EDF colonel: Russian Zapad exercise 10–20 times smaller this year
Despite recent drone incidents in Poland, the Estonian Defense Forces says the joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad exercise poses no threat and is far smaller than in past years.
After Russian drones recently flew into Polish airspace, some drew parallels between the provocations and the Zapad military exercises in Belarus and Russia. But the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) maintains the 2025 drill is far smaller than previous years and poses no threat, Col. Ants Kiviselg, head of the EDF's Intelligence Center, said Friday.
"Zapad 2025 is significantly smaller than the previous Zapad exercises in 2017 and 2021," Kiviselg said.
"We can say that the Zapad exercise in no way poses a threat to the security of countries in our region," he continued. "Tactical activities will be carried out on Belarusian and Russian territory, but this exercise is 10–20 times smaller."
In Ukraine, Russian attacks increased slightly last week but produced no major breakthroughs. The main focus of attacks remains on Donetsk Oblast, between Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, where additional units are concentrated.
Ukrainian forces have halted Russian advances in some areas and reclaimed smaller territories.
"Marginal [Russian] progress occurred west of Pokrovsk, and limited gains were recorded near Kupiansk and Lyman, but neither front allowed Russia an operational breakthrough," Kiviselg said.
Similar activity is expected to continue along the front lines in the coming weeks, he added, with no major gains for Russian forces.
A record-scale attack on Ukraine on September 7 involved 810 Shahed-type decoy and attack drones, plus cruise and ballistic missiles.
Kiviselg noted that while nine missile and 54 drone hits were recorded, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted roughly 90 percent of threats.
--
Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
