of two new storage facilities indicates that Russia is planning to transfer a brigade set of the Iskander-M missile system (3 missile divizions, 4 self-propelled launchers in each) to Belarus. We note that in August 2023, it was reported about new deliveries of Iskander systems to the Belarusian Armed Forces.
It is still unclear whether a new missile brigade armed with the Isknader-M missile system will be formed in the Belarusian Armed Forces. Here are the following options:
- No new missile brigade will be created. Some of the existing three divizions of the 465th Missile Brigade armed with the Tochka/Tochka-U tactical missile systems will be rearmed with the Iskander-M missile systems. The formation of new divizions with Iskander systems in the brigade is also possible.
Earlier we reported that the 587th Separate Missile Divizion armed with the Iskander-M missile system was formed as part of the 465th Missile Brigade. The divizion became the fourth in the brigade and was given its own insignia.
It is unlikely that the Belarusian military will completely abandon the operation of the Tochka missile systems now, since there is still some stock of missiles available for them. At the same time, Belarus most likely doesn’t have (and is unlikely to have) significant stocks of missiles for the Iskander systems.
- A new missile brigade armed with the Iskander-M missile system will be formed in the Belarusian Armed Forces. For this purpose, for example, the 22nd Missile Brigade of the Belarusian Armed Forces, disbanded in 2005, could be re-established. At the same time, the 465th Missile Brigade will continue to operate the Tochka / Tochka-U missile systems.
In addition to the two equipment storage facilities, the published images show the reconstruction of two administrative buildings, as well as the laying of foundations for new constructions of unknown purpose. The construction of these facilities is probably also related to the deployment of Iskander systems.
Construction of military facilities in Mahiliou region (including Asipovichy) is included in the State Investment Program for 2024 under the title “Construction of facilities (including design and survey work), (according to a separate list agreed with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance).” It is planned to spend 73,710,000 BYN ($23,179,245) on the construction of facilities.
