Russia and its all-weather ally, Belarus, are set to launch a major joint military drill on Friday, pushing NATO to the edge after tensions escalated between Poland and Russia earlier this week.
Polish authorities were accused of violating their airspace by launching several attack drones on Warsaw. The exercises known as “Zapad” come at a time when Russian forces are capturing swathes of land on the entire battle line in Ukraine.
These exercises have put several nations flanking NATO’s eastern flank, including Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, on high alert. Russia entered Ukraine under the guise of staging military drills near the borders of the two countries; however, just days after, Moscow announced the war against Ukrainian forces in 2022.
NATO, especially its EU members, is fearful that Putin might order an attack on Poland, as his forces have already launched a nerve-testing drone assault on the country.
Fearful of the incoming attack, all three nations have ordered the closure of their borders with Belarus for an indefinite duration. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of "critical days" for his country. He said Poland was closer to “open conflict” than at any point since World War II, after NATO allies scrambled jets to down Russian drones flying in its airspace early Wednesday.
Also Read: NATO jets scrambled after Russia drone strike near Poland
Meanwhile, Moscow has downplayed the concerns of the Polish authorities. Kremlin’s chief spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “These are planned exercises; they are not aimed against anyone,” rejecting Poland's claim that the drills were an "aggressive" show of force.
However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has also issued a warning over Moscow’s intentions, as Russia made similar claims in 2022.
"The meaning of such actions by Russia is definitely not defensive and is directed precisely against not only Ukraine," he said in Kyiv on Thursday. Moscow sent around 200,000 troops to similar drills in 2021, just months before it launched its Ukraine offensive.
Belarus had stated in January that 13,000 troops would be involved in the drills, but in May, it announced that the number would be reduced by around half.
Also Read: Russia’s Oreshnik missile systems to be deployed in Belarus
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