Belarus is not taking part in the Russian attack on Ukraine with its own troops. It is very likely that Vladimir Putin's troops will be allowed to use the ally's bases near the Ukrainian border as a base. As in the Crimea, there are detonations there.
New satellite images refute Belarusian statements about possible explosions at an air force base near Ukraine. The US satellite operator Maxar writes on Twitter that there are burn marks from an explosion on the runway. The recordings are therefore from August 12th. The day before, it had been reported that several explosions had occurred on the night of August 11 at the Sjabrovka airfield near the Ukrainian border.
Belarus denied the report. "During a test run, a vehicle caught fire in which the engine had been replaced," the Ministry of Defense in Minsk said. The fire was extinguished "in time" and there were no injuries. Units of the Russian Air Force are believed to be stationed at the base to fly attacks on Ukraine. The base is only about 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian troops invaded Ukraine at the end of February, also coming from Belarus. Presumably Russian attack helicopters were stationed at the Sjabrovka airfield in mid-February.
A similar incident also occurred during the week on the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine, which was annexed by Russia. There were several explosions at the Russian air base in Saki on the Black Sea on Tuesday. It is estimated that eight aircraft and a significant amount of ammunition belonging to the Russian armed forces were destroyed. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The Kremlin in Moscow says the explosions were an accident. Accordingly, fire protection regulations have been ignored in an ammunition depot. However, as in Belarus, clear traces of several explosions can be seen on satellite images provided by Planet Labs. Accordingly, the Russian military lost at least seven aircraft in the detonations.
As early as April, when the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet "Moskva" was sunk, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow stated that it was an accident. However, it is considered certain that the Ukrainian army sank the ship with US-made Harpoon missiles.
Located on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia, Saki is central to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Regular attacks on Ukrainian positions in the south of the country are to be flown from there. According to unofficial information, partisans who are loyal or friendly to Kyiv may have played a role in the incidents. According to unconfirmed reports, there are also regular attacks on members of the Russian military or administration in the occupied cities of Cherson and Melitopol.
