Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus
The Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus grew out of the Soviet 26th Air Army and 2nd Separate Air Defence Army inherited in 1992, sold much of that inheritance abroad, merged air force and air defence into one service in 2001 and since 2019 has rebuilt around Russian Su-30SM fighters, Yak-130 trainers and Mi-35M helicopters — while its role in the 2021 Ryanair diversion and its airfields’ use by Russian forces in 2022 have put it at the centre of disputes with its neighbours.
The story of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus: the 26th Air Army’s inheritance, one service since 2001 and Russia’s war next door
1941–1991: the Western Front’s air army and the air defence of the west
The Belarusian Ministry of Defence traces its air defence troops to 1941, when the 5th Air Defence Division formed in Kuibyshev, and its aviation to the air forces of the Soviet Western Front, from which the 1st Air Army was formed in May 1942. The ministry credits Western Front pilots with 300,000 combat sorties, more than 5,000 enemy aircraft and 3,000 tanks destroyed and over 160 Heroes of the Soviet Union, 18 of them twice; Wikipedia’s account of the 1st Air Army gives 290,000 sorties and 145 Heroes. Both are Soviet wartime tallies. The army fought over Rzhev and Smolensk, in Operation Bagration that retook Belarus in 1944 and in East Prussia, and from March 1943 included the Free French Normandie-Niemen squadron. Renamed the 26th Air Army in January 1949, it ran frontal aviation in the Belorussian Military District through the Cold War, while the 2nd Separate Air Defence Army, formed on 30 June 1960, guarded the western approaches.
1992–2000: an inheritance too big to keep
Independence handed Belarus far more air power than it could pay for. The ministry says the Air Force was formed in 1992 on the basis of the 26th Air Army; Wikipedia dates the order to 15 June 1992, when the army’s headquarters became the Air Force command, and says Belarus kept everything except the 1st Guards Bomber Aviation Division, which went to Russia. Treaty limits and budgets did the rest. Belarus sold 18 MiG-29s and 18 Su-25s to Peru in 1996, nine Su-27s to Angola in 1998, and two Su-27Ps went to the United States in 1995, according to Wikipedia’s type articles. The Soviet nuclear warheads left by November 1996. The decade’s darkest episode came on 12 September 1995, when a Belarusian Mi-24 shot down a balloon in the Gordon Bennett Cup race, killing the Americans Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis; Wikipedia records that Belarus neither apologised nor offered compensation.
2001–2019: one service for air and air defence
A presidential decree of 8 November 2001 merged the Air Force and the Air Defence Troops into a single service, and its command was formed on 21 December 2001, the date the ministry still marks. Wikipedia records two operational-tactical commands set up in 2002 and disbanded by the end of 2014. The fleet kept shrinking: the Su-24 bombers went around 2010 (eight later reached Sudan from 2013), and the Su-27 interceptors were retired in December 2012, leaving the MiG-29 at Baranovichi as the only fighter and the Su-25 at Lida as the attack force. The worst accident of the period happened abroad: on 30 August 2009 a Su-27UBM crashed at the Radom air show in Poland and both pilots were killed. In February 2019 Belarus handed four MiG-29s to Serbia at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in Baranovichi. The good side was a lean, affordable force; the other side was an ageing fleet that could only be renewed from Russia.
2012–2021: Yak-130, Su-30SM and a May of two headlines
The renewal began with trainers. Belarus agreed with Russia in December 2012 to buy four Yak-130s, delivered by April 2015; four more were contracted at MAKS-2015 and handed over in November 2016, and another batch arrived in May 2019, making 12. In June 2017 it ordered 12 Su-30SM multirole fighters, reported at about US$600 million; the first four reached Baranovichi in November 2019 and Belarusian pilots were ready for solo flights in March 2020. On 19 May 2021 a Yak-130 crashed in Baranovichi; Major Andrei Nichiporchik and Lieutenant Nikita Kukonenko were killed and were made Heroes of Belarus posthumously. Four days later, on 23 May 2021, Ryanair Flight 4978 was diverted to Minsk and the opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich was arrested. A MiG-29 was launched; ICAO’s fact-finding team found it did not approach or escort the airliner, while the EU sanctioned the service’s commander for sending military aircraft to escort it. Minsk maintained it had acted lawfully on a bomb threat, which ICAO found to be deliberately false.
2022–2024: Russia’s war next door
In February 2022 Russian and Belarusian forces held the Union Resolve-2022 exercise, and Russian troops stayed. When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief reported ballistic missiles launched from Belarus, and satellite images showed Russian aircraft at Baranovichi and Machulishchy; Russian Su-35S fighters used Baranovichi from February to April 2022, AirForces Monthly reported. President Lukashenko said Belarusian forces would not take part directly and on 27 February called the launches from Belarus a “forced step”. On 2 March 2022 the UN General Assembly, in resolution ES-11/1, deplored Belarus’s involvement in the unlawful use of force against Ukraine. On 26 February 2023 the opposition group BYPOL claimed a drone attack on a Russian A-50 at Machulishchy; satellite imagery two days later showed no significant damage. Belarus’s own role turned nuclear: in May 2023 the defence ministers said Su-25s had been re-equipped to carry nuclear weapons, and in May 2024 Belarus held a surprise inspection of its non-strategic nuclear delivery aircraft.
2025–2026: Su-30SM2, drones and what is not published
The newest jets are the Su-30SM2: the ministry announced batches on 27 May 2025, 14 August 2025, 26 December 2025 and 29 January 2026, without giving numbers; Wikipedia counts eight. Mi-35M helicopters arrived in batches from August 2023, and the ministry names S-400, S-300 and Tor-M2 air defence systems. The war has also reached the service’s radar screens. In August and September 2024 Belarusian officials said air defence had destroyed aerial targets entering from Ukraine. On 10 September 2025, as Poland shot down Russian drones that had crossed from Belarus, the Belarusian General Staff said it had warned Poland and Lithuania of approaching unknown drones. What cannot be checked from Minsk is the fleet itself: the ministry publishes no aircraft totals, so the counts on this page come from FlightGlobal’s directory as cited by Wikipedia, and the IISS Military Balance was not consulted.
The Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus in numbers
Serviço
- Nome nativo
- Ваенна-паветраныя сілы і войскі супрацьпаветранай абароныBelarusian, as spelled on the Belarusian-language pages of mil.by; in Russian, Военно-воздушные силы и войска противовоздушной обороны. Both are official languages. Usually abbreviated ВВС и войска ПВО
- Fundada
- 15 June 1992Air Force formed from the 26th Air Army (the ministry gives 1992; Wikipedia gives the order date). The merged Air Force and Air Defence Forces date from a presidential decree of 8 November 2001; the command was formed on 21 December 2001
- Parte de
- Armed Forces of the Republic of BelarusOne of the services under the Ministry of Defence; Minister of Defence Viktor Khrenin
- Sede
- MinskCommand of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, 11 Belinsky Street, 220113 Minsk
- Comandante
- Maj. Gen. Andrei LukyanovichAppointed commander on 13 December 2022 per a ministry personnel notice; previously deputy commander and chief of aviation
- Chief of the General Staff
- Maj. Gen. Vladimir BelyiAppointed 28 September 2026, succeeding Pavel Muravenka
Força
- Pessoal
- 18,170 (2007)The most recent figure found, from Wikipedia’s article on the armed forces; the ministry publishes no current strength and the IISS Military Balance was not consulted
- Aeronaves de combate
-
- Su-30SM — 8 (12 ordered in 2017)
- Su-30SM2 — about 8 (four batches May 2025–January 2026)
- MiG-29 / MiG-29BM / MiG-29UB — 32 listed (34 in 2022)
- Su-25 / Su-25UB — 50 + 5 listed
Counts are from FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces as cited by Wikipedia; the ministry publishes no totals. Wikipedia’s Su-30SM article gives eight Su-30SM and six Su-30SM2 at December 2025 plus two more Su-30SM2 in January 2026; whether all 12 Su-30SM ordered in 2017 were delivered was not confirmed
- Treinadores
-
- Yak-130 — 11
- L-39C Albatros — 10
Twelve Yak-130s were delivered in 2015–2019; one was lost on 19 May 2021
- Transporte
-
- Il-76MD — 2
- An-26 — 2
Per Wikipedia citing FlightGlobal
- Helicópteros
-
- Mi-8 family (Mi-8T, Mi-8MTV-5, Mi-17) — 36
- Mi-24V/P and Mi-35M — 25–29
- Mi-26 — 3
Wikipedia’s inventory lists 29 Mi-24/Mi-35 including 12 Mi-35s, while its Mi-24 article lists 25 Mi-35s for 2024; the ministry has announced Mi-35M batches since August 2023 without a total
- defesa aérea terrestre
- S-400, S-300, Tor-M2 and othersSystems named by the ministry in exercise and press-tour reports; no numbers or positions are published here
- Orçamento de defesa
- US$1.19 billion (2024)Whole armed forces, about 2.07 per cent of GDP, per Wikipedia; no separate air force budget is published
Infraestrutura
- Main flying units
-
- 61st Fighter Air Base, Baranovichi — Su-30SM/SM2, MiG-29
- 116th Guards Assault Air Base, Lida — Su-25
- 50th Composite Air Base, Machulishchy — Il-76, An-26, Mi-8, Mi-24
- 206th Training Centre — Yak-130, L-39
As listed by Wikipedia; the ministry confirms the 61st Fighter Air Base’s Su-30SM and flying from Machulishchy and Baranovichi. Aircraft numbers per base are not published here
- Repair industry
- 558th Aircraft Repair Plant, BaranovichiOverhauls MiG-29s and Su-25s; the Serbian MiG-29 handover of 25 February 2019 took place there
- Forças estrangeiras
- Russian aircraft used Belarusian bases in 2022Satellite imagery and specialist press reported Russian aircraft at Baranovichi and Machulishchy during the invasion of Ukraine; Belarus says it is not a party to the war
- Papel nuclear
- Su-25 adapted for nuclear weaponsStated at the Belarusian-Russian defence ministers’ meeting of 25 May 2023; a surprise inspection of non-strategic nuclear delivery systems followed on 7 May 2024
- Command formed
- 21 December 2001Marked every year by the service as the day its command was formed
How the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus is organised
One command in Minsk over three flying air bases, a training centre, a drone centre and the air defence troops, merged into a single service in 2001. Fighters fly from Baranovichi, the Su-25 attack aircraft and jet training from Lida, and transports and helicopters from Machulishchy on the edge of Minsk. The ministry publishes no aircraft totals; the counts on this page come from FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia.
