Eastern Europe Prepares for ‘Zapad 2025’ Amid Security Concerns
As Russia and Belarus initiate the “Zapad 2025” joint military drill this September, Eastern European nations are ramping up their own military preparations. The exercises, scheduled for September 12-16, 2025, will simulate direct attacks on Poland and the Baltic States, raising concerns among Eastern European allies, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
In response to these drills, the four nations are organizing training for approximately 40,000 troops to mirror the Russian exercises. This proactive measure comes in light of previous “Zapad” drills, particularly the 2021 iteration, which coincided with Russia’s military buildup preceding the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The upcoming “Zapad 2025” exercises are expected to involve nuclear weapons and advanced Russian-made hypersonic missiles. In Lithuania, which shares borders with both Belarus and Russia, the Ministry of National Defence has heightened security measures in anticipation of the drills. The ministry confirmed that up to 30,000 troops could participate, with a contingent of between 6,000 to 8,000 stationed in Belarus and several thousand in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Lithuania’s chief of defense, emphasized that during “Zapad 2025,” the Baltic States will collaborate with Poland to conduct a joint exercise involving around 40,000 allied troops. He noted that Lithuania’s contribution would include approximately 10,000 troops, supplemented by around 6,000 from allied nations. This collaborative effort will extend to land, sea, and air operations.
Poland, the largest ally in the region, is actively working with NATO partners to monitor the exercises while also engaging with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). A spokesperson for Poland’s Ministry of National Defence remarked, “The upcoming ‘Zapad 2025’ exercises by Russia and Belarus, in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine, illustrate further aggressive behavior and deepening cooperation between the two countries.” The Polish ministry anticipates that the risk of provocations, including cyberattacks and small-scale military incidents, will increase during this period.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has indicated that the forthcoming training will focus on the operational use of nuclear arms and the intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missile, a weapon employed in attacks against Ukraine. Khrenin stated, “Certainly, within the framework of the ‘Zapad’ exercise together with Russian colleagues we will practice matters of planning to use this kind of weapons.”
The military cooperation between Belarus and Russia has intensified since the onset of the war in Ukraine. In August 2022, Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko announced that Russian forces upgraded Belarus’s fighter jets to carry tactical nuclear weapons. Additionally, agreements to transfer Iskander-M tactical missile systems, capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, have further solidified this military partnership.
In light of these developments, Poland’s Ministry of National Defence reiterated that its armed forces are continuously monitoring military activities from neighboring countries. The ministry confirmed that they are prepared to respond appropriately to any potential security threats arising from these military exercises.
As “Zapad 2025” unfolds, the heightened military readiness among Eastern European nations reflects a cautious approach to an evolving security landscape in the region. The collaboration between these countries and NATO allies aims to ensure that they remain vigilant and prepared for any challenges posed by their eastern neighbors.
