Putin overstretched: Russia withdraws forces from Kaliningrad, Poland says

Russia has significantly reduced its military forces in Kaliningrad Oblast, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The statement was made during the NATO summit in The Hague on 24 June 2025, as reported Belsat. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave, geographically cut off from mainland Russia and its ally Belarus by Poland and Lithuania.

Polish FM: Most Russian troops withdrawn from Kaliningrad

Speaking to Belsat on the sidelines of the summit, Sikorski stated that “from what I know, a large part of the troops have been withdrawn from Kaliningrad Oblast.” 

The Polish minister suggested that the redeployment was part of a broader pattern reflecting Russia’s stretched military resources.

“Russia’s best military units are [tied up] in Ukraine,” he added.

Doubts over Russia’s Zapad-2025 drill claims

Sikorski also addressed Russia’s reported decision to move its upcoming Zapad-2025 military exercises in Belarus further inland from the Polish border. Citing Polish intelligence signals, he acknowledged that the drills may have been relocated deeper into Belarus, but expressed skepticism, saying he doesn't know how true it is.

He noted that Russia organizes its military drills in a three-year cycle across its different military districts.

“This is nothing new,” he said, adding that the upcoming exercises would likely be on a smaller scale due to ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russia shifting focus to Finland border

According to Sikorski, Russia is also in the process of forming new military formations along the border with Finland. He emphasized that this dispersion of troops forces Moscow to stretch its capabilities thin.

“This is not a success,” Sikorski commented, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin turned out “a fairly skillful tactician who has used the West’s mistakes to his advantage, but a terrible strategist paying a huge price for a war he cannot win.”