Russian and Belarusian Air Defences Jointly Repel Simulated Western Attack

Russian and Belarusian surface-to-air missile units simulated jointly repelling a NATO air attack as part of the Zapad 2025 joint strategic drills, the Russian Defence Ministry reported, with a number of reports indicating that S-400 long range air defence systems were involved. “During the Russia-Belarus Zapad 2025 joint strategic drills, anti-aircraft missile units of the Moscow military district repelled an air attack by a simulated enemy,” the ministry reports, adding that over 40 targets simulating enemy drones were destroyed using 9K38 Igla man-portable missile systems. The Igla system in question has been extensively tested in the Ukrainian theatre, with older variants of the system in Ukrainian service having proven capable of shooting down high value Russian fighter aircraft such as the Su-34. Zapad 2025drills began on September 12, and are spread across both countries as well as in the waters of the Baltic and Barents seas.

Positioned on the frontlines with multiple NATO member states, Belarus is Russia’s only strategic partner in Europe, and is heavy reliant on Russian support in the face of escalating military pressure from multiple Western countries. The testing of joint air defence capabilities closely follows the United States Army’s deployment of Apache attack helicopters to participate in exercises near Belarus’ borders, and has occurred less than four months after the German Army on May 22 inaugurated the 45th Armoured Brigade stationed in Vilnius, Lithuania, providing an elite forward deployed mechanised warfare capability on the territory of the former USSR just 150 kilometres from the Belarusian capital Minsk. In the face of expanding military pressure, Russia and Belarus entered into a nuclear sharing agreement in 2023, which provides Belarusian forces with wartime access to Russian nuclear weapons deployed on its territory. This mirrors the sharing agreements the Untied States maintains with Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Belarus has seen its air defence capabilities significantly enhanced with the delivery of S-400 long range systems from Russia in 2022, after which Belarusian and Russian S-400s having held joint exercises in May 2022. The asset’s capabilities against stealth aircraft are particularly valued as NATO members continue to expand deployments of F-35 fighters to Eastern Europe, with Poland set to field F-35s by the end of the decade and looking to acquire a nuclear strike capability for these assets as part of a new nuclear sharing agreement with the United States. These procurements have been complemented by orders for Su-30SM2 fighter aircraft, as well as Mi-35 attack helicopters which can provide an effective defence against drones and other low speed targets. With Russia having equipped its own fighters with new R-37 missiles carrying nuclear warheads, it has been speculated that Belarusian Su-30s could also integrate nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles to further strengthen its air defences.