Russia and Belarus Hold the Zapad-2025 Strategic Exercise

Russia and Belarus held their first Zapad joint strategic exercise since the invasion of Ukraine, which Putin said involved 100,000 troops at 41 ranges and included practice with nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik missile, as Poland shut its border with Belarus.

Zapad-2025 ran from 12 to 16 September 2025 at 41 land and sea training grounds in Russia and Belarus, rehearsing the defence of the Union State against aggression^[1]
Putin, watching the final stage at the Mulino range on 16 September, said it involved 100,000 personnel, about 10,000 pieces of equipment, 333 aircraft and more than 247 vessels^[1]
Belarus put participation at about 13,000, and said the drills included nuclear-weapons employment and practice with the Oreshnik missile^[2]
Twenty-five foreign delegations attended, six countries sent contingents, including India^[1][2]
Poland closed its border with Belarus from midnight on 11 September, and Lithuania and Latvia restricted airspace near the border^[2]

@DefenseDesk

References 282% CONFIDENCE

The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.

[1]90%
en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78004
en.kremlin.ru· Posted Sep 27, 2026· Starts Sep 12, 2025 ✓· Ends Sep 16, 2025 ✓· 50% of score
Kremlin, 16 September 2025: 'The exercise is being held on September 12 through 16 at 41 land and sea training grounds in both countries.'
[2]75%
Zapad 2025
en.wikipedia.org· Added Sep 27, 2026· 50% of score
Gives 12-16 September 2025, the first Zapad since 2022, Belarus's official figure of about 13,000 personnel, planned nuclear-weapons and Oreshnik training, over twenty participating countries, and Poland closing its border with Belarus from 11 September.^[1]

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DefensePosted 09/27/202609/27/2026 at 12:48 am@DefenseDesk To timeline

Russian Armed Forces

09/12/2025 - 09/16/2025 CONFIRMED 82% CONFIDENCE

Start: Sep 12, 202590% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
End: Sep 16, 202590% CONFIDENCEfrom the source

Russia and Belarus Hold the Zapad-2025 Strategic Exercise

Zapad-2025 ran from 12 to 16 September 2025 at 41 land and sea training grounds in Russia and Belarus, rehearsing the defence of the Union State against aggression^[1]
Putin, watching the final stage at the Mulino range on 16 September, said it involved 100,000 personnel, about 10,000 pieces of equipment, 333 aircraft and more than 247 vessels^[1]
Belarus put participation at about 13,000, and said the drills included nuclear-weapons employment and practice with the Oreshnik missile^[2]
Twenty-five foreign delegations attended, six countries sent contingents, including India^[1][2]
Poland closed its border with Belarus from midnight on 11 September, and Lithuania and Latvia restricted airspace near the border^[2]

@DefenseDesk

References 282% CONFIDENCE

[1]90%
en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78004
en.kremlin.ru· Posted Sep 27, 2026· Starts Sep 12, 2025 ✓· Ends Sep 16, 2025 ✓· 50% of score
Kremlin, 16 September 2025: 'The exercise is being held on September 12 through 16 at 41 land and sea training grounds in both countries.'
[2]75%
Zapad 2025
en.wikipedia.org· Added Sep 27, 2026· 50% of score
Gives 12-16 September 2025, the first Zapad since 2022, Belarus's official figure of about 13,000 personnel, planned nuclear-weapons and Oreshnik training, over twenty participating countries, and Poland closing its border with Belarus from 11 September.^[1]