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Poland will host a NATO exercise as a proportionate response to the Belarusian-Russian joint exercise Zapad (West) 2025. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Tarassis 25 – a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise scheduled to run at the same time.
This fall’s Zapad, a large-scale joint military exercise by Russia and Belarus, will not be “bigger or more threatening” than it was four years ago, Remigijus Baltrenas, chief of the Defense Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, said on May 27, as reported by the Baltic News Service (BNS).
“No one can deny that Russia and Belarus still have hostile intentions – we see what’s going on – but this year’s Zapad isn’t any bigger or more threatening than it was in 2021,” he told reporters.
According to Baltrenas, it has been publicly declared that Zapad 2025 will involve 13,000 troops.
“Given the situation in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus simply can’t afford a larger-scale exercise – it’s physically impossible. (...) The Russians always underreport their numbers in their drills, but when you add everything up, the total still grows,” the Defense Staff chief said.
“But this is being monitored. Both NATO intelligence and Lithuanian intelligence are carrying out their functions, early warning systems are in place, and for now we don’t expect any surprises,” he added.
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Held every two years since 2009, the Zapad exercise is scheduled for September.
The officially stated objectives are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve cooperation between the armed forces, and test troops’ readiness for various security scenarios.
However, the drills always raise concerns among officials in neighboring countries about the risk of unintentional incidents.
No Zapad exercise took place in 2023.
British intelligence has cited Russia’s shortage of troops and equipment, as well as the Kremlin’s unwillingness to face criticism for holding yet another show of force during the war in Ukraine, as likely reasons for the cancellation.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Tarassis 25 – a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise scheduled to run at the same time as Zapad – will be the largest since the multinational force was established.
This fall, Lithuanian Armed Forces combat units will also take part in the Thunder Strike exercise, which will include tactical maneuvers across various locations and military training areas, in line with the country’s national defense plan.
Poland will host a NATO exercise as a proportionate response to the Belarusian-Russian joint exercise Zapad (West) 2025, Cezary Tomczyk, Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of National Defense, said on May 26.
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“We’re organizing a military exercise in Poland involving NATO troops, proportionate to the Russian-Belarusian forces expected to take part in the Zapad exercise planned for September,” Tomczyk said on the TVN24 news channel.
“This will be a proportionate response to the size of the Russian-Belarusian forces,” he added.
“We need to demonstrate strength and unity.”
According to reports, Belarus will host the Zapad 2025 joint exercise with Russia in September. It will be coordinated with several Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) drills also taking place in Belarus, including Interaction 2025 (a joint exercise with CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction Forces), Search 2025 (special exercises involving reconnaissance units), and Echelon 2025 (logistics-focused drills).