Russia and Belarus begin military drills days after Poland shot down drones | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentNext articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload ourSocial PartnerWe are 8 logo (opens in a new tab)AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleHarry CockburnFriday 12 September 2025 14:34 BSTRussia's drone incursion on Poland was deliberate, says ZelenskyRussia and Belarus have begun major joint military drills, known as "Zapad 2025", near NATO's eastern borders, specifically Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.The five-day manoeuvres follow an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by Russian attack drones, sparking fresh security concerns.Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the closure of the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, citing national security reasons due to the drills.Polish officials stated the drills are directly aimed at Poland and the European Union, with Poland deploying 40,000 troops along its borders with Belarus and Russia.While a US president suggested the drone incursion into Poland could have been a mistake, Mr Tusk refuted this, asserting it was a deliberate act.In fullNato on high alert as Russia and Belarus start military drills on Polish borderThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in