Russia flexes its military muscles at NATO’s doorstep days after sending drones to Poland

Poland has unopen down its separator pinch Belarus arsenic nan Zapad-2025 subject drills statesman betwixt Russia and Belarus connected Friday.

All postulation crossed nan separator has been suspended successful some directions, including cars and cargo trains.

During a midnight property convention successful Terespol adjacent to nan separator pinch Belarus, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said Zapad-2025 manoeuvres “during which fierce warfare scenarios against our state are being practised.”

“Russia has been behaving aggressively towards Poland successful caller days, and for galore years has been behaving aggressively towards nan full civilised world. To guarantee nan information of our citizens, we are forced to make these decisions."

Warsaw besides said it is deploying 40,000 troops on its borders pinch Belarus and nan Russian Kaliningrad exclave arsenic nan drills return off.

Moscow and Minsk declare that nan Zapad — meaning "West" successful English — manoeuvres are intended to trial nan expertise of nan 2 countries to take sides themselves and repel an force attack.

But 2 days aft Poland, pinch support from its NATO allies, changeable down suspected Russian drones complete its airspace, nan drills are being watched successful Europe much warily than ever.

According to Kyiv, retired of nan 19 Russian drones crossing into Poland overnight connected Wednesday, astatine slightest a mates came via Belarus.

“At slightest 2 Russian drones that entered Polish territory during nan nighttime utilized Belarusian airspace,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Zapad-2025: What Moscow and Minsk say

Zapad-2025 drills are scheduled to tally betwixt Friday and adjacent Monday and are meant to trial really Russia and Belarus tin push backmost an enemy, retake mislaid territory and unafraid their borders, according to nan Russian and Belarusian defence ministries.

Russia said the exercises will play retired successful 2 phases, pinch nan first focused connected defence and coordination and nan 2nd connected regaining crushed and defeating force forces. The drills are being staged astatine ranges successful Belarus and Russia, arsenic good arsenic successful nan Baltic and Barents seas.

Earlier successful August, nan Belarus Defence Ministry said drills would besides impact believe readying for nan deployment of atomic weapons.

"The caput of authorities demands that we must beryllium fresh for each imaginable scenarios," Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said during a property convention pursuing a closed-door gathering pinch Belarusian strongman Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

Minsk claimed nan state was hosting Russian tactical atomic arms on its territory, aft nan 2 countries signed an statement successful May 2023.

The Belarusian defence curate besides said Zapad-2025 would impact nan Oreshnik rocket system.

"Naturally, arsenic portion of nan Zapad exercise, we will behaviour associated drills pinch our Russian colleagues for nan readying of nan deployment of this weapons system," Khrenin said successful August.

In 2022, Zapad went west

Every Zapad manoeuvre — held each 4 years — reportedly truthful acold progressive betwixt 12,000 and 13,000 troops, though NATO has based on that nan officially reported numbers are questionable and doubted their purpose.

In September 2021 — conscionable months earlier Russia began its full-scale penetration of Ukraine — Moscow claimed 12,800 servicemen participated successful Zapad-2021 connected Belarusian territory.

The full number of troops successful nan region was, successful fact, astir 200,000. In February 2022 Russia utilized forces that had remained successful Belarus aft nan exercises ended to onslaught Ukraine from Minsk's territory.

“Lukashenka has made Belarus a springboard for Putin’s aggression”, Belarus guidance leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said, pointing retired that “The past Zapad ended pinch Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine”.

In August, Lithuania and Poland conducted protect drills successful consequence to Zapad-2025.

The Arsus Vilkas 2025 ("Fierce Wolf 2025") subject workout took spot successful Lithuania betwixt 11 and 22 August.

Poland has hosted Iron Defender-25, a associated subject workout pinch NATO allies, which started successful mid-August.

Border pinch Belarus and Russia reinforced

Poland and Latvia imposed restrictions connected their airspace adjacent nan borders pinch Russia and Belarus aft Russia’s drone incursion into Poland earlier this week.

Latvia’s Defence Ministry announced similar airspace restrictions on its eastbound separator pinch Russia and Belarus would return effect connected Thursday evening and past astatine slightest 1 week.

Lithuania past period declared a no-fly area on its separator pinch Belarus from 14 August to 1 October, up of nan Zapad-2025 subject exercises.

Vilnius took nan determination aft 2 Russian Gerbera drones — simplified Tehran-designed Shaheds — collapsed connected Lithuanian territory, having flown successful from Belarus.

Several Belarus' neighbouring countries besides announced earlier this twelvemonth that they are withdrawing from nan anti-landmine treaty, which would let them to fortify their separator pinch minefields.

Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland person each precocious announced their plans to retreat from nan treaty, which prohibits nan use, stockpiling, accumulation and transportation of anti-personnel mines.

In a associated statement, nan countries' defence ministries cited a “fundamentally deteriorated information situation” successful nan Baltic region.