The joint exercises involve tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles.

On Friday, the Russian and Belarusian armies began the Zapad-2025 strategic maneuvers, held on the territories of both countries as well as in the waters of the Baltic and Barents seas.

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These joint military exercises, which will simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, are the first to take place since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. The previous Russian-Belarusian drills were held in September 2021 and were personally overseen by President Vladimir Putin.

The Zapad-2025 strategic maneuvers will mainly take place at military ranges in Borisov, near the Belarusian capital and about 280 miles from the Polish border.

Their stated objective is to strengthen the security of Russia and Belarus against foreign threats. To that end, their forces will stage a strategic defense operation with elements of nuclear deterrence against an external enemy seeking to seize control of border areas.

In the second phase of the maneuvers, participating troops will reestablish control over national territory and proceed with the “destruction of the enemy.”

The drills come amid geopolitical tensions fueled by an alleged incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace. Poland has since closed its border with Belarus.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk argues that Zapad-2025 will simulate the seizure of the Suwalki Gap, a strip of land less than 60 miles long that is the only land connection between Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus.

Nuclear Deterrence Against NATO

The ongoing war games will include simulations of the use of tactical nuclear weapons, deployed in Belarus since the second year of the war.

They will also simulate the use of Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles, unveiled by Russia in 2024 when they struck a military plant in Ukraine and which will also be stationed in Belarus.

The Oreshnik, a medium-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, could theoretically hit targets thousands of miles away with a margin of error of only a few dozen meters. “We must keep our powder dry,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said.

After signing a security agreement with Minsk at the end of 2024, Putin pledged that his country is prepared to defend Belarus “with all available forces.”

Iranian and Indian soldiers are expected to participate in the Zapad-2025 drills, as Russian authorities have indicated there will be contingents from countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

A Warning Against Western Provocations

In a clear allusion to NATO, the Belarusian Defense Ministry warned it would respond to “any provocation,” while the Kremlin sought to calm European concerns.

“We are actively monitoring all military activity taking place near our borders and are prepared to react to any provocation that may arise during the Zapad-2025 maneuvers,” Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveiko said.

The general stressed that neither Belarus nor Russia poses a threat to any country, emphasizing that “all activities are taking place at a considerable distance from our southern and western borders.”

“I want to recall the words of President Vladimir Putin: Russia has never threatened anyone, and it does not threaten the countries of Europe now,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Now, when Western Europe adopts a hostile stance toward us, naturally the maneuvers provoke such an emotional reaction,” he added.

“It was not Russia that advanced toward Europe with its military infrastructure, but Europe, as part of NATO. The Atlantic Alliance is an instrument of confrontation, not of peace and stability. It is precisely Europe that has always advanced toward our borders,” Peskov stressed.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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