Russia Conducts Military Exercise with Belarus, Including Hypersonic missile Launch, Heightening Regional Tensions
BREST, Belarus – Russia and Belarus are conducting joint military exercises, dubbed “West-2024,” involving approximately 13,000 Belarusian military personnel and utilizing combat vehicles, helicopters, ships, drones, and artificial intelligence, Belarusian officials stated. The drills, which began recently, include the preparation for the use of Russian nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles, according to Belarusian sources.
The exercises are primarily taking place in Belarus, near the Polish border, and in western Russia, focusing on naval areas in the Baltic and Barents seas and the Arctic ocean. During the drills, Russia reportedly launched a hypersonic missile, demonstrating a key component of its military capabilities.
Moscow and Minsk maintain the maneuvers are defensive in nature and aim to improve military coordination within the Union of Belarus and Russia,a long-standing economic and military alliance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated the exercises “are not driving against anyone,” and that they occur every four years since 2009.
However, neighboring countries, particularly Poland, view the drills with suspicion. Poland has criticized the exercise and is conducting its own counter-exercises, “Iron Defender,” involving approximately 30,000 soldiers, with 5,000 deployed near the Belarusian border. This response follows recent incursions of Russian-made drones into Polish airspace, which Polish Prime Minister donald Tusk described as the closest point to “open conflict” since World War II.
The 2021 iteration of thes exercises saw Russian forces remain in Belarus for months after completion, a move that preceded Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This history has fueled concerns about the potential for escalation.Approximately 200,000 military personnel participated in the 2021 exercises, while current figures indicate 13,000 on the Belarusian side alone.