Command of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces
At 11 Belinsky Street, Minsk; one of the services of the Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence, its command formed on 21 December 2001 after the Air Force and the Air Defence Troops were merged. Maj. Gen. Andrei Lukyanovich, a military pilot, has commanded since 13 December 2022; Sergei Frolov is Chief of the Main Staff.
61st Fighter Air Base
Belarus’s fighter base, successor of the Soviet 61st Fighter Aviation Regiment: the MiG-29, and the Su-30SM since the first aircraft landed on 13 November 2019. Its chief of air-fire and tactical training, Lt Col. Vladimir Karvat, killed in a Su-27P on 23 May 1996, was the first Hero of Belarus.
116th Guards Assault Air Base
The Su-25 attack force, in full the 116th Guards Radom Red Banner Assault Air Base. In May 2023 the Belarusian and Russian defence ministers said Belarusian Su-25s had been re-equipped to carry nuclear weapons; which base those aircraft use has not been stated officially.
50th Composite Air Base
Il-76MD and An-26 transports and Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters on the southern edge of Minsk. The ministry traces the unit to the 50th Separate Composite Aviation Regiment, formed at Chirchik in Soviet Uzbekistan in 1980 for the war in Afghanistan.
206th Training Centre
Jet training on the Yak-130 and the L-39C; the first Belarusian Yak-130 landed at Lida on 15 April 2015.
927th Centre for the Preparation and Use of Unmanned Aviation Complexes
Operates all the armed forces’ drones, from the Irkut-3 and Irkut-10 to the Supercam S100 delivered in 2019. Until 2010 it was the 927th Fighter Air Base with MiG-29s, per Wikipedia.
Air defence troops
The ministry names S-400, S-300 and Tor-M2 systems in exercise and press-tour reports; no numbers or positions are given here.
What the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus flies today
Cada tipo de cobrança, com link para sua página no Livro das Feras, quando houver. Os números indicam as aeronaves registradas, não as aeronaves disponíveis em um determinado dia.
| Tipo | Papel | Em serviço | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-30SM2Em serviço | Caça multifuncional | 8 | 2025 | About eight: Wikipedia counts six at December 2025 and two more in January 2026.
MaisThe Ministry of Defence announced four batches (27 May 2025, 14 August 2025, 26 December 2025, 29 January 2026) without numbers. |
||
| Sukhoi Su-30SMEm serviço | Caça multifuncional | 8 | 2019 | Eight per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia; 12 were ordered on 20 June 2017. Whether the remaining four were delivered, or the order was completed as Su-30SM2, was not confirmed. | ||
| Mikoyan MiG-29, MiG-29BM and MiG-29UBEm serviço | Lutador | 32 | 1992 | 32 listed by Wikipedia from FlightGlobal (34 in 2022); Wikipedia says 13 were upgraded to MiG-29BM in 2004. Serviceability is not published. | ||
| Sukhoi Su-25 and Su-25UBEm serviço | Aeronave de ataque | 55 | 1992 | 50 single-seat and five two-seat per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia; not corroborated elsewhere and probably includes stored aircraft. | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-130Em serviço | Jato de treinamento avançado e ataque leve | 11 | 2015 | 12 delivered in three batches of four (2015, 2016, 2019); one lost on 19 May 2021. | ||
| Aero L-39C AlbatrosEm serviço | Treinador a jato | 10 | 1992 | Ten per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia. | ||
| Ilyushin Il-76MDEm serviço | Transporte estratégico | 2 | 1992 | Two per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia. | ||
| Antonov An-26Em serviço | Transporte tático | 2 | 1992 | Two per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia. | ||
| Mil Mi-35MEm serviço | Helicóptero de ataque | 12 | 2023 | 12 Mi-35s per Wikipedia’s inventory table (its Mi-24 article gives 25 Mi-35s, which may count older Mi-24s).
