India Participated in 9th Edition of Zapad 2025 Military Exercise in Russia and Belarus.

India took part in the 9th edition of the Zapad 2025 military exercise, a joint Russian-Belarusian drill, held from September 10–16, 2025, at the Mulino Training Ground in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and Belarusian training grounds. The exercise aims to strengthen defence cooperation and foster India-Russia ties.

      - The exercise aimed to strengthen cooperation among armies, provide a platform for exchange of tactics, procedures, and promote counter-terrorism coordination.

      - Over 22 countries joined, including India, Bangladesh, Iran, Niger, Tajikistan, Burkina Faso, and others. Observer nations included Cambodia, China, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Pakistan, North Korea, and UAE.

      - The previous edition of Zapad was held in 2021 across Russia and Belarus, continuing its historical role in simulating large-scale defensive and offensive operations.

Main Point :-   (i) Zapad (meaning "West") is a large-scale military exercise series conducted since 1977 by the Soviet Union and later Russia, usually held every four years. The 2025 edition was hosted jointly by Russia and Belarus.

      (ii) India participated with 65 personnel, including 57 from the Indian Army, 7 from the Indian Air Force (IAF), and 1 from the Indian Navy. The contingent was led by a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment.

(iii) The 2025 drills, conducted in Belarus (September 12–16), tested defensive readiness against USA-led weapons systems, including advanced Oreshnik missiles. The focus remained on open/urban terrain operations, counter-terrorism, interoperability, and integration of emerging technologies.
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