Latest news with #Zapad-2025
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Russia and Belarus announce nuclear, Oreshnik Missile drills just two days before Trump-Putin meeting to discuss Ukraine war
Belarus and Russia will conduct Zapad-2025 military drills in mid-September, practicing nuclear deployment planning and the Oreshnik missile system. This announcement precedes a crucial meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war. The exercises, involving a large number of troops, raise concerns about potential escalations and a possible new offensive against Ukraine. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Zapad-2025 military drills Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced on August 13 that Belarus and Russia will practice nuclear deployment planning and the Oreshnik missile system during the upcoming Zapad-2025 military drills, according to state news agency Belta. The announcement came just two days before US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Trump has threatened that Vladimir Putin will face 'very severe consequences' if he does not agree to a cease fire in the war in Ukraine at his summit with Donald Trump in a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, including Britain's Keir Starmer, Trump suggested that if his meeting with Putin goes well, he would push for a second summit, this time including his Ukrainian highly anticipated Trump-Putin meeting is intended to explore solutions to end the Ukraine war, following three previous rounds of talks earlier this summer at Trump's with the Zapad military drills announcements from one of Russia's closest allies, Kyiv's hope for an outcome from the Trump-Putin meeting might suffer a mild setback.'The head of state demands that we must be ready for all possible scenarios,' Khrenin said after a closed-door meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, as quoted by the Kyiv Zapad-2025 drills, scheduled for mid-September, are among the largest exercises held by the two countries. Belarus has confirmed that over 13,000 troops will an interview with Radio NV, Major General Andis Dilans, the Deputy State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Defense for Logistics and National Director for Armaments, stated that between 100,000 and 150,000 military personnel are expected to take April 9, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, suggested that the upcoming Zapad-2025 exercises in Belarus, involving Russian troops, could signal preparation for a new offensive against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Vladimir Putin would try to do everything to drag Belarus into a war against has previously hosted Russian tactical nuclear weapons , following a May 2023 military capabilities, including the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, will also be included in the exercises. Russia first unveiled the experimental weapon after using it in a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, though confirmed use remains intelligence asserts that Belarus fields only delivery systems, not nuclear warheads, and doubts that the Oreshnik system will be fully operational in Belarus by the end of the year.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Russia and Belarus announce nuclear, Oreshnik Missile drills just two days before Trump-Putin meeting to discuss Ukraine war
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced on August 13 that Belarus and Russia will practice nuclear deployment planning and the Oreshnik missile system during the upcoming Zapad-2025 military drills, according to state news agency Belta. The announcement came just two days before US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the war in Ukraine. Donald Trump has threatened that Vladimir Putin will face 'very severe consequences' if he does not agree to a cease fire in the war in Ukraine at his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program After a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, including Britain's Keir Starmer, Trump suggested that if his meeting with Putin goes well, he would push for a second summit, this time including his Ukrainian counterpart. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Take a spoonful on an empty stomach and watch the fat go down the drain gofitlifeguide Click Here Undo This highly anticipated Trump-Putin meeting is intended to explore solutions to end the Ukraine war, following three previous rounds of talks earlier this summer at Trump's request. However, with the Zapad military drills announcements from one of Russia's closest allies, Kyiv's hope for an outcome from the Trump-Putin meeting might suffer a mild setback. Live Events 'The head of state demands that we must be ready for all possible scenarios,' Khrenin said after a closed-door meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, as quoted by the Kyiv Independent. The Zapad-2025 military drills The Zapad-2025 drills, scheduled for mid-September, are among the largest exercises held by the two countries. Belarus has confirmed that over 13,000 troops will participate. In an interview with Radio NV, Major General Andis Dilans, the Deputy State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Defense for Logistics and National Director for Armaments, stated that between 100,000 and 150,000 military personnel are expected to take part. On April 9, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, suggested that the upcoming Zapad-2025 exercises in Belarus, involving Russian troops, could signal preparation for a new offensive against Ukraine. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Vladimir Putin would try to do everything to drag Belarus into a war against Ukraine. Belarus has previously hosted Russian tactical nuclear weapons , following a May 2023 agreement. Russian military capabilities, including the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, will also be included in the exercises. Russia first unveiled the experimental weapon after using it in a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, though confirmed use remains limited. Ukrainian intelligence asserts that Belarus fields only delivery systems, not nuclear warheads, and doubts that the Oreshnik system will be fully operational in Belarus by the end of the year.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia Announces Nuclear Deployment Planning With Top Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced Wednesday that nuclear weapons exercises practicing deployment will soon be held near Borisov in the Minsk Region, occurring as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in the United States. Why It Matters The latest nuclear exercises follow Russia's formal revision to its own nuclear doctrine in late 2024, to lower the threshold for potential use of nuclear weapons—a change that Western officials and analysts said was meant to deter expanded military support for Ukraine. Belarus has been one of Russia's staunchest allies throughout the yearslong war between Russia and Ukraine that escalated when Putin invaded sovereign territory across the border in Eastern Europe. Putin and Trump are slated to meet one-on-one this Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska—the largest military facility the state—as the world leaders intend to discuss options for ending the conflict in Ukraine that began in February 2022. European venues such as Vienna and Geneva were ruled out as a meeting spot due to the legal risks of hosting Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes. In July, Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev engaged in a back-and-forth about a peace deal and nuclear provocations, with Trump telling Putin's confidant that he should "watch his words" and that he is straying into "dangerous territory." Belarus' Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin attends the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025. Belarus' Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin attends the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025. PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Khrenin said Wednesday that main troop maneuvers for the Belarus-Russia Zapad-2025 exercises would include use of the Oreshnik system, according to Belarusian and Russian state media. The primary active events and troop operations for Zapad-2025 would be concentrated on training grounds near Borisov in the Minsk Region, with the larger exercise set for September 12-16, according to Belarusian officials. "As it was previously stated by the head of state, all major operational activities and troop maneuvers will be concentrated in the central part of our country, at our main training grounds near Borisov," Khrenin told Today, adding that four of the five fortified areas, established on presidential directives for national defense operations, are fully prepared. "Currently, four of these five fortified zones are operational; they have been handed over for use and are actively engaged in combat training exercises," he added. "During Zapad-2025, we also plan to conduct troop training in two of these areas, where small units will execute practical tasks aimed at repelling potential adversaries." This is part of a planned event with exercises held every two years, he added, rather than "some sudden decision." Belarus reported that all components of its armed forces would participate, with core contingents from the Western and North-Western Commands and special operations forces taking part in the maneuvers near Borisov. Minsk announced that participants would practice countering airstrikes, combating enemy sabotage groups, and planning nuclear-weapons deployment—including with the Oreshnik system, an intermediate-range weapon Russia previously used in strikes targeting Ukraine. 'Fundamentally Irreconcilable' Worldviews Russia showed "utter disrespect" of Trump and the U.S. when it launched the largest combined drone and missile attack on Ukraine hours after Trump and Putin ended their phone call on July 3, Mikhail Alexseev, political science professor at San Diego State University, told Newsweek via email. "This comes after months of Moscow delaying and obstructing Trump's bold and noble efforts to bring the war to end through negotiations," Alexseev said. "This disrespect is not surprising. Putin's anti-Americanism is deep-seated, though often skillfully disguised when he wants to manipulate other leaders. "It goes back to his days feeling humiliated and infuriated by the Soviet Union's collapse while he served as a KGB officer in the communist East Germany." Alexseev said one of Russia's underlying objectives as part of its invasion of Ukraine goes beyond conquering people and territory "but to signal to the rest of the world that America will never again be first, that it cannot protect its friends and allies, even those who share its fundamental values, such as freedom of speech and religion." "In that sense, Putin's goals and Trump's worldview are fundamentally irreconcilable," he said. What People Are Saying U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told BloombergTelevision in an interview on Wednesday morning: "I think everyone has been frustrated with President Putin. We expected that he would come to the table in a more fulsome way. It looks like he may be ready to negotiate, and we put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up." Bessent added: "I'm not going to get ahead of the president, but the president is the best at creating leverage for himself, and he will make it clear to President Putin that all options are on the table." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting with European leaders, he believes Putin "is bluffing" ahead of his talks with Trump—accusing Putin of "trying to apply pressure on all sectors of the Ukrainian front" to project that Russia is "capable of occupying all of Ukraine." What Happens Next Belarus reported that three Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) exercises—Search, Echelon, and Interaction—would take place from August 31 to September 6 at the Vitebsk training ground. Russian units had already arrived with other CSTO contingents expected to join. NATO and neighboring countries said they would continue to monitor troop movements and exercises. Western officials reiterated public statements that doctrinal changes by Moscow increased the need for vigilance.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Russia to hold nuclear missile and Oreshnik doomsday drills on NATO doorstep
It comes after Vladimir Putin closed the airspace over the missile test site from which he launched his notorious new doomsday intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine Russia and its close ally Belarus are set to stage nuclear missile drills next month right on NATO's doorstep. The joint Zapad-2025 war games next month will involve up to 150,000 troops, according to Western estimates. They will involve 'planning the use of nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik' doomsday system, announced Belarus defence minister General Viktor Khrenin. 'This is for us an important element of strategic, above all, deterrence,' he said. 'As required by the Head of State [Alexander Lukashenko], we must be ready for anything.' Russian Iskander nuclear missiles are already stored in Belarus. It comes after NATO scrambled warplanes as Russia shoots down West's F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine onslaught. Su-25 aircraft in the state which borders NATO countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, have been modified for nuclear capability. And the nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile is due soon to be deployed in the country. This 'game-changing weapon' even in non-nuclear format can incinerate a target by unleashing a temperature of 4,000C, almost as hot as the surface of the sun, according to the Russians. A 'unstoppable' hypersonic Oreshnik launch from Belarus could hit London in eight minutes, it is estimated. Hardliner Khrenin hit out at the deployment of troops in neighbouring Poland. 'What is most alarming is the decision of the Polish military leadership to create a grouping of more than 30,000 to 34,000 servicemen,' he said. 'This is already a serious grouping, in our assessment. 'We must watch this very closely - and that is what we will be doing - and respond.' Two Russian units have arrived in Belarus for the war games, while some of Lukashenko's forces have moved to Russia for the drills. There have been denials that the exercises pose a threat to neighbouring Ukraine, despite Russia's ongoing war. 'We are not hiding the themes of the exercises,' said Khrenin . 'We are saying that the main one is practising the defence of our territory by the joint regional grouping of troops. The event is planned. This is not some sudden decision.' Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has closed the airspace over the missile test site from which he launched his notorious new doomsday intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine last year. It happens as his former speechwriter predicts the Kremlin dictator will go to war against NATO in the Baltics. Airspace was shut around the Kapustin Yar site when the nation carries out tests on multiple new missiles, but it is unclear if the current closure from 4 to 8 August is linked to another imminent Oreshnik launch. New tests are expected and Putin says Oreshnik is now 'up and running' in serial production, with the missile complex due to be supplied to his ally Belarus later this year. 'We have produced the first serial Oreshnik system,' said Putin on 1 August. 'The first serial missile. It has been delivered to the army.' An announcement on 4 August by the Russian foreign ministry that it was abandoning a moratorium on deploying medium- and short-range missiles may be linked to Oreshnik. 'The conditions for keeping the one-sided moratorium on deploying similar weapons are gone and the Russian Federation no longer feels tied to the self-imposed restrictions it agreed to before,' said the ministry.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Belarus to practice nuclear-capable missile use in Russia drills
Belarus will practice deploying Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles during the joint Zapad-2025 drills near the EU and NATO's eastern border. These drills, scheduled for September 12-16, will involve Belarusian and Russian forces. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Belarus said Wednesday it will practice deployment of Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles during the joint Zapad-2025 ("West-2025") drills close to the EU and NATO's eastern flank a former Soviet republic, is a key Russian ally and depends on the large eastern neighbour economically and also allowed its territory to be used as a staging post for Moscow's 2022 offensive in as well as Poland and the Baltic states, have repeatedly sounded alarm over military build-ups in Belarus, where Russia said it would deploy Oreshnik by the end of the year."Of course, we will work out the plan for using this type of weaponry together with our Russian colleagues," Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said asked if the Zapad drills would include the use of late 2024, Russia used the Ukrainian city of Dnipro as a testing ground for its "experimental" Oreshnik missile without a nuclear warhead."We see the situation on our western and northern borders and can't just sit and watch the militarisation and military activity there," Khrenin was quoted as saying by Belta news state media earlier reported around 13,000 soldiers were originally set to take part in the drills, but the final number of participants was not revealed Zapad-2025 military drills, due on September 12-16, usually involve tens of thousands of troops in a show of force close to Belarus's western border with EU and NATO 200,000 troops participated in the 2021 edition of Zapad, staged just months before Moscow's assault of Ukraine.