MaisThe ministry announced batches in August 2023, April 2024 (four) and May 2025 without a total. |
||
| Mil Mi-24V and Mi-24PEm serviço | Helicóptero de ataque | 1992 | Wikipedia lists 29 Mi-24/Mi-35 in all, including 12 Mi-35s; the number of older Mi-24s left was not confirmed. | |||
| Mil Mi-8T, Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi-17 familyEm serviço | Helicóptero de transporte e utilitário | 36 | 1992 | 36 per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia. | ||
| Mil Mi-26Em serviço | helicóptero de carga pesada | 3 | 1992 | Three per FlightGlobal as cited by Wikipedia. |
Sob encomenda
| Tipo | Encomendado | Primeira entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-30SM2Sob encomenda | 2025 | Deliveries continue in batches (four announced from May 2025 to January 2026). Neither the ministry nor the sources checked give the size of the order or the number still to come. | ||
| Mil Mi-35MSob encomenda | 2023 | The ministry reported further batches in 2024 and 2025 and, on Air Force Day 2026, further batches of Su-30SM and Mi-35M; the total ordered was not published. |
Every type the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus has retired
13 types, from the Sukhoi Su-27P and Su-27UBM1 to the Sukhoi Su-27P and Su-27UBM1. Os números máximos representam as aeronaves incorporadas à frota ao longo de toda a sua vida útil, e não a força total da frota em uma data específica.
| Tipo | Papel | Pico | Servido | Substituído por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-27P and Su-27UBM1 | Interceptor | 28 | 1992–2012 | Su-30SM | 23–28 inherited (sources differ); 17 Su-27P and four Su-27UBM1 at retirement. Wikipedia’s inventory table still lists one Su-27UB as a trainer, which was not confirmed. | |
| Sukhoi Su-24M and Su-24MR | Ataque e reconhecimento | 35 | 1992–2012 | 35 as of 2010 per Wikipedia’s Su-24 article. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD | Lutador | 1992– | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PDS | Interceptor | 1992– | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27K | Caça-bombardeiro | 1992– | ||||
| Sukhoi Su-17M4 | Caça-bombardeiro | 1992– | ||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis | Lutador | 1992– | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-22M3 | Long-range bomber | 1992– | ||||
| Tupolev Tu-16A | Bombardeiro | 1992– | ||||
| Yakovlev Yak-28PP | Electronic warfare | 1992– | ||||
| Antonov An-12BP and An-24B | Transporte | 1992– | ||||
| Mil Mi-6 and Mi-2 | Heavy-lift and light helicopters | 1992– | ||||
| Yakovlev Yak-52 | Treinador principal | 1992– |
Where the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defence Forces fly from
Os pinos pretos representam bases ativas, os pinos ocos representam aeródromos que foram desativados. Three air bases do the flying — Baranovichi, Lida and Machulishchy — while Babruysk and Luninets are kept as reserve and dispersal fields and Osovtsy is the drone centre. Satellite imagery, specialist press and media reports placed Russian aircraft at Baranovichi, Machulishchy, Lida and Luninets and Russian attack helicopters at Zyabrovka in 2022; Belarus says it is not a party to the war. Belarusian military aerodromes are not in the civil AIP, so positions come from English Wikipedia. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | OACI | Status | Pista | Unidades e aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BaranovichiBrest Region (Brestskaya voblasts), Baranovichi | UMMA | Ativo | 04/223.000 mconcreto |
|
| LidaGrodno Region (Hrodzenskaya voblasts), Lida | UMDD | Ativo | 15/332,470 mconcreto |
|
| MachulishchyMinsk Region (Minskaya voblasts), Minsk District | UMLI | Ativo | 15/332,955 mconcreto |
|
| OsovtsyByarozaBrest Region (Brestskaya voblasts), near Byaroza | Ativo |
|
||
| BabruyskMogilev Region (Mahilyowskaya voblasts), Babruysk | UMNB | Reserva | 08/263.000 mconcreto |
|
| LuninetsBrest Region (Brestskaya voblasts), Luninets | UMNL | Reserva | 11/292.500 mconcreto |
|
| PruzhanyBrest Region (Brestskaya voblasts), Pruzhany | Fechado | 15/332.500 mconcreto |
|
|
| RossGrodno Region (Hrodzenskaya voblasts), near Vawkavysk | Fechado |
|
||
| ZyabrovkaGomel Region (Homyelskaya voblasts), 16 km south-east of Gomel | Fechado em 1994 | 10/282,975 mconcreto |
|
Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.
