Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus
Identity
This record refers to the service-level Air Force and Air Defence Forces command of the Belarusian Armed Forces, not to a single tactical base. Public order-of-battle references place the Air and Air Defence Command in Minsk, and presidential press-service reporting shows Andrei Lukyanovich has led the service since 13 December 2022; later reporting identifies him as a major general. ([icds.ee](https://icds.ee/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Belarusian-Armed-Forces.pdf))
Core structure
Recent open-source force-structure references describe this command as centered on three principal aviation bases: the 61st Fighter Air Base at Baranovichi, the 116th Guards Assault Air Base at Lida/Ross, and the 50th Mixed Aviation Base at Machulishchi. The same references describe a broader air-defence network of anti-aircraft missile brigades/regiments, radio-technical units, and support elements under the Air and Air Defence command. ([osw.waw.pl](https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2023-02-10/reluctant-co-aggressor-minsks-complicity-war-against-ukraine))
Basing and mission
ICDS assesses the 61st base as the main fighter and quick-reaction hub, with MiG-29s and Su-30SMs; the 116th base operates Su-25 attack aircraft plus Yak-130 and L-39 trainers and hosts the 206th Flight Personnel Training Centre; and the 50th base at Machulishchi provides VIP, tactical, and strategic airlift plus helicopter support with Il-76MD, An-24/26, Tu-134, Mi-24, Mi-8, and Mi-8MTV-5 aircraft. Open-source mapping of the command also identifies support nodes around Minsk such as the 56th Signal Regiment, 83rd Airfield Engineer Regiment, and 483rd protection/maintenance battalion; separately, Interfax citing the Belarusian Defence Ministry said the 927th UAV Training and Operations Center is the key military unit for drone-specialist training and had trained more than 1,300 personnel by June 2025. ([icds.ee](https://icds.ee/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Belarusian-Armed-Forces.pdf))
Modernization
Belarusian official statements indicate continued modernization of this command. In remarks reported on 11 January 2026, Lukyanovich said 2025 deliveries included Mi-35M helicopters, another batch of Su-30SM2 fighters, Tor-M2K batteries, S-400 launchers, and Rosa/Vostok radars; separate MoD-linked reporting said an additional pair of Su-30SM2 fighters reached the 61st Fighter Air Base on 29 January 2026. An S-400 battalion had already been publicly declared on combat duty in Belarus on 30 June 2023, but open sources do not publicly confirm the exact subordinate regiment for every S-400 element. ([rg.ru](https://rg.ru/2026/01/11/minsk-v-oboronnom-vedomstve-soobshchili-ob-obnovlenii-sredstv-pvo.html))
Operational relevance
This command is closely tied to the Russia-Belarus integrated air-defence framework. Lukyanovich stated in December 2022 that Belarus and Russia were improving the unified regional air-defence system; AP reported that the January-February 2023 joint air drills involved all Belarusian air bases and firing ranges; and Russian MoD reporting placed Russian Su-35s at Baranovichi on air-defence duty within that integrated system. Machulishchi, just south of Minsk, has also hosted Russian aircraft: AP reported that a Russian A-50 at that airfield was attacked on 26 February 2023. Public confirmation is strongest for the main bases and major modernization events; exact locations and equipment of some missile, storage, and support units remain only partially documented in open sources. ([tass.ru](https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/16587569?utm_source=openai))