TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The last time Russia and Belarus held major joint military drills in 2022, Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine just days later. Now the two close allies are conducting war games again, raising tensions anew in the region.
The war games, dubbed “Zapad 2025,” or “West 2025,” take place in Belarus starting Friday and will last until September 16. Troops from both countries will simulate repelling an attack, including airstrikes and sabotage, according to official reports.
The aim is to showcase the close links between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russian military might amid its 3½-year-old war in neighboring Ukraine.
Concerns from Kyiv and its Western allies of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which border Belarus, are growing. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops rolling into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many of them crossing from Belarus.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated this year’s exercise “hinders peaceful efforts” by Western leaders to end the war and “poses an immediate threat not only to Ukraine, but also to Poland, the Baltic states and all of Europe.”
On Wednesday, tensions spiked after Poland reported that multiple Russian drones entered its territory and were shot down with help from NATO allies—some reportedly coming from Belarus. Despite military assurances from Russia, several European leaders suggested the incursions appeared intentional.
Belarusian Drills Under Scrutiny
Belarus initially stated that around 13,000 troops would take part in the exercises near its western border, but later cutting numbers nearly in half, with some drills occurring inside Russia. The drills, which involve both nations practicing defense strategies against a hypothetical enemy, featured invitations extended to OSCE member states and NATO military attaches for monitoring.
Despite attempts at diplomatic engagement, including the release of political prisoners by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the military drills and troop movements have led to increased scrutiny and military preparation among NATO nations.
While Belarus tries to downplay the scale of the exercises, Western estimates vary widely, with some putting troop involvement between 30,000 and 150,000, raising alarms of potential aggression towards NATO in the future.
As the crises unfold, NATO members remain vigilant, responding with their own military exercises amidst fears that the Zapad 2025 drills might be a precursor to renewed offensive actions towards Ukraine or neighboring states.
