Official: Poland to counter Russia-Belarus drills with NATO military exercises

Secretary of State at Poland’s National Defence Ministry Cezary Tomczyk has announced plans to hold military exercises alongside NATO allies as a direct response to the joint Russia-Belarus military maneuvers scheduled for September.

Tomczyk pointed out that the previous “Zapad” exercises occurred just before the launch of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, underlining the necessity for a Western response to this year’s drills, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Poland’s planned exercises will involve NATO forces and are designed to match the scale of the Russian and Belarusian military presence.

“This will be a response proportional to the scale of the Russian and Belarusian forces deployed. We must demonstrate strength and unity,” Tomczyk added. 

Earlier, Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov assured that the upcoming joint Belarus-Russia military exercises, titled "Zapad-2025" are purely defensive in nature. The drills will focus on practicing scenarios for repelling potential aggression.

By Naila Huseynova