Military activity on the territory of Belarus on April 1-7

Aviation activity, movements of the troops by rail and roads in Belarus.

Due to the ongoing inspection of the Belarusian Armed Forces and other military training activities, there were active movements of troops by rail and flights of aviation.

No flights of fighters and reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces were recorded at Baranavichy airfield.

Aviation activity

• Aviation activity was recorded at Machulishchy, Lida, Baranavichy, and at Homiel airport. Flights of aircraft and helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force and Russian Aerospace Forces were recorded.
• On April 1, an An-12 military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces flew from Homiel airport to Russia.
• On April 2, Mi-8 helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force flew to Ashmiany district.
• On April 2, an Il-76 military transport aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force flew from Machulishchy airfield ro Kubinka airfield. On April 5, the aircraft returned to Machulishchy airfield.
• On April 4, a Mi-8 helicopter of the Belarusian Air Force flew to Ros’ village (Hrodna region). The 3rd radio-technical center of the 2285th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion of the Belarusian Air Force is located in the vicinity of the village.
• On April 7, flights of helicopters of the 50th combined air base of the Belarusian Air Force to the area of the western border of Belarus were recorded.
• On April 7, four new Mi-35M helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force arrived at Machulishchy airfield from Rostov-on-Don (Russia).
• No flights of fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces at Baranavichy airfield were recorded.

Rail activity

• On April 5, a military cargo train with equipment of air defense units of the Western Operational Command was being formed at Liasnaya station.
• On April 6, a military cargo train with equipment of the 52nd Separate Tank Battalion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade was being formed in Hrodna.
• On April 6, a military cargo train with equipment of the 310th Artillery Group arrived in Barysau.
• On April 7, a military cargo train with equipment of the 147th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment arrived in Babruisk. And a military cargo train with equipment of the anti-aircraft missile and artillery divizion of the 6th Mechanized Brigade arrived in Hrodna.
• On April 7, a military cargo train with equipment of the 19th Mechanized Brigade arrived at Asipovichy-1 station.

Movements by road

• Single vehicles of the Russian Armed Forces were repeatedly spotted in Mazyr and Mazyr district.
• Small convoys (up to 10 pieces), single vehicles, and large convoys (10+ pieces) of the Belarusian Armed Forces were spotted in Minsk, Homiel, Baranavichy, Asipovichy, Brest, Zhabinka district, Kamianiets district, Zaslonava, Bobr, and on some sections of the М1, М3, М14, and other highways.

Combat training

Combat training activities with units of the Belarusian Armed Forces were conducted at the Hozhski, Lepelski, Staradarozhski, Brestski, Barysauski, Obuz-Liasnouski, Asipovichski, Damanava, Chapialiova training grounds, as well as at the facility of ‘Khrenin’s line’ (Zhabinka district) and in some areas (Ashmiany and Pastavy districts).

Changes in the size of the Russian Armed Forces group and PMC Wagner in Belarus: no data.

General conclusion on current situation

Movements of units of the Belarusian Armed Forces by rail became more active. This was due to two reasons: 

1) the end of field drills and the return of units to their permanent deployment points; 

2) the ongoing combat readiness inspection and the redeployment of units of the 6th and 19th Mechanized Brigades to training grounds.