A month after the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska failed to deliver peace in Ukraine, tensions in eastern Europe have spiked with Russian drones entering Poland, NATO boosting air defenses, and Moscow flexing its military power, as it launches joint drills with Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin personally supervised the Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2025 on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.
Putin arrived at the Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region wearing a military uniform, as he is also the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian army.
A still image taken from a handout video provided on Sept. 15,2025 by the Russian Defense Ministry press service shows crew members of the Arkhangelsk nuclear-powered attack submarine taking part in the Zapad-2025 (West-2025) joint military drills at an undisclosed location in Russia. (EPA via Russian Defense Ministry)
Addressing the participants, the Russian president said the goal of the exercises is to practice defending the Union State – a name for the alliance between Russia and Belarus – from any aggression.
