Moscow: Russia has mounted a powerful display of its evolving military capabilities, combining hypersonic missile launches, bomber strikes, and coordinated naval operations in the latest round of joint exercises with Belarus. The drills, branded “Zapad” (West), began earlier this week and are being closely watched by NATO amid escalating friction on Europe’s eastern flank.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the exercise scenario revolves around enhancing combat coordination and ensuring preparedness in the event of a direct attack on Russian or Belarusian territory. Officials in Moscow insist the maneuvers are purely defensive, but the nature of the weapons involved particularly the much-publicized hypersonic arsenal has raised alarm among Western capitals.
One of the drill’s centerpieces was the launch of a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile from the frigate Admiral Golovko operating in the Barents Sea. Russian authorities reported that the missile, capable of flying at nearly nine times the speed of sound, struck its intended naval target with precision. The Zircon is touted as one of Russia’s most advanced weapons, with a potential range varying from 400 to over 1,000 kilometers