Russia sends nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over Belarus, Ukraine

Russia sent a pair of nuclear-capable long-range bombers to patrol the skies over Belarus on Saturday, a mission intended to underline close defence ties between the two allies amid tensions with the West.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the two Tu-22M3 strategic strike bombers practised “performing joint tasks with the Belarusian air force and air defence.” Su-30 fighter jets that Russia has supplied to Belarus escorted the bombers.

Saturday’s four-hour patrol marked Russia’s third such mission in Belarus since last month and took place amid Western concerns over a Russian troop build-up near Ukraine’s border.

Moscow has denied harbouring plans to invade Ukraine and pressed the United States for security guarantees that would exclude Nato expanding into Ukraine or deploying weapons there. The US and its allies are almost certain to reject Moscow’s demands.

Some Ukrainian officials have voiced concern that Russia may use Belarus as a base for attacking their country from the north. Amid his own tensions with the European Union, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last month that his country would be ready to host Russian nuclear weapons.

The European Union has accused the authoritarian Lukashenko of encouraging migrants and refugees to use his country as a back door to illegally enter neighbouring EU member nations Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The EU imposed sanctions on Lukashenko’s government for its crackdown on internal dissent after Lukashenko’s disputed 2020 re-election.