Belarusian missiles hinge on China's consent for Russian transfer

Belarusian weapons were reviewed by the newspaper "South China Morning Post." According to its analysis, the Polonez-M systems have significant ties to China. They were developed in cooperation with Chinese engineers, and the launchers use Chinese-made missiles.

Because of these ties, any potential transfer of Polonez-M systems to Russia would require Beijing's consent. Despite the tense relations between Beijing and the West, such consent is currently unlikely.

A columnist for the "South China Morning Post" emphasized that Beijing and Minsk are striving not to cross the West's red lines in military cooperation both with each other and with Russia. Their cooperation is expected to remain primarily in the economic sphere.

The Polonez-M missile systems are a significant departure from the post-Soviet weapons that still constitute a large part of the Belarusian army's equipment. The system has a range of about 186 miles, with an error margin of about 98 feet due to the use of both inertial and satellite navigation. The missiles used are 301 mm in caliber.

The launchers used in the Polonez-M systems have 8 guides and are mounted on the chassis of the MZKT-7930 transporter in an 8x8 drive configuration. The complete combat group also includes transport-loading vehicles and a command vehicle with a 6x6 drive configuration.

Questions about the potential transfer of Polonez-M systems to Russia have arisen due to the extensive cooperation between Belarus and Russia. The Lukashenko regime has supported the invasion of Ukraine, providing territory for military activities and transportation, as well as weapons.

Initially, reports indicated support in the form of artillery ammunition. Later, they included heavy military equipment like Kamaz and Ural trucks, T-72A tanks, and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.