India and Russia share a long-standing partnership in diplomacy, strategy, and trade, with defence cooperation forming the backbone of the relationship. This year, the two countries are stepping up joint training through major military exercises – Zapad in Russia and Indra in India next month.
These drills highlight New Delhi’s emphasis on strengthening interoperability with Moscow, even as it engages other global partners.
Exercise Zapad 2025: Significance of India’s participation in multilateral drills?
A 65-oersonnel Indian contingent has joined Zapad-2025, a multinational exercise that began on September 10 and will run until September 16 in Russia and Belarus. The event involves over 20 countries, including China, with participants divided into separate groups. India’s inclusion reflects its deepening defence links with Russia.
India and Pakistan together after Op Sindoor?
For the first time since Operation Sindoor, Indian and Pakistani forces are part of the same multinational drill, though not facing each other directly. Both the countries were engaged in intense fighting during May, after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which terrorists killed 26 civilians.
China, too, is in attendance as part of a separate group. The symbolism of their presence underlines India’s ability to engage in complex international settings while maintaining its own strategic autonomy.
What is the significance of Zapad 2025?
Russia and Belarus jointly launched the drills, which include training in nuclear readiness and the use of advanced systems like Russia’s Oreshnik missile. The final phase, scheduled between September 12 and 16, will focus on air defence, countering sabotage groups, and ensuring the security of the Union State.
For India, participation offers valuable exposure to large-scale joint operations.
Zapad 2025: A nuclear showcase?
Last month, Belarus confirmed that this year’s drills will include the use of nuclear weapons. Speaking at a press briefing in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin described nuclear weapons as “an important element of strategic deterrence.”
With this, he explained that the upcoming Zapad 2025 military exercises will include training in the use of nuclear weapons and Russia’s advanced Oreshnik missile system.
“As required by the head of state, we must be ready for anything. We see the situation on our western and northern borders and cannot calmly watch militarization and military activity. We demonstrate openness and peaceful intent, but powder should always be kept dry,” he had stated.
Zapad 2025: Why has Poland closed border with Belarus?
The European nation is set to shut its border with Belarus at midnight on Thursday (September 11, 2025) due to the military exercises Zapad 2025, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed, saying it is being done “for national security reasons”. “We will close the border with Belarus, including railway crossings,” Tusk told a government meeting.
Poland will reopen its border with Belarus once the government is confident there was “no more threat to Polish citizens”.
Not just Poland, but the Zapad military drills have drawn criticism from NATO members too because of their scale and opacity. Past drills have been accused of underreporting troop numbers to bypass Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring rules.
In the past too, Russia has been accused of using such exercises as cover for larger operations, including its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.