Military supplies delivered to Belarus aboard 4 Chinese flights, observers report
Belarusian observers reported that between 8 and 11 January, a Chinese aircraft presumably transporting military supplies touched down in the country. The exact nature of the cargo remains undisclosed, but it is noteworthy that the plane parked in the airport’s VIP zone, usually reserved for the exclusive use of self-proclaimed president Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Source: Independent Belarusian military monitoring media outlet Belaruski Hajun; Motolko.help
Quote: "At the beginning of January, the Belaruski Hajun monitoring group recorded unusual activity by the Chinese cargo airline Air China Cargo at Minsk National Airport. Over a period of four days, the Boeing 747-400F registered B-2476 completed four round-trip flights between Ürümqi (airport code ZWWW) and Minsk (UMMS)...
We have reason to believe that the cargo plane transported military equipment from China to Belarus. The cargo likely bypassed customs clearance and was transshipped out of the airport immediately, as staging the freight in the usual military cargo area would have attracted additional attention with the consignment sitting out in the open."
Details: The specific contents of what these planes brought remain unknown for now.
The flights occurred as follows:
- On 8 January 2024: Flight CAO1095 to Minsk, returning as flight CAO1096.
- On 9 January 2024: Flight CAO1097 to Minsk, returning as flight CAO1098.
- On 10 January 2024: Flight CAO1095 to Minsk, returning as flight CAO1096.
- On 11 January 2024: Flight CAO1097 to Minsk, returning as flight CAO1098.
All flights arrived in Minsk at basically the same time of day, between 09:30 and 10:10 in the morning. Additionally, they all stayed in Minsk for the same period of time to unload cargo - three hours.
Minsk National Airport has a dedicated freight terminal at which all cargo flights are usually parked. However, the Chinese aircraft in question, B-2476, was parked in an entirely different area.
Observers say that every time the Air China Cargo 747 landed, it parked in space 1A.
This spot is reserved for Belarusian government planes, including the Boeing VIP jets registered EW-001PA and EW-001PB, the self-proclaimed president Aleksandr Lukashenko's official aircraft.
Additionally, VIP parking space 1A is located far away from all others, and the exit route from the area is the shortest of any in the airport, bypassing scrutiny in the freight terminal.
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