Belarus is becoming the Kremlin's staging ground. Ukrainian Defense Intelligence or HUR reports that Russia is preparing for a potential war with Western allies from Belarusian territory, according to UkrInform.
HUR Deputy Chief Vadym Skibitskyi says the joint Russia-Belarus strategic exercise “Zapad‑2025” have demonstrated that Minsk is practicing operational scenarios not only against Ukraine but also against the Baltic countries and Poland.
During the Zapad-2025 military exercises, Russia carried out a coordinated drone attack on Poland. On the night of 10 September, 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace. After the drills, drone attacks continued in Norway, Germany, and Denmark.
“Zapad‑2025” drills reveals real threats to Europe
Skibitskyi says that he is confident in HUR's assessment of military developments.
“It is confirmed by the documents we currently have,” Skibitskyi claims.
The Russia’s armament concept through 2036 in June states that one of the main objectives is preparing the Russian Armed Forces for war with NATO by 2030. The plan was presented by the Russian defense dinister and described in the first point.
Skibitskyi also says that the Russian economy is already in recession, despite Kremlin attempts to hide it. Over 40% of the Russian federal budget is spent on the war.
Activity not critical yet, but the threat remains
“We constantly monitor the entire situation related to Belarus, including military activity not only of the Belarusian Armed Forces but also of the Russian Armed Forces," he continues.
As of today, Ukraine does not observe significant activity or large groupings. The threat level remains low, as per Espreso.
"However, Russia is genuinely preparing for a potential conflict. These involve various operations not only against Ukraine but also against the Baltic countries, Northern European states, primarily Poland,” he adds.
Moscow denies responsibility for Russian strike on Poland, Belarus insists drones “just lost their way”
