NEW DELHI: Amidst concerns from European countries about the multinational military exercise Zapad 2025, the Indian Armed Forces participated in the joint drills organised by Russia and Belarus. There are also reports of United States officials joining the exercise.
Nations in Eastern Europe have been watchful of these maneuvers. During the previous Zapad-2021 exercise, Russian troops moved westwards, which is said to have played a role in the subsequent conflict with Ukraine.
Speaking about Zapad 2025 on Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to the Ministry of Defence’s earlier statement regarding India’s participation and objectives. "I would also like to point out that several other countries, including NATO members, such as the US, Turkiye and Hungary, are also participating in the exercise as observers," said Jaiswal.
In response to the activity, Poland deployed around 40,000 soldiers along its borders, and patrolling was conducted by jets from other European countries.
As stated earlier by the Ministry of Defence, the Indian contingent included 65 personnel. The multilateral ZAPAD 2025 exercise took place from 10 to 16 September 2025. 'Zapad' means 'West' in Russian, and the exercise was held along Russia’s western theatre.
The Indian group consisted of 57 Army personnel, 7 from the Indian Air Force, and 1 from the Indian Navy. The Army contingent was led by a battalion of the KUMAON Regiment along with troops from other units.
According to the MoD, the exercise aimed to enhance military cooperation, improve interoperability, and provide a platform for participating armies to share tactics and procedures in conventional warfare and counter-terrorism operations.
Participation in ZAPAD 2025 is expected to strengthen defence cooperation and foster camaraderie between India and Russia, reinforcing the spirit of collaboration and mutual trust.
The exercise focused on company-level operations in open terrain, where troops carried out joint planning, tactical drills, and special arms training. It offered a valuable opportunity to improve joint operational capabilities, integrate new technologies, and operate in a multinational combat environment.