Who is stationed where in the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus
Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. Belarusian flying units are numbered air bases — the 61st Fighter at Baranovichi, the 116th Guards Assault at Lida and the 50th Composite at Machulishchy — and the Soviet and Russian units that flew from the same fields are listed too, each marked as not Belarusian. Where a unit rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- 61st Fighter Air Base (61-ya istrebitelnaya aviatsionnaya baza)Fighter air base · active
- Sukhoi Su-30SM, Mikoyan MiG-29
- 61st Fighter Air Base (Su-27 era)1992–2012
- Sukhoi Su-27P, Su-27UBM1
- 61st Fighter Aviation Regiment (Soviet Air Defence Forces)1950–1992
- MiG-25 (1980s); earlier types not verified
- 45th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division and 203rd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (Soviet Long-Range Aviation)1951–
- Tupolev Tu-16, Tupolev Tu-22
- 50th Composite Air Base (50-ya smeshannaya aviatsionnaya baza)Composite transport and helicopter air base · active
- Ilyushin Il-76MD, Antonov An-26, Mil Mi-8, Mil Mi-24
- 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (Soviet Long-Range Aviation)
- Tupolev Tu-22
- Soviet air defence interceptor regiment
- Sukhoi Su-9, MiG-23 (from 1979)
- Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft (A-50 and others)2022–
- Beriev A-50
- 116th Guards Radom Red Banner Assault Air BaseAttack air base · active
- Sukhoi Su-25, Yakovlev Yak-130
- 206th Aircrew Training CentrePilot training centre · active
- Aero L-39C Albatros, Yakovlev Yak-130
- 206th Assault Air Base
- Sukhoi Su-25, Su-25UB
- 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment detachment (Russian Aerospace Forces)2022–2022
- Sukhoi Su-24
- 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division and 200th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment1945–1994
- North American B-25 Mitchell, Tupolev Tu-4, Tupolev Tu-16 / Tu-16K, Tupolev Tu-22M3
- 4th and 383rd Fighter Aviation Regiments (Soviet)1946–1958
- MiG-15, MiG-17
- 13th Separate Helicopter Squadron1994–2002
- Mil Mi-6, Mil Mi-8
- 927th Centre for the Preparation and Use of Unmanned Aviation ComplexesDrone centre · active
- Irkut-3 and Irkut-10 drones, Supercam S100
- 927th Fighter Air Base1992–2010
- Mikoyan MiG-29
Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.
Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus milestones, 1914 to today
The 5th Air Defence Division forms in Kuibyshev; the Belarusian ministry dates its air defence troops from this year.
10 May: the 1st Air Army is formed from the air forces of the Western Front (date per Wikipedia; the ministry gives May 1942).
March: the Free French Normandie-Niemen squadron joins the 1st Air Army.
The 1st Air Army flies in Operation Bagration, the offensive that retakes Belarus.
January: the 1st Air Army is renamed the 26th Air Army, the frontal aviation of the Belorussian Military District.
30 June: the 2nd Separate Air Defence Army is formed; it receives the Order of the Red Banner in 1974.
15 June: the headquarters of the 26th Air Army becomes the command of the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus (date per Wikipedia; the ministry gives 1992).
12 September: a Belarusian Mi-24 shoots down a Gordon Bennett Cup balloon, killing the American balloonists Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis.
Belarus sells 18 MiG-29s and 18 Su-25s to Peru; the last Soviet nuclear warheads leave Belarus by November.
8 November: a presidential decree merges the Air Force and Air Defence Troops; the new command is formed on 21 December.
30 August: a Belarusian Su-27UBM crashes at the Radom air show in Poland; both pilots are killed.
December: the Su-27 is retired.
The first four Yak-130s are delivered, by April; four more are contracted at MAKS-2015 on 26 August.
25 February: four MiG-29s are handed to Serbia at Baranovichi. November: the first four Su-30SMs arrive at Baranovichi.
19 May: a Yak-130 crashes in Baranovichi, killing both pilots. 23 May: Ryanair Flight 4978 is diverted to Minsk while a MiG-29 is airborne; the EU lists the service’s commander on 21 June.
February: exercise Union Resolve-2022; Russian aircraft use Belarusian bases as Russia invades Ukraine (per satellite imagery and specialist press). 13 December: Andrei Lukyanovich becomes commander.
26 February: BYPOL claims a drone attack on a Russian A-50 at Machulishchy. 25 May: the defence ministers say Su-25s are re-equipped for nuclear weapons. 17 August: the first Mi-35Ms arrive.
27 May: the first announced batch of Su-30SM2 arrives; further batches follow on 14 August and 26 December (and 29 January 2026).
The combat record of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus
Missões e perdas onde constam nos registros, e um espaço em branco honesto onde não constam.
- The Second World War on the Eastern Front 1941–1945 Fighter, ground-attack and bomber operations for the Western Front, later the 3rd Belorussian Front, including Rzhev, Smolensk, Operation Bagration and East Prussia
- The Gordon Bennett Cup balloon shoot-down 1995 A Mi-24 helicopter fired on a hydrogen balloon competing in the Gordon Bennett Cup race that had entered Belarusian airspace
- The diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 2021 A MiG-29 was launched while air traffic control told the Athens–Vilnius flight of a bomb threat and it diverted to Minsk
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022– According to the Belarusian government, no combat role; Belarusian bases hosted Russian forces, and the service has intercepted aerial targets entering from the war zone
The Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus display team
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Everything people ask about the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus
What is the Belarusian Air Force called officially?
What aircraft does the Belarusian Air Force fly in 2026?
When was the Belarusian Air Force founded?
Did the Belarusian Air Force take part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
What was the Belarusian MiG-29’s role in the Ryanair diversion?
