Russia and Belarus Launch Joint Military Drills, Heightening Tensions in Eastern Europe
BARYSAW, Belarus – Russia and Belarus have commenced joint military exercises, dubbed West (or Zapad in Russian), today, marking the first such drills held sence the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The exercises are being viewed with high concern by European nations, particularly Poland and Lithuania, amid escalating regional tensions.
The five-day maneuvers, running from September 12 to 16, will involve over 13,000 combatants operating primarily around Barysaw, a city located 80 kilometers northeast of Minsk, Belarus, and in regions within Russia. The drills are designed to practice joint operations and exercises.
Belarusian Defense minister Viktor Khrenin stated that “small units will carry out practical operations to repel a hypothetical enemy” in areas bordering Poland and Lithuania, specifically around Hrodna and Pravdinsk in the Kaliningrad region. This declaration prompted a swift response from Warsaw, which has deployed 40,000 soldiers to its borders.
Intelligence estimates vary regarding the scale of the exercises. While Minsk and Moscow officially report 13,000 participating soldiers, Lithuanian intelligence services estimate the actual number to be closer to 30,000, with 8,000 deployed within Belarusian territory. Both countries have adhered to the 13,000-soldier threshold stipulated in Article 6 of the 2011 Vienna Document, which governs the notification of large-scale military exercises to other OSCE states. By remaining below this number, Russia and Belarus avoid the requirement to provide detailed details regarding deployment, logistics, and exercise scenarios.
The commencement of Zapad 2025 follows a recent incident on September 11, in which 19 Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace, triggering the intervention of NATO fighter jets and the activation of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. In response, Poland announced the closure of its eastern border airspace with Belarus for three months.
Adding to the heightened tensions, Belarusian authorities have arrested a Polish citizen accused of “collecting information” about the exercises, a charge denied by Warsaw.
