Moscow: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Russia and Belarus are replaying the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons.
The exercises also feature Russia’s Oreshnik Hypersonic missile, which was tested in the missile last year, state media quoted Belarusian chief of staff as saying War with Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus ended the five-day war game in the war, and they were talking about testing combat preparations, but were upset with the surrounding countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin, wearing military costumes, conducted some exercises there on Tuesday with senior military officials in Russia’s Nizhny Novogorod area.
He said 100,000 soldiers participated in the joint exercise with Belarus in Zapad (Western) and part of them was also placed near the NATO border during an unexpected visit to the exercise. Minsk earlier said that only 7,000 soldiers participated in the exercises on the Belarusian stage, which was observed by U.S. Army representatives.
Putin says 100,000 troops are in Belarus-Russia exercise
Putin wore a military uniform and added: “Today, we are working on the final part of the Zapad 2025 strategic exercise. Russian news agency reported that the Kremlin reported that soldiers from India, Iran, Bangladesh, as well as Burkina Faso, Congo and Mali were participating in the exercise, which so far has been advertised as a joint exercise from Russia-Berarus.
Zappad’s drills put members of the eastern part of NATO on high alert as the landing of Russian drones in Poland last week prompted Warsaw to close its border with Belarus. Putin added that the purpose of these exercises is to exercise “potential aggression against coalition states”, referring to the allied entities of Russia and Belarus.
According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the exercises are intended to simulate the occupation of the Suvaki Corridor, a strategically important area in Poland. Warsaw said it will have about 40,000 soldiers near the Belarusian border during the exercise.
Russia said it had launched the latest Zirkon Supersonic Naval Missile from a frigate in the Barent Sea on Sunday. According to Belarusian troops, the nuclear weapons deployment plan also conducted drilling during the Zappad exercise.
About 200,000 troops participated in the 2021 version of Zapad, just a few months before Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
Putin said the exercises were intended to ensure “unconditional protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the United Nations”, referring to the alliance between Russia and Belarus.
Posted at Dawn on September 17, 2025
