Poland has sent 40,000 troops to be deployed on its eastern border as it prepares for Russia and Belarus's huge spectacle of joint military drills called Zapad 2025.
It comes as Europe is still on high alert following the unprecedented intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace this week, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warning that the West is at its closest to open conflict since World War Two.
He dubbed the upcoming military exercises 'very aggressive' and has closed the country's border with Belarus in anticipation of the intimidating display.
'Poland has been preparing for the Zapad-2025 exercises for many months,' Poland's Deputy Minister of National Defence, Cezary Tomczyk, told Polsat News television late Wednesday.
'Polish and NATO soldiers are needed to adequately respond to Zapad-2025,' he said, adding: 'This is where the war in Ukraine began. Therefore, the Polish army is preparing for this. In the coming days, we will have about 40,000 soldiers at the border.'
