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Russia and Belarus Announce Zapad-2025 Nuclear and Hypersonic Drills

The September war games will rehearse nuclear strikes with the Oreshnik system after Moscow dropped its moratorium on intermediate-range missile deployments.

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.
Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, Shandong province, China June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
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Overview

  • Belarusian defence minister Viktor Khrenin said Zapad-2025 will run from September 12 to 16 with drills on nuclear weapons deployment and the Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
  • President Putin confirmed that the Oreshnik missile has entered serial production and has been delivered to the armed forces after its first combat use against Dnipro in November 2024.
  • The Kremlin lifted its self-imposed moratorium on intermediate-range missile deployments, allowing stationing of nuclear-capable systems closer to NATO borders.
  • Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have expressed alarm at the exercises’ proximity and scope, warning that they heighten regional security risks.
  • The announcement comes just ahead of President Trump’s scheduled meeting with President Putin in Alaska, underscoring tensions between military signaling and diplomatic talks.