CONFLICT
Russia Deploys Tac-Air Assets to Belarus, Additional 9,000 Troops
On February 24th, 2022, several dozen Russian assault support aircraft took off from airfields in Belarus to deliver approximately 1,000 VDV troops just outside of Kyiv. At least 7,000 Russian Ground Forces troops also crossed into Northern Ukraine from the "neutral" country over the course of the first 72 hours as well. However, since the strategic realignment in April, Belarus has been home to mostly Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) concerned with airspace protection via surface-to-air (SAM) missiles. However, over the past 72 hours about 1,000 Russian Ground Forces troops, and now aircraft have been redeployed to Belarus to form the Belarusian Grouping of Forces.