Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed strategic Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and other heavy forces on the opening day of the Zapad-2025 exercises, officials said, a move that drew warnings from diplomats at the United Nations and prompted NATO members to shore up defences on the alliance’s eastern flank.
The four-day war games, held across Russia, Belarus and the Arctic, included air strikes on simulated targets, missile launches from the Franz Josef Land archipelago and naval drills in the Baltic and Arctic. Western and Ukrainian officials said the exercises increased the risk of accidental or deliberate escalation after Russian attack drones entered Polish airspace earlier this week and were shot down with allied assistance.
At a United Nations Security Council meeting, Ukraine’s permanent representative Andriy Melnyk warned that recent Russian operations risked sparking a broader international conflict, saying "we are staring into the abyss of a Third World War" if Moscow’s actions are not checked. Melnyk told the council that the attack on Polish airspace marked a conscious crossing of a red line and warned of the potential for drones or missiles to hit other European capitals.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said military activity under a NATO operation called "Eastern Sentry" would begin in the coming days and involve assets from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other allies. "In addition to more traditional military capabilities, this effort will also feature elements designed to address the particular challenges associated with the use of drones," Rutte said. A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the government was "fully committed to playing our part in NATO's Eastern Sentry" and that further details of the British contribution would be announced shortly.
The Russian defence ministry said its long-range aviation units, including Tu-22M3 bombers, conducted strikes against a simulated enemy to practise disrupting command-and-control systems and destroying critical infrastructure. Russia said Bastion coastal missile systems based on Franz Josef Land launched Onyx anti-ship missiles as part of the Arctic component of the exercises. Separate drills involved a dozen ships from the Baltic Fleet operating with Su-30SM and Su-24M aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters, practising anti-submarine warfare, air defence, mine countermeasures and missile and artillery strikes.
Poland reported that several Russian attack drones breached its airspace on Tuesday and were shot down after assistance from NATO allies. Warsaw temporarily closed its border with Belarus and has reinforced forces near the frontier. Polish and allied NATO deployments in the region have risen to around 40,000 troops, officials said, reflecting concern about the proximity of the exercises to alliance territory.
Belarusian military officials said tank crews and other units were firing and manoeuvring in training areas as part of the joint drills. Russian and Belarusian forces have also rehearsed the use of missiles from Belarusian territory, a point of alarm for NATO members whose borders lie adjacent to Belarus. Moscow has signalled plans to place advanced systems, including the Oreshnik ballistic missile, in Belarus; such deployments would bring longer-range strike capabilities closer to NATO states in the region.
The exercises coincided with other Russian deployments. Moscow moved elements of its Northern Fleet into the Arctic led by the large anti-submarine ship Severomorsk, and said submarines and missile boats participated in manoeuvres. The defence ministry framed the exercises as defensive readiness checks for the Union State, the Russia-Belarus military partnership, and denied any intent to escalate tensions beyond routine training.
Western and Ukrainian officials said the timing and scale of the drills, combined with recent incursions into NATO airspace, constituted an unsafe pattern. Russia’s foreign-policy apparatus has also signalled a cooling of prospects for talks: Kremlin spokespeople said peace negotiations with Ukraine were on "pause," and Russian media highlighted parliamentary and military statements underscoring a readiness to continue operations.
In London, the British government announced a package of 100 new sanctions targeting Russian military and energy sectors, firms that supply components such as electronics, chemicals and explosives, and about 70 ships alleged to be part of a so-called "shadow fleet" moving cargoes since the start of the war in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Kyiv this week and said Britain would not "stand idly by" as Moscow continues its campaign. Cooper said she would raise economic pressure on Russia and discuss continued security cooperation with allied counterparts.
The announcements followed Russia’s largest reported aerial attack on Ukraine since the conflict escalated, which officials in Kyiv said struck a government building, the Cabinet of Ministers, and damaged residential areas. Cooper said she planned to visit the damaged sites in Kyiv.
NATO has increased air policing and surveillance over eastern allies in recent months, and officials said the alliance would seek to add flexibility and counter-drone capabilities to operations along the frontier. The United Kingdom has said it is assessing how it can help bolster NATO air defences over Poland, including through the temporary deployment of aircraft and other assets.
Moscow framed the Zapad-2025 exercises as a standard tactical and strategic readiness campaign involving air, land and sea components across a wide geographic area. Belarusian General Staff Chief Pavel Muraveiko said Belarus was "vigilantly monitoring all military activities near our borders and stand ready to counter any provocations" during the exercises.
Diplomats and analysts cautioned that while large-scale exercises are not uncommon, the combination of strikes near NATO borders, cross-border drone incidents and the rehearsal of missile launches from Belarus increased the risk of miscalculation. At the United Nations, Melnyk urged tougher measures against Russia and warned of the consequences if strikes or accidents cross further into NATO territory.
All sides called for de-escalation. NATO officials reiterated that the alliance remains defensive in posture and that collective measures would be taken to protect member states. Moscow repeated its assertion that the drills are defensive; Western governments said they would continue to coordinate economic and military responses, including sanctions and deployments, to deter further aggression.