• Russia and Belarus conducted military exercises, including nuclear weapons rehearsals.
• About 100,000 personnel participated in the Zapad 2025 war games.
• The drills follow recent violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones.
• U.S. military officers observed parts of the exercises as part of developing relations with Belarus.
• Concerns have arisen among neighboring countries regarding these military displays.

Russia's military exercises with Belarus, codenamed Zapad 2025, included rehearsing the launch of tactical nuclear weapons, as confirmed by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. He stated, "We are practicing everything there... from firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads," emphasizing their preparation for potential threats from the West, while insisting they are "not planning to threaten anyone," according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.

Approximately 100,000 troops participated in the Zapad 2025 drills, which took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions following incidents where Polish and NATO forces shot down Russian drones breaching their airspace. The exercises have caused alarm among neighboring countries, prompting Poland to close its border with Belarus as a precautionary measure, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The joint exercises also featured Russia's latest Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which was reportedly test-fired in the context of the drills. Russian President Vladimir Putin framed the exercises as necessary for "the unconditional protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State," referring to the alliance with Belarus. He noted that some troops from countries including India and Iran participated in the exercises, expanding the scope of this military display, as stated by Reuters and Dawn.

The rehearsals of nuclear weapons launches and preparations to counter potential aggression highlight the ongoing military posturing between Russia and NATO countries. Western military analysts indicate that these maneuvers are intended to intimidate Europe amid escalating tensions since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine over two years ago, according to Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia.