Zapad-2025 drill scheduled for September 12–16

August 12, Pozirk. Zapad-2025, a Belarusian-Russian large-scale military exercise, will take place from September 12 to 16, Valeryj Ravienka of Belarus’ defense ministry has told reporters.
The drill will focus on military security of the Union State of Belarus and Russia and test readiness to respond to aggression, he noted.
Belarus sought to assure its western neighbors that the joint drill with Russia poses no threat by moving the exercise inland, Security Council chief Alaksandar Valfovič said last week.
In late May, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin announced that Zapad-2025 would be scaled down and relocated farther from the borders. Later, Alaksandar Łukašenka said the move was designed to reduce tension.
In February 2022, Moscow used a similar exercise in Belarus as a cover for a troop buildup ahead of its invasion of Kyiv. Ukrainian intelligence and border forces plan to closely monitor troop movements during the upcoming drill.

Another military contingent arrives in Minsk, for another exercise
- Politics, SecurityKGB identifies arrested Pole as Grzegorz HavelThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCoordination Council suspends member’s access to documents over suspicious activityThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja meets with MPs, activists and minister in AustriaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarusian applicants required to produce B2 certificates to enroll in Polish universitiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- EconomyLithuania seizes 20,000 packs of smuggled Belarusian cigarettesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ steel works ordered to pay overdue debt to Russian supplierThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyDefense ministry: soldier dies in parachute jump accidentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, SocietyAt least 1,950 NGOs dissolved since August 2020 – LawtrendThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRussian official uncertain over Winter Paralympics for Belarus’, Russia’s athletesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLithuania reports daily spike in irregular crossings via BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ car sales down 2.7 percent in AugustThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsLaw enforcers allowed to restrict access to online contentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsMinsk renews its invitation for Kenyan president to visit BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus accredits Finland’s military attachéThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyInformation ministry enlists Orthodox Church in censorshipThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsSlovak prime minister said to be willing to visit MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics