Russian Tu-160 bombers practised launching cruise missiles over the Barents Sea on Tuesday during joint military drills with Belarus, as part of the Zapad 2025 exercises.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its nuclear-capable Tu-160 strategic bombers carried out simulated cruise missile launches during a four-hour flight over neutral waters in the Barents Sea, escorted by MiG-31 fighter jets. The manoeuvres were part of the ongoing Zapad 2025 military exercises conducted jointly with Belarus.
The five-day drills, which Moscow says are intended to test combat readiness, have heightened regional concerns, coming days after NATO and Polish forces shot down Russian drones that violated Polish airspace. In response, Poland temporarily closed its border with Belarus.
Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin was expected to observe another component of the exercises on Russian territory on Tuesday, which his ministry said would be held “in conditions as close as possible to combat”.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, has supported the war in Ukraine politically and logistically but has not deployed troops. President Alexander Lukashenko has permitted Russian forces to base tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil.
U.S. President Donald Trump has recently moved to thaw relations with Belarus, easing sanctions last week following the release of 52 detainees, including political prisoners. In a rare move, U.S. military officers were invited to observe part of the Zapad exercise in Belarus on Monday.
The Barents Sea, located north of Scandinavia, is strategically significant due to its proximity to NATO-member Norway and Russia’s Northern Fleet bases. The Zapad drills, which are held every four years, traditionally focus on Russia’s western military district and border areas.
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The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its third day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
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