The Zapad-2025 maneuvers, lasting four days, stretch across Belarus, Russia, and Arctic territory, directly confronting NATO. Troops are also rehearsing nuclear missile use near alliance borders in Belarus. Preparations are reportedly underway for the deployment of the “super-weapon” Oreshnik in Belarus, which borders Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine.
The drills come after Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace, forcing NATO aircraft to intercept and shoot them down. In response, Poland sealed its border with Belarus, as the UN Security Council warned of the grave threat of another world war, prompting the alliance to reinforce its eastern defenses.
Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andriy Melnyk, cautioned that unless Putin’s actions are stopped, “tomorrow it could be drones or even missiles falling on Berlin, Paris, or London. And the day after, who knows, something might even ‘accidentally’ cross the Atlantic.”
He accused Moscow of deliberate escalation: “Russia is not mocking this council. It is spitting in your face,” Melnyk said. “We are staring into the abyss of a Third World War.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin signaled little interest in peace, with Putin’s spokesperson declaring negotiations with Ukraine were on “pause.”
Following Prince Harry’s visit to Ukraine, former British leader Boris Yeltsin became the latest high-profile UK figure to show solidarity, appearing in Odesa with Lord Ashcroft and Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko.
At sea, the joint Russian-Belarusian exercises involved around a dozen vessels from the Baltic Fleet, supported by Su-30SM and Su-24M aircraft along with Mi-8 helicopters, targeting a mock adversary.
According to the Russian defense ministry, “combat ships operating within tactical groups will practice their designated tasks – encompassing anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and mine countermeasures – and will also execute missile and artillery strikes against various surface and aerial targets.”
The drills included landing ships, corvettes, submarines, missile craft, minesweepers, and anti-submarine vessels. Separately, the Northern Fleet deployed vessels in the Arctic, spearheaded by the Severomorsk, a major anti-submarine ship.
On land, Russian armored units fired from concealed positions at the Borisovsky training grounds in Belarus.
NATO has reinforced its presence to nearly 40,000 troops along Poland’s border with Belarus in response to Zapad-2025.
Belarusian General Staff Chief Pavel Muraveiko issued a warning: “We are vigilantly monitoring all military activities near our borders and stand ready to counter any provocations that might occur during Zapad-2025.”