All border crossings between Poland and Belarus were closed overnight on Sept. 12, ahead of the start of joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises, Polish news outlet Onet reported. Traffic across the border was suspended in both directions, including cars and cargo trains.

While Zapad 2025 draws headlines, Belarus quietly sustains Russia's war in Ukraine with weapons, supply chains, and alliances.

A bipartisan group of senators is pushing to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to the abduction of Ukrainian children. Source: US-based news and information company Axios Details: Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican from Georgia,

Coale was speaking in Minsk to Belarusian reporters after holding talks with President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to release 52 prisoners in what he called a humanitarian gesture.

Satellite imagery and analysis have shown the construction of new military bases in Belarus, including one which could host a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, it has been reported. Belarus is Russia's closest ally, bordering NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and has been used as a staging post for Vladimir Putin 's aggression in Ukraine.

Russia and Belarus are set to stage a massive military exercise in mid-September and with the war in Ukraine still raging, the move has raised concern across Europe. Germany has issued military warnings,

Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, confirmed the NATO member had logged 19 drone violations, with several approaching four airports including Warsaw's primary terminal, Chopin, before scrambled aircraft brought down some of the projectiles.