Belarus will scale back its joint military drills with Russia this autumn and move the main exercises deeper into its territory and further from its western neighbours, according to Belarusian Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Viktor Khrenin.
As quoted by the Ukrainian outlet RBC, Khrenin said the decision to reduce the scope of the Zapad 2025 exercises reflects Belarus’s intention to de-escalate tensions in the region.
“We have decided to reduce the parameters of the Zapad 2025 exercises and move the main manoeuvres deeper into the territory of the Republic of Belarus, away from the western borders,” Khrenin said.
Belarus’s Defence Ministry emphasised that the drills are not aimed “against anyone”, and that relocating the exercises signals readiness for dialogue and regional stability.
“The intensity and scale of the Zapad drills have always corresponded to the operational scope of exercises conducted in Europe,” Khrenin added.
Ukrainian intelligence has claimed the autumn drills will simulate a confrontation between two coalitions, Russia and the West. Officially, around 13,000 troops are expected to participate, and Russia has invited representatives from 40 countries to observe.
At a security forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Belarusian Gen. Valery Revenko, head of the department for international cooperation, said the number of participating troops will be cut by nearly half.
Lithuanian Chief of Defence Staff Remigijus Baltrėnas said Tuesday that this year’s Zapad exercises will not be larger or more threatening than those held in 2021.
“Given the situation in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus cannot afford a larger-scale operation – it’s physically not feasible,” Baltrėnas said. “The Russians always understate their figures officially, but when they combine everything, the numbers still go up.”
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“However, this is being monitored,” he added. “Both NATO and Lithuanian intelligence are fulfilling their roles, and early warning systems are in place. At this moment, we foresee no surprises.”
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia may be planning something in Belarus under the cover of military drills.
“That’s how they usually begin a new offensive,” Zelensky said.
About 200,000 troops took part in the Zapad 2021 exercises just months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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