What happened to the Russian A-50 at Machulishchy?
Are Belarusian aircraft nuclear-capable?
What happened to the Belarusian Su-27s and MiG-29s?
Why did Belarus shoot down a balloon in 1995?
Who commands the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defence Forces?
Read the aircraft the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus flew
Cada tipo com uma página no Livro das Feras, primeiro em serviço e depois pelo ano em que deixou a frota.
Todos os fatos foram verificados.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВВС и войска ПВО (section portal)Official section of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces; sub-pages on purpose, history, command, structure, equipment.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВВС и войска ПВО — ИсторияAir defence lineage from 1941 (5th Air Defence Division, Kuibyshev); 1st Air Army formed May 1942 from Western Front air forces, renamed 26th Air Army 1949; 2nd Separate Air Defence Army 30 June 1960, Order of the Red Banner 1974; Air Force formed 1992 from the 26th Air Army; merged service created 2001; WWII claims of 300,000 sorties, 5,000+ aircraft and 3,000 tanks destroyed, 160+ Heroes of the Soviet Union (18 twice).
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВПС і войскі СПА — Гісторыя (Belarusian)Belarusian spelling of the service name: Ваенна-паветраныя сілы і войскі супрацьпаветранай абароны; 1992 and 2001 sentences.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВВС и войска ПВО — НазначениеPeacetime and wartime tasks: air defence of centres, regions, installations and troops; alert duty; radar reconnaissance; airspace control; transport.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВВС и войска ПВО — КомандованиеCommander Andrei Yulyanovich Lukyanovich; Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander Sergei Sergeyevich Frolov; deputies.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ВВС и войска ПВО — КонтактыCommand address: 220113 Minsk, 11 Belinsky Street.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Руководство Министерства обороныMinister of Defence Viktor Khrenin; leadership list (not yet updated for the 28 September 2026 appointment when read).
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Кадровые назначения Президента (28 September 2026)Major General Vladimir Belyi appointed Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defence; Pavel Muravenka moves to the Presidential Administration.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Кадровые назначения (13 December 2022)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Colonel Andrei Lukyanovich appointed Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces.
- Vayar: Честь имею! (14 January 2022)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Colonel Andrei Lukyanovich appointed deputy commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces — chief of aviation by presidential decree.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: День войск противовоздушной обороны (11 April 2013)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. “8 November 2001”: presidential decree approving a single service of the Armed Forces.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Поздравления Президента с годовыми праздниками (21 December 2021)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. The command of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces was formed on 21 December 2001.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Воздушный щит страны (20 December 2014)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. 21 December is the day the command of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces was formed.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Белорусские летчики готовы к самостоятельным полетам на Су-30СМ (5 March 2020)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Belarusian pilots training on the Su-30SM at Baranovichi.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: first training flight of the air element of the military parade (25 April 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Six Su-30SM of the 61st Fighter Air Base in arrow formation; aircraft from Machulishchy and Baranovichi.
- Vayar: 61st Fighter Air Base marks its 75th anniversary (1 May 2026)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. The base’s Su-30SM stand combat alert duty.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: a batch of Su-30SM2 arrives at an air base (27 May 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Su-30SM2 batch received “in accordance with the plan”; Mi-35M helicopters due the same week; another Su-30SM2 batch due that year.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: another batch of Su-30SM2 arrives (14 August 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Received under military-technical cooperation.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: another batch of Su-30SM2 fighters arrives (26 December 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: another batch of Su-30SM2 arrives (29 January 2026)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Air Force Day ceremonies at Machulishchy (16 August 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Su-30SM2 already on air defence alert duty; another batch recently received; Mi-35M received.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: ceremonial meeting for Air Force Day (14 August 2026)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Further batches of Su-30SM and Mi-35M; the Air Force stands alert duty.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Об обновлении военной авиации и средств ПВО (12 January 2026)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. The commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces says planned renewal of weapons and equipment is under way; no figures in the excerpt.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Army-2020 forum (24 August 2020)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Contract for the first batch of four Mi-35M helicopters; cooperation plan with Almaz-Antey for 2021–2025.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Встречайте — Ми-35М на белорусской земле! (17 August 2023)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. The first batch of Mi-35M helicopters lands at an Air Force airfield.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: another batch of Mi-35M arrives (7 April 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Batch of four Mi-35M flown more than 2,000 km by Belarusian pilots trained in Russia.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: new Mi-35M helicopters arrive (30 May 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Another batch of Mi-35M in the base’s 45th anniversary year.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: contract for four more Yak-130 signed at MAKS-2015 (26 August 2015)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: another batch of Yak-130 handed to military unit 19764 (23 November 2016)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Belarusian aviators receive another batch of Yak-130 (11 May 2019)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: condolences of the Minister of Defence (19 May 2021)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Major Andrei Nichiporchik and Lieutenant Nikita Kukonenko killed.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: pilots Nichiporchik and Kukonenko posthumously made Heroes of Belarus (24 November 2021)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: memorial to the fallen pilots opened in Baranovichi (20 May 2022)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Nichiporchik was 33, Kukonenko 22.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: bilateral meeting of the defence ministers of Belarus and Russia (25 May 2023)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Su-25 aircraft re-equipped to use air-launched weapons in nuclear configuration; Belarusian personnel trained; work organised to deploy Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: surprise inspection of non-strategic nuclear weapon delivery systems (7 May 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Aviation units prepare Su-25 attack aircraft.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: final phase of exercise Union Resolve-2022 (19 February 2022)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Joint Russian-Belarusian exercise with aviation at the Obuz-Lesnovsky range.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: the President on the destruction of aerial targets from Ukraine (10 August 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Lukashenko: at 18:10 the previous day the Air Force and Air Defence Forces were placed on heightened readiness.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Minister of Defence briefing (10 August 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Part of the aerial vehicles destroyed; the rest were outside the reach of air defence.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: statement by Colonel Sergei Frolov on a violation of the state border (5 September 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. All intruding targets destroyed by the air defence alert forces, according to the statement.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: statement by the Chief of the General Staff (10 September 2025)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Belarus passed air and radar information to the alert forces of Poland and Lithuania, warning them of approaching unknown drones.
