Moscow [Russia], September 13: Russia and Belarus have begun major joint military exercises right on the edge of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), two days after Poland shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that violated its airspace.
Russia and Belarus on September 12 held the Zapad 2025 military exercises at many training grounds and sea areas, including areas near the territories of NATO member countries. Zapad 2025 will take place from September 12 to 16 and this event has been planned for a long time, according to Reuters.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that in the first stage of the exercise, the military will simulate the situation of repelling an attack on Russia and Belarus.
In the second stage, Russian and Belarusian forces will focus on "restoring the territorial integrity of the federal state and destroying the enemy, including with the participation of a coalition group of forces from friendly countries". The servicemen of the two countries are expected to practice intercepting air strikes, as well as countering enemy reconnaissance and sabotage forces.
Russian officials did not disclose the number of military personnel and equipment participating in Zapad 2025, while Belarus announced that it was mobilizing about 13,000 soldiers.
The Kremlin said on September 12 that European concerns about the exercises were an emotional reaction based on anti-Russian sentiment. The Kremlin declined to comment on the recent incident of a UAV violating Polish airspace.
For his part, Major General Pavel Muraveiko, Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Army, said that all exercises would be held at a "considerable distance" from the borders with NATO members and Ukraine.
The exercise will include electronic warfare and the use of artificial intelligence to support decision-making, Mr. Muraveiko said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the Zapad 2025 exercises as "very aggressive" and announced that the country would close its border with Belarus from midnight on 11 September.
Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said the country had been preparing for months and was holding its own exercise called Iron Defender. "There are about 30,000 soldiers taking part in the Iron Defender exercise and about 5,000 soldiers on the border," Tomczyk told Reuters.
Lithuania, a NATO member that borders Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, announced it was sending troops to protect its border for the Zapad 2025 exercise.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
