Russia-Belarus military drills to involve 'significantly fewer' troops than in past, Lithuanian intelligence says
The upcoming Zapad 2025 joint military exercises to be held between Russia and Belarus are expected to include fewer troops than in previous years, Lithuanian intelligence said in a press release on Aug. 22.
"This year, up to 30,000 troops are expected to participate, significantly fewer than in previous exercises. Around 6,000–8,000 will be stationed in Belarus, with several thousand in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave," the release said.
Russia has lost over 1,074,320 troops since the beginning of its full-scale war against Ukraine and has relied on North Korean troops to push back at Ukrainian offensives in Kursk Oblast.
Russia and Belarus hold the large-scale Zapad military exercises every four years. Zapad drills were last held in 2021.
Lithuania and its NATO allies will be conducting military exercises of their own and will continue to monitor the situation as the joint Russian-Belarusian drills take place.
Lithuanian intelligence reports no increase in Russian troops at the Zapad 2025 military drills despite rumors of a larger force at the military exercises.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned the upcoming drills and warned Belarus not to stage provocations and keep troops away from Ukraine's border.
"The cooperation between the regimes in Moscow and Minsk poses an immediate threat not only to Ukraine, but also to Poland, the Baltic states, and all of Europe, and also hinders peaceful efforts of the United States President Donald Trump to end the war," the statement read.
The Foreign Ministry noted that when Zapad drills were last held in 2021, there was a buildup of Russian troops at the border, which were used to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian troops and military equipment first arrived in Belarus on Aug. 6 to prepare for the upcoming exercises.