- Vayar: press tour before Air Defence Missile Troops Day (8 July 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Journalists shown S-400 Triumf systems of a newly formed air defence missile regiment on combat duty.
- Vayar: tactical exercise of the 1146th Guards Air Defence Missile Regiment (8 April 2026)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. S-400, Tor-M2 and S-300 systems named.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (bso section): Officers’ club in Rossony (17 April 2023)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Refers to an airfield incident and to the arrest of people it links to Ukrainian special services.
- Vayar: military pilot-sniper Colonel Andrei Lukyanovich, commander of military unit 06752 (26 January 2021)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Major General Andrei Lukyanovich at a tactical exercise of the 120th air defence missile brigade (10 April 2024)Headline and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026; the article page itself did not load for this research. Lukyanovich already a major general.
- Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland: Poland moves to invoke NATO Article 4 (10 September 2025)19 airspace violations overnight by Russian drones; drones posing a direct threat shot down. Taken from the Polish Order of Battle dataset of this project; not re-fetched for this page.
- EUR-Lex: Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/997 of 21 June 2021 (Belarus restrictive measures)Entries 160–163: Minister of Defence Khrenin, Air Force and Air Defence commander Ihar Holub and Chief of the Main Staff Andrei Gurtsevich listed for dispatching military aircraft to “escort” FR4978 on 23 May 2021; Belaeronavigatsia director Leanid Churo.
- Belaeronavigatsia: eAIP Republic of Belarus, AD 1.3 Index to aerodromes (effective 9 July 2026)Lists only seven civil aerodromes (Brest, Homiel, Hrodna, Mahiliou, Minsk-2, Orsha, Viciebsk); no military aerodrome is published, which is why coordinates on this page are from Wikipedia.
- ICAO: Report of the ICAO Fact-Finding Investigation, Ryanair FR4978 (January 2022), as hosted by PoliticoFindings read via Wikipedia’s quotations; the PDF itself was not opened for this dataset.
- The War Zone: Russian A-50 Radar Jet Intact After Claimed Drone Attack In Belarus (Tyler Rogoway, 28 February 2023)BYPOL claimed damage to the radome and nose; Planet Labs imagery of 28 February shows the A-50 largely intact, no visible damage.
- Al Jazeera: Belarus detains person behind attempted sabotage of Russian plane (7 March 2023)Lukashenko: superficial damage from a small drone; main suspect a dual Ukrainian-Russian national; “more than 20 accomplices” detained.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: first pair of Su-30SM arrives in Belarus (13 November 2019)Title and excerpt read through the mil.by site search on 30 September 2026: first pair of the 12 planned Su-30SM arrived at the Baranovichi air base on 13 November.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (vayar.mil.by): 65 years since the birth of the first Hero of Belarus Vladimir Karvat (28 November 2023)Excerpt via mil.by site search: 23 May 1996, Lt Col. Karvat, Su-27P training flight over Arabovshchina and Bolshoe Gatishche, Baranovichi district.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Pamyati Geroya Belarusi (23 May 2026)Excerpt via mil.by site search: Su-27P fell about a kilometre from Arabovshchina; Karvat chief of air-fire and tactical training of the 61st Fighter Air Base.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: escort of a civil aircraft (23 May 2021)Excerpt via mil.by site search: MiG-29 alert crew scrambled from Baranovichi airfield to accompany a civil aircraft to a safe landing.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Russian fighters continue joint air defence duty (6 June 2014)Excerpt via mil.by site search: four Su-27 at Baranovichi and six at Babruysk; second shift began 5 March 2014 (news/28450).
