Rotation of air defense units providing protection for the Mazyr oil refinery indicates that the security threat to the refinery is recognized as permanent.
In response to the proposal to strike at the Mazyr oil refinery, one of the units of the 147th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the Belarusian Armed Forces (military unit 96869, armed with the Osa-AKM SAM system) was redeployed to Yelsk district in April.
The purpose was to protect the Mazyr oil refinery from drone strikes and other means of air attack. The military were stationed in the vicinity of Palauki village, about 3 km from the refinery.
In the report on military activity for May 20-26, we noted that a unit of the 147th Regiment returned to its permanent deployment point in Babruisk “from the area of task fulfillment.” We assumed that it was about the return of the military from Yelsk district and that as part of the rotation, another unit of the regiment would be sent to cover the refinery.
This assumption was confirmed. According to our information, another unit of the 147th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment will arrive in Palouki village (Yelsk district), where it will stay until the end of June. One can expect that at least one battery of the Osa-AKM SAM system will be used to cover the Mazyr oil refinery.
In addition to the 147th, units of the 1146th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 97106, armed with the Tor-M2K SAM system) are also stationed in Yelsk district.
Rotation of air defense units providing protection for the Mazyr oil refinery indicates that the security threat to the refinery is recognized as permanent.
Not only Osa-AKM and Tor-M2K SAM systems are involved in the protection of the Mazyr refinery. Eight combat vehicles, or two batteries of each SAM system, will take part in the military parade on July 3 in Minsk.
