Russian missile systems, armoured vehicles, and trucks on the move in Belarus, near Ukrainian border

Iryna Balachuk – Wednesday, 30 March 2022, 14:42

On 30 March, convoys of Russian military equipment continued advancing through the territory of Belarus near to the Ukrainian border. The equipment – in particular, the convoy comprises "Tochka-U" Tactical Operational Missile Complexes, armoured personnel carriers, "Tiger" heavy tanks, trucks, and fuel carriers –  is marked with a "V" symbol [used frequently on Russian military equipment].

Source:Anton Motolko, Belarusian journalist and photographer, founder of the MotolkoHelp project, on Twitter

Details: In the morning, a convoy of military buses of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, marked with a "V" symbol, was advancing from Rechitsa towards Kalynkovychi in the Gomel region along the M10 highway.

Several convoys of trucks marked with a "V" and belonging to the Russian Armed Forces were also spotted: 6 trucks turned off from the R31 highway towards Kalynkovychi, and 6 more were advancing from Kalynkovychi towards Rechitsa along the M10 highway. Several convoys of Russian trucks marked with a "V" also advanced towards Kalynkovychi along the M10.

Another convoy of Russian military equipment, also marked with a "V," advanced from Rechitsa to Gomel along the M10. According to Motolko, "There were at least 8 Tochka-U, several BTR-82a, about 9 KamAZ trucks, some of which are carrying Tochka-U missiles, a communications vehicle and a crane."

Later on, Motolko added: "A large column of about 50 KamAZ trucks, fuel trucks and Ural trucks of the Russian Armed Forces with "V" markings was moving along the M1 highway, then turned onto the M4 highway towards Minsk."

A convoy of more than 10 vehicles marked with a "V" was moving along the R-148 highway from Yelsk towards Lelchytsy. The convoy included KamAZ trucks with water tanks and "Ural" trucks. Many vehicles were masked with pine branches.

A convoy of Russian military equipment – Tiger armoured vehicles, KamAZ and Ural trucks (old and new), fuel trucks and medical cars – with "V" marks and flags of Russia and Airborne forces was moving from the M8 highway to the M10 highway towards Rechitsa.

On the morning of 30 March a convoy of "BMD-4M, BTR-MD, and BTR-D [armoured personnel carriers and amphibious infantry fighting vehicles - ed] of the Russian Armed Forces with "V" markings and flags of Russian Airborne Forces was seen in the Navabelitski district of Gomel," according to Motolko.

Around lunchtime, a large column of more than 12 "Ural" trucks (without identification marks) was spotted moving along the M10 highway towards Rechitsa. "The vehicles had Russian licence plates," Motolko added.

Another convoy belonging to the Russian Armed Forces "was moving from Babruisk towards Minsk along the M5 highway. There were 14 KamAZ trucks and a fuel truck with "V" markings."

It is also reported that about 7 medical buses arrived at the Republican Research and Practice Centre for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology. There were people on the buses. Motolko notes that Russian military personnel are regularly brought to this centre.

Background: After a round of talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on 29 March, the Russian side said they would "dramatically" scale down the offensive on the Chernihiv and Kyiv fronts.

Journalists and volunteers regularly record the movement of Russian military vehicles and equipment through Belarus.