На русском языке:
До 14-и ЗРК С-300/400, ЗРПК «Панцирь» и РЛС: ВС РФ продолжают находиться в Зябровке
На беларускай мове:
Да 14 ЗРК С-300/400, ЗРПК «Панцыр» і РЛС: УС РФ працягваюць знаходзіцца ў Зябраўцы
The monitoring team of the Belarusian Hajun Project has repeatedly written about the deployment of the Russian Armed Forces at the air base in Ziabrauka (Gomel region). We published our last report on the airfield in late April, but since then there have been a number of changes: an increase in the number of equipment, a flow of missiles delivered by Russian aircraft, a massive missile strike against Ukraine from the airfield in late July, and of course, the flashes and explosions at the airfield on the night of August 10-11.
On the night of August 11, a T-72 tank was destroyed at Ziabrauka. Chronology.
On August 11 at 00:42, the Belarusian Hajun was the first to report that since 00:25 at least 8 flashes were seen and explosions were heard in the area of Ziabrauka airfield. A little later, the same was confirmed by the Gomel publication Flagshtok.
Video of one of the flashes near Ziabrauka airfield, filmed at a distance of about 20-25 km. from the airfield.
It shows a large flash, which doesn’t look like an “engine fire.”
1/11 pic.twitter.com/EX0DJNan4i— Belarusian Hajun project (@MotolkoHelp) August 11, 2022
Until the morning, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus didn’t comment on the situation, but in the morning it published a statement that the flashes at the airfield were related to «an engine fire.» Allegedly, on August 10 at around 23:00, during the control run of one of the vehicles after the engine change it caught fire. Personnel timely took measures to extinguish the fire. There were no casualties.
Even then it became clear that the agency’s information didn’t correspond to reality, at least because all sources reported that the explosions and flashes started no earlier than 00:25 on August 11.
In the evening of 11 August, the Belarusian Hajun Project published a preliminary version that as a result of explosions at Ziabrauka, a number of equipment, which was deployed at the military airfield and near it, was destroyed. It was reported that a T-72 tank caught fire at night and its ammunition detonated, destroying about 10 shells. This information was confirmed by the fact that at around 11:00 on August 11, a MAZ truck of the Belarusian Armed Forces with the inscription «demining» was seen moving towards Ziabrauka. There was also unconfirmed information that there were casualties as a result of the explosions in Ziabrauka.
Subsequently, our information was confirmed thanks to satellite images of the airfield, which were taken by MAXAR on August 12.
New #satelliteimagery, from August 12, 2022, of #Ziabrovka airfield in southern #Belarus that reportedly had several explosions & blasts earlier this week. In today’s imagery, scorch marks from a recent blast can be seen on the main runway & burned vegetation is evident nearby. pic.twitter.com/6vRpcXcNPH
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) August 12, 2022
One of the OSINT analysts Oliver Alexander identified the burnt object as a «T-72 tank or similar«, which confirms the information reported to us earlier. It also partially confirms the version of the Belarusian Defense Ministry about the engine malfunction, which could be the cause of the subsequent explosions and the destruction of the equipment. In addition to the burnt tank, the analyst identified an armored repair vehicle BREM-1 and a deployed mobile crane in the photo.
MAXAR image of the T-72 tank's explosion site with comments by Oliver Alexander / Oliver Alexander
However, the explosion site is not the only thing you can see in the latest MAXAR images.
S-400, radars and a helicopter: What equipment is deployed in Ziabrauka now?
Thanks to the MAXAR images and the previous review of equipment in Ziabrauka from April 30, it is possible to determine very accurately the current location and count the number of equipment at the airfield.
First, the images show that at least part of the equipment, compared to April, has changed its location. While earlier the vehicles stood closer to the buildings at the airfield, now they have been moved to other places, but all within the airfield. The extension of the runway is also observed.
Ziabrauka airfield, 12.08.2022 / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
We can see the current location of at least 10 S-400 Triumf SAM systems, which are in a raised position. There may be several more S-300/400 systems next to other supply vehicles, but with their launchers already down.
S-400, 5N66 and 92N6Е in Ziabrauka / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
Also in this area, we can see a 92N6E missile control radar and a 5N66 low-altitude detector, both mounted on 40V6 towers.
In another part of the airfield we can see at least 12 trenches, which are surrounded by unspecified military vehicles. There are radars of various types: 1 unit of KASTA-2E2, which is surrounded by a ditch, 2 units of 48Ya6 Podlyot radar.
Trenches, radars, and probably S-300/400 SAM systems in Ziabrauka / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
In addition, if you look closer, you can see equipment near the trees not far from the southern group of trenches. 4 vehicles at an equal distance from each other, very similar to S-400 SAM systems as in the previous case.
Two units of Pantsir missile systems continue to stand on mounds of soil near the explosion site, and there’s a Mi-8 helicopter a little further.
Pantsir missile system and a Mi-8 helicopter in Ziabrauka / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
We can clearly see a tent camp a little closer to the central part of the airfield located next to administrative buildings that were located in Ziabrauka before.
A tent camp and S-300/400 missiles in Ziabrauka / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
Apparently, there are launchers for S-300/400 SAM systems in front of it. It looks like a kind of ammunition storage. It is impossible to determine the exact number of ammunition, but according to the photo, there are at least 15 stacks, that is from 15 to 60 missiles (if we consider that each stack contains 4 missiles).
This, in turn, is an additional confirmation that the missiles for S-300/400 SAM systems that Russian IL-76 aircraft bring to Gomel airport are transported by trailers from there to Ziabrauka.
The last time an IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived at Gomel airport on August 13 at around 12:40. It was an aircraft with registration number RF-78813, which had previously brought missiles for S-300/400 SAM systems to Belarus. On the same day at around 15:00, two trailers with missiles for S-300/400 SAM systems were seen again moving from the airport towards the M8 highway. This means that at the moment there are even more missiles for S-400 in Ziabrauka and the probability of missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine is not just continuing, but it seems that Russians are preparing for a massive missile strike against the territory of Ukraine in the coming weeks. This is also evidenced by the fact that not a single missile has been launched against Ukraine from the territory of Belarus since the last massive attack on July 28.
At the same time, the delivery of missiles continues, because after each arrival of Russian IL-76 to Gomel, there is a transportation of missiles for S-300/400 SAM systems. In total, Russian military cargo IL-76 aircraft arrived in Gomel five times in August:
- 13.08.2022 IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the reg. number RF-78813
- 09.08.2022 IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the reg. number RF-78813
- 08.08.2022 IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the reg. number RA-78842
- 07.08.2022 IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the reg. number RA-76604
- 05.08.2022 IL-76 of the Russian Aerospace Forces with the reg. number RA-76604
How much equipment is there in Ziabrauka at the moment?
According to our estimates, as of August 12, 2022, Ziabrauka military airfield has:
- 10-14 units — S-400 Triumf SAM system
- 1 unit — 92N6E missile control radar
- 1 unit — 5N66 low-altitude detector
- 1 unit — KASTA-2E2 radar
- 2 units — 48Ya6 Podlyot radar
- 2 units — Pantsir missile system
- 1 unit — Mi-8 helicopter
- At least 15-60 S-300/400 missiles
The approximate number of military equipment and missiles at Ziabrauka airfield as of 12.08.2022 / MAXAR/Belarusian Hajun
In addition, a large number of vehicles of various military purposes, engineering equipment, trenches, and tents are deployed there. We also know that there are T-72 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (BMP) of the 11th Mechanized Brigade (Slonim) and the 120th Mechanized Brigade (Minsk) near the airfield, in the forest behind the runway. Soldiers of the Belarusian Armed Forces are also engaged in the security of the airfield. At the same time, according to our information, they have no insignia on their clothes. It is known that there are also Iskander missile systems nearby, which are not visible in the picture.
Soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces in Ziabrauka are primarily focused on air defense equipment and its maintenance. They live both in the tent camp on the territory of the airfield and rent apartments in Gomel, moving outside the airfield by civilian cars and in civilian clothes.
In conclusion, we note that the Belarusian Hajun Project continues to monitor the activity of the Russian Armed Forces and the Belarusian Armed Forces on the territory of Belarus.
