Putin visits Russia-Belarus drills, says training 'based on experience' of war in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the joint strategic drills with Belarus called Zapad-2025 on Sept. 16, Russian state-controlled media reported.
Dressed in military uniform, Putin visited the Mulino training ground in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region on the last day of the drills, conducted at 41 training grounds in Russia and Belarus and involving about 100,000 service members.
"Plans for the exercises are based on the experience gained in the course of (war in Ukraine)," Putin said. He added that the maneuvers were aimed at strengthening the defense of the Union State of Russia and Belarus against "any aggression."
NATO members bordering Belarus — Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia — have voiced concerns over the drills as Russian provocations against the alliance ramp up. Warsaw closed all border crossings with Belarus as the exercises began, warning that they remain a tool of military pressure against NATO's eastern flank.
At the training ground, Putin inspected military equipment on display, including motorcycles, quad bikes, radar systems, and anti-drone weapons. More than 400 samples of arms and technology were showcased, state media said, with some already deployed in Ukraine.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told Putin the exercises began Sept. 12 and involved over 10,000 weapons systems and 247 naval vessels. "I ask the defense minister to report on the readiness of the troops for the final part of the exercise," Putin said, wishing participants "good luck."
Belarus's Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 15 that U.S. military representatives also observed the Russia-Belarus Zapad-2025 military exercise.
The ministry said observers from three NATO members, including the U.S., Turkey, and Hungary, were present at a training ground near Barysaw, about 74 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Zapad drills are staged every four years and officially described as defensive.
Francis Farrell