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: readiness of the single regional air defence system checked (15 March 2014)Excerpt via mil.by site search: Russian A-50 relocated to Baranovichi airfield.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Peaceful labour of Belarus protected (13 March 2014)Excerpt via mil.by site search: six Russian Su-27s and three transport aircraft from the Western Military District relocated to Babruysk.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: on the joint training-combat centre of the air forces and air defence (28 August 2021)Excerpt via mil.by site search: Russian Su-30SM expected at Baranovichi on 3 September; Russian air defence units in Grodno.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: flights using highway airfield sections (10 September 2014; also 17 April 2013)Excerpt via mil.by site search: MiG-29s and Su-27s of the 61st base on road strips; first test in 2007 with a Su-25UB of the 206th assault air base at Lida.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: site search results for the 558th Aircraft Repair PlantExcerpts: JSC 558 Aircraft Repair Plant, Baranovichi, modernises MiG-29 and Su-25; Grif-100 drone with AGAT.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Union Resolve-2022 gains momentum (15 February 2022)Excerpt via mil.by site search: aviation redeployed to Lida; Russian air defence units in the Luninets area; activity in the Baranovichi area.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: memorial service in Baranovichi (17 May 2024)Excerpt via mil.by site search: Yak-130 of the Lida air base crashed in Baranovichi on 19 May 2021; crew turned it away from homes; Heroes of Belarus posthumously.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (Belarusian Union of Officers): visit to the 116th Guards Radom Red Banner assault air base (28 February 2025)Excerpt via mil.by site search: history begins in the Great Patriotic War; base in Lida.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: first Yak-130 arrives in Belarus (15 April 2015)Excerpt via mil.by site search: the first Yak-130 arrived at the Lida aerodrome.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: readiness check, redeployment to Luninets (29 January 2014)Excerpt via mil.by site search: part of the 116th Guards assault air base redeployed to the reserve airfield Luninets.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: 17 August – Air Force Day (14 August 2014)Excerpt via mil.by site search: first aeronautical units in Grodno, Lida and Brest at the beginning of the twentieth century.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Air Force and Air Defence units brought to readiness (3 February 2020)Excerpt via mil.by site search: dispersal using Baranovichi, Machulishchy, Babruysk, Luninets and Borovtsy airfields.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: comprehensive readiness check completed (6 March 2017)Excerpt via mil.by site search: airfields at Baranovichi, Machulishchy and Babruysk used.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (vayar.mil.by): work of the 83rd Separate Engineer-Airfield Regiment (3 April 2026)Excerpt via mil.by site search: current repairs at the Babruysk airfield.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: the 50th Composite Air Base invites friends (16 May 2015)Excerpt via mil.by site search: open day at Machulishchy; 50th Separate Composite Aviation Regiment formed in Chirchik to assist Afghanistan.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: the 50th Composite Air Base marks 45 years (30 April 2025)Excerpt via mil.by site search: history began in 1980; 45th anniversary on 30 April.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Il-76 transport flights, Machulishchy (February 2020 to January 2022)Excerpts via mil.by site search: aid to Beijing 5 February 2020 (news/97339); 32 t of medical supplies April 2020 (news/99720); 1.5 million vaccine doses November 2021 (news/141466); Tajikistan aid October 2021 (news/141096); CSTO peacekeepers home 14 January 2022 (news/143209).
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (vayar.mil.by): And again into the sky (12 July 2018)Excerpt via mil.by site search: Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi-24 crews of a composite air base training at Osovtsy airfield near Byaroza for Aviadarts-2018.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: annual holiday of the 927th Centre (27 June 2013)Excerpt via mil.by site search: formed in 1942 as an air defence fighter regiment; now operates unmanned aircraft. Other results: 80th anniversary 2022 (news/150054), Supercam S100 2019 (news/82337).
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko visits the 927th Centre (13 June 2025)Excerpt via mil.by site search: the centre operates all unmanned aircraft in service with the armed forces.
- Ministry of Defence of Belarus (Belarusian Union of Officers): Dedicated to aviation (28 November 2023)Excerpt via mil.by site search: commander of the 927th Fighter Air Base 1994–1998; aviators of Bereza.
- Banco de dados de aeroportos OurAirports (domínio público)
Dados verificados em 30/09/2026. As páginas da Ordem de Batalha são geradas a partir de um único conjunto de dados; se algum número aqui divergir de uma página do Livro das Feras, esta página é considerada a mais recente.
Photographs: Photo: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Su-30SM shown): De Winters / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Yak-130 shown): Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: nikola048 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo (Russian Mi-35M shown): Srđan Popović / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Eugene Zelenko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Pavel Adzhigildaev / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Bartek Kozłowiec / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (MiG-25RB in a museum shown): Anastasiya Lvova / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Russian MiG-27K shown): parfaits / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (MiG-21bis in Russian markings shown): parfaits / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Russian Tu-22M3 shown): Mike1979 Russia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Tu-16 shown): Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Yak-28PP in a museum shown): parfaits / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Mi-2 shown): parfaits / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Yak-52 shown): Noah Wulf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)