Ukraine warns Belarus against provocations during ‘Zapad’ military drills with Russia
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Military drills planned by Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have raised security concerns in neighbouring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Ukraine warned Minsk against provocations during joint military exercises, referencing past Russian troop build-up using similar exercises.
- Belarus President Lukashenko dismissed attack claims, but neighbours like Poland and Lithuania are concerned about "Zapad-2025".
- The exercise involves nuclear weapon drills and the Oreshnik missile, increasing regional security threats and hindering peace efforts.
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KYIV - Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Aug 22 warned Minsk against staging provocations during joint Belarus-Russian “Zapad” military drills
“The build-up of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine in 2021-2022 took place under the cover of the joint military exercises of Russia and Belarus ‘Zapad-2021’. We warn Minsk against reckless provocations,” the ministry said on X.
It urged Belarussian authorities “to remain prudent, not to approach the borders and not to provoke” Ukrainian armed forces.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the idea that Minsk would utilise the exercises to attack its neighbours as “complete nonsense”.
The scheduled drills, called “Zapad-2025” (West-2025), have raised security concerns in neighbouring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
“The cooperation between the regimes in Moscow and Minsk poses an immediate threat not only to Ukraine, but also to Poland, the Baltic states and all of Europe, and also hinders peaceful efforts of the United States President Donald Trump to end the war,” Ukraine’s ministry said.
The military exercise will include drills on the planned use of nuclear weapons and the Russian-made, intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile, according to Belarus’ defence minister. REUTERS
