Russian and Belarusian armies are going to hold Zapad-2025 joint exercises in September. The trainings will include drills on the planned deployment of nuclear weapons and Russian-made, intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile, Belarus’s Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on 13 August.
His comments were made two days before the meeting of U.S President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, to discuss a possible deal to end the full-scale war in Ukraine. , which Moscow partially launched Belarusian territory in February 2022.
Khrenin reported to journalists in Minsk that Belarusians would work with their Russian counterparts on how to use the Oreshnik and nuclear weapons during the military exercises to be held from 12-16 September.
"This is an important element of our strategic deterrence. As the head of state demands, we must be prepared for anything," Khrenin reported to Belta, a Belarusian state news agency.
"We see the situation on our western and northern borders and cannot calmly watch the militarisation and military activity. We demonstrate our openness and peacefulness, but we must always keep our powder dry", he added.
Earlier this month, Putin announced that the Oreshnik (Hazel Tree) had gone into consecutive production and had been delivered to the military forces. This weapon was first used by Moscow against Ukraine last November, targeting the city of Dnipro.
Last week, Kremlin declared that it would no longer place any limits on where it deploys intermediate-range missiles which can carry nuclear warheads, revoking the previous moratorium.
The upcoming “Zapad-2025” (West 2025) military exercises have raised security concerns in neighbouring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the idea that Minsk would utilise the exercises to attack its neighbours. He considered it as a “complete nonsense."
Belarusian defence officials have stated that upcoming joint NATO drills will be held in Poland. It will involve at least 34,000 troops, as evidence of growing militarisation along Belarus' borders.
"We need to watch them very closely (which is what we will be doing) and respond accordingly," Khrenin said on 13 August, referring to the NATO drills.
"If they show any aggression toward the Republic of Belarus, we have the means to respond", he added.
Portugal is holding presidential elections with a record 11 candidates, as populist leader André Ventura emerges as a possible front-runner....
Two people were killed and dozens injured in overnight Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, as strikes on energy infrastructure left many regions wit...
Iran’s state broadcaster was briefly hijacked on Sunday, airing footage of anti-regime protests and a message from exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi,...
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically....
Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, extending his rule into a fifth decade....
Russia’s Defence Ministry has deployed a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system in Belarus.
Latvia has completed construction of its border fence with Russia, marking a major step in strengthening national and EU external border security. Authorities say work will now focus on expanding surveillance technology and additional infrastructure along the eastern border.
Russia is likely preparing to station its new nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in eastern Belarus, a move that could extend Moscow’s strike reach across Europe, according to an exclusive Reuters report.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russia is using territory in neighbouring Belarus to support attacks on Ukrainian targets and to circumvent Kyiv’s defensive positions, warning that the practice undermines Belarusian sovereignty.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday (17 January) that concerns over security in Greenland should be addressed within the framework of NATO, describing a ground military intervention as highly unlikely.
Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s company xAI, alleging that its AI tool Grok generated explicit images of her, including one portraying her as underage.
Egypt and Sudan have welcomed an offer by U.S. President Donald Trump to restart mediation with Ethiopia in a bid to resolve the long-running dispute over Nile River water sharing.
Elon Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that the companies profited unfairly from his early support of the artificial intelligence firm, according to a court filing made public on Friday.
Poland plans to expand its armed forces to 500,000 by 2039, including 300,000 active-duty troops and 200,000 reservists, officials said Friday. The enlarged force would feature a new high-readiness reserve unit.
Portugal is holding presidential elections with a record 11 candidates, as populist leader André Ventura emerges as a possible front-runner.
Two people were killed and dozens injured in overnight Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, as strikes on energy infrastructure left many regions without power amid freezing temperatures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Iran’s state broadcaster was briefly hijacked on Sunday, airing footage of anti-regime protests and a message from exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, according to opposition-linked outlets.
Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, extending his rule into a fifth decade.
At least five people have died and dozens were injured after two high-speed trains derailed on Sunday near Adamuz, southern Spain, railway operator ADIF and state media reported.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment