"On March 15, Air Force and Air Defense units that are involved in the trials took up their air defense combat duty according to schedule. To reinforce the component of the Joint Regional System of Air Defense that is involved in the trials, a Russian A-50 early warning aircraft was redeployed to Baranovichi Airfield," the ministry said in a statement.
"The technical characteristics of the A-50: make it possible to significantly increase the resources of radar reconnaissance, direction of Belarusian and Russian fighters to targets, and control of duty air defense forces," it said.
Earlier, Russian military launched training flights over the Mediterranean Sea amid a standoff with the West over Ukraine’s Crimea region.
Navy spokesman Vadim Serga said on Friday that deployment had started from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which docked last month off the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
In addition, Serga said, the training included tactics for engaging aerial targets and other battle techniques.
According to Serga the aircraft taking part in the training flights were Sukhoi SU-33 air defense fighters and Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters.
On Thursday, Russia began military drills close to the border with Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said more than 8,000 troops in the regions of Rostov, Belgorod, Kursk and Tambov bordering Ukraine were involved in the exercises, which will continue until the end of the month.
NJF/NJF