Belarus, Russia to simulate nuclear planning in Zapad-2025 drills
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Belarus and Russia will conduct Zapad-2025 military drills in September that include nuclear weapons planning, a move announced amid heightened nuclear signaling between Moscow and Washington.
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The first train carrying Russian troops has arrived in Belarus for the Zapad-2025 exercises. Pictured are soldiers of the 10th Shakalin Brigade (Belarus MoD)
Belarus will hold large-scale military exercises with Russia in September that will include scenarios involving the planning of nuclear weapons use, Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has confirmed. The drills, known as Zapad-2025 (West-2025), will also feature the Oreshnik complex and are scheduled for September 12-16.
Speaking to the state-run Belta news agency on Wednesday, Khrenin described the exercises as "a crucial element of our strategic deterrence policy," adding that Belarus must be ready for "all possible scenarios."
"We are closely monitoring the situation along our western and northern borders and cannot remain passive observers of ongoing militarization and military activity. While demonstrating our openness and commitment to peace, we must always keep our powder dry," he said.
Khrenin stressed that the core objective is to prepare the armed forces to repel any attack.
"To be ready for repulsing the adversary’s aggression is our main task. All the efforts of our Armed Forces are geared towards it. We constantly work on improving the training levels of our staff and troops. We constantly adjust the structure of the Armed Forces," he explained.
В Республику Беларусь прибыл первый эшелон с военнослужащими Российской Федерации и техникой для подготовки и дальнейшего участия в совместном стратегическом учении вооруженных сил Беларуси и России «Запад-2025».
— Минобороны Беларуси (@MOD_BY) August 6, 2025
Подробнее➡️https://t.co/JsmX66w768#zapad2025 #Belarus #Russia pic.twitter.com/DnWrmzBbGY
According to the minister, Minsk expects that foreign observers will scrutinize these preparations to assess the capabilities of the Belarusian military.
The presidential office said Khrenin has briefed President Alexander Lukashenko on the upcoming joint drills, the security situation near Belarus’s borders, and the nation’s readiness to respond to emerging threats. The exercises will aim to test the two countries’ coordination in ensuring security and defending against external aggression.
Read more: Russia built missile arsenal during INF deployment freeze: Deputy FM
The announcement comes amid an uptick in nuclear-related rhetoric between Moscow and Washington. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump revealed he had ordered two nuclear-armed submarines to be moved into "appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev referencing Russia’s Cold War-era "Dead Hand" nuclear retaliation system.
While Trump framed the move as a precaution "just in case" such comments signaled more than rhetoric, the public nature of the announcement was widely interpreted as a deterrent warning, adding to the nuclear undertones shaping the current security environment in which Zapad-2025 will take place.
