Military activity on the territory of Belarus on March 11-17

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

During the week, an increase in the intensity of movements of equipment of the Belarusian Armed Forces was recorded. This was connected with the conduct of the combat readiness inspection and other combat training activities.

Transport aircraft and a calibration equipment aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived in Belarus. On March 15-16, inspection of the operation of radio-technical systems of Homiel airport was conducted.

Aviation activity

• Aviation activity was recorded at Machulishchy, Lida, Baranavichy, Vosautsy, Ziabrauka, Mazyr (Bokau), and Luninets airfields. Flights of aircraft and helicopters of the Belarusian Air Force and Russian Aerospace Forces were recorded.
• On March 11, seven helicopters of the 50th combined air base (two Mi-24, one Mi-35M, and four Mi-8) flew from Machulishchy airfield to Vosautsy airfield. After the drills at the 210th Ruzhany aviation training ground, the helicopters returned to the permanent deployment airfield on March 15.
• On March 12-14, flights of fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces were recorded at Baranavichy airfield.
• On March 14, the An-26KPA calibration equipment aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived at Machulishchy airfield. On March 15-16, the aircraft flew to Homiel airport.
• On March 14-16, flights of the An-26 aircraft, as well as Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters of the 50th combined air base of the Belarusian Air Force were recorded in the area of the western and northern borders of Belarus.
• On March 14, for the first time in several months, a Mi-8 helicopter of the Belarusian Air Force flew to the so-called “Site 400. Kupol” (located near Volma village, Minsk district). The helicopter picked up passengers there and then flew to Mazyr (Bokau) and Ziabrauka airfields, where Russian military are deployed. Also, on March 15, a Mi-8 helicopter of the Belarusian Air Force flew to  “Site 400. Kupol” and then to Luninets airfield. We recall that a command center of the Russian Armed Forces group, which began the invasion of Ukraine from the territory of Belarus, was deployed there.
• On March 15, An-26 and An-124 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived at Baranavichy airfield from Russia. The An-124 aircraft could have delivered MiG-29 fighters of the Algerian Air Force to Baranavichy for modernization.
• On March 15, an Il-76 military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived at Machulishchy airfield. On March 16, the aircraft flew to Rostov-on-Don (Russia).
• On March 15, a Tu-134AK aircraft arrived at Minsk National Airport from Russia (Levashovo airfield).

Rail activity

• On March 11, the formation of a military cargo train with equipment of the 350th Artillery Group of the 6th Mechanized Brigade was recorded in Hrodna. The unit was going to field drills.
• As part of the combat readiness inspection, on March 11, a military cargo train with equipment of the 19th Mechanized Brigade began to be formed at Zaslonava station. On March 12, the train was spotted in Orsha. On March 12-13, the second military cargo train with equipment of the 19th Mechanized Brigade was formed at Zaslonava station. After the two train were combined into one, it went to Ashmiany station.
• On March 12, a military cargo train with equipment of the 111th Artillery Brigade was being formed in Brest. The unit was going to field drills.

Movements by road

• No movements of military vehicles of the Russian Armed Forces were recorded.
• Small convoys (up to 10 pieces), single vehicles, and large convoys (10+ pieces) of the Belarusian Armed Forces were spotted in Minsk, Dziatlava, Hrodna, Ziabrauka, Zaslonava, Homiel, Mazyr, Baranavichy, Brest, Slonim, and on some sections of the М1, М2, М3, М4, М9, R23, R42, R53, R99, N429, N4096, and other highways.

Combat training

Combat training activities with units of the Belarusian Armed Forces were conducted at the Hozhski, Lepelski, Barysauski, Losvida, Asipovichski, Damanava, and other training grounds, as well as at the Valoushchyna training center of the Internal Troops.

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

General conclusion on current situation

1) There has been an increase in the intensity of movements of Belarusian Armed Forces. This is due to two reasons: 1) the beginning of the combat readiness inspection; 2) active combat training activities conducted at training grounds (primarily field drills).

2) Flights of the An-26KPA equipment calibration aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces took place at Homiel airport. This is a special laboratory aircraft that checks the operation of ground-based radio-technical flight support equipment, aviation telecommunications and light-signaling equipment systems.

Such inspections are held regularly to ensure flight safety. Previously, such an aircraft had been in Belarus from November 28 to December 29, 2023. At that time, the radio technical systems of Machulishchy, Lida and Baranavichy airfields were inspected.

It is notable that this time the aircraft is inspecting the radio-technical systems of Homiel civil airport. It is possible that similar inspections will be conducted at other Belarusian airports.