Latvia’s Security โService Warns of Russian and Belarusian Details Warfare Tactics Amidst “Zapad-2025” Exercises
Latvia’s Security Bureau (SAB) has issued a report detailing how Russia and Belarus are strategicallyโข leveraging the “Zapad-2025” militaryโ exercises for information warfare purposes. The SAB assessment indicates that both nations are intentionally amplifying displays of militaryโข strengthโฃ – including exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons and showcasing โnew equipment – primarily โaimed at projecting an imageโ of robust military capability to Western audiences.
While Belarusianโ officials announced a reduction in the scale of the exercises, moving โtraining locations further โฃinland and limiting participation โto under 13,000 personnel, the SAB โคbelieves this was a calculated move. Belarus extended invitations to international observers, including those from โtheโ Baltic states, framing the reduction as a gesture aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.
Though, the SAB warns this narrative wasโ quickly โsubverted. Belarusian messaging subsequently accused NATO,โ specificallyโฃ the Baltic states and Poland, of exploiting “Zapad-2025” as justification for increased militarization, โdespite belarus and Russia’s โapparent efforts toโ reduce the exercise’s scale and distance it from NATO borders.
The SAB โanticipates aโข notable escalation in Russian and Belarusian information operations โขas “Zapad-2025” progresses. Thay predictโ a purposeful focus on โexaggerating and weaponizing messages originatingโฃ from theโค NATO information โspace, aiming toโข portray the alliance asโฃ provocativeโ andโข escalate perceived threats.โค
Despite these โฃinformationโฃ tactics, the โขSAB currently assesses the direct military threat to Latvia and NATO as low. Russia’s military resourcesโข remain heavily committed to the war in Ukraine, andโ its involvement in “Zapad-2025” appears less โextensive then in previous years.
The SAB is โurging Latvian citizens to remain vigilantโ and report any suspicious โactivity near the border, including disruptions in communication โnetworks, toโ the โขrelevant authorities. โฃThisโ proactive approach aims to โคbolster national security in the face of ongoing โand evolvingโ information warfare efforts.