Putin Outlines Goals of Russia-Belarus Zapad 2025 Drills

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the joint Zapad 2025 military exercises with Belarus were aimed at preparing to repel attacks and ensuring national defense, drawing on battlefield lessons from the Ukraine conflict.

The large-scale drills concluded Tuesday amid heightened tensions with NATO.

Speaking at a command post in Mulino, northwestern Russia, alongside Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Putin stressed that the maneuvers were designed to cover “all elements necessary to fully protect sovereignty, territorial integrity and defend against any aggression”.

He noted that planners had “incorporated lessons learned from the special military operation” in Ukraine.

According to the president, the exercises mobilized 100,000 troops, 10,000 pieces of hardware, 333 aircraft, and about 250 naval vessels.

The drills have sparked sharp reactions in neighboring NATO states. Poland closed its border with Belarus last week, calling the exercises “very aggressive”.

Earlier this month, Warsaw also launched its Iron Defender-25 drills, which involved 30,000 troops, while Lithuania began its own Thunder Strike defense exercises.

Moscow has insisted that it has no intention of striking NATO members unless attacked first. Nonetheless, tensions have risen further following Polish accusations that Russian drones violated its airspace at least 19 times, a charge the Kremlin denies.

NATO, in response, has deployed additional warplanes to patrol Polish skies.