Germany deploys jets to Poland as 'deterrent' ahead of Russian-Belarusian military drills
Five German Eurofighter Typhoon jets landed at an air base near Warsaw on Aug. 4 as a deterrent ahead of the planned Zapad military exercises in Belarus, the German media reported.
The fighter planes landed at the Minsk Mazowiecki Air Base and will help monitor NATO airspace and potential Russian activity along the eastern flank for the next few weeks, starting on Aug. 5, a German Air Force spokesperson told DPA news agency.
The Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2025 drills are expected to take place in mid-September and involve around 13,000 troops. Kyiv and NATO officials have voiced concern over the drills, which are set to occur amid Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"This deployment is a clear sign of alliance solidarity within NATO and serves as a credible deterrent and the protection of shared airspace," a German Air Force spokesperson told Bild.
The German military also deployed around 150 soldiers to Poland as NATO braces for the large-scale drills.
While Belarus initially announced its intention to move the exercises deeper inland to ease tensions, Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveika warned last month that this decision may be reversed due to the "difficult military and political situation."
Although Minsk has not deployed its own troops in combat during Russia's war in Ukraine, it has been a key ally to Moscow. Russian forces used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for military operations in 2022, including for the unsuccessful invasion of Kyiv Oblast.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in February that Russia planned to deploy up to 150,000 troops, or 15 divisions, to Belarus in preparation for a potential military escalation this year.
Allied leaders have been increasingly warning about a potential armed clash with Russia in the coming years, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warning that the conflict could erupt within the next five years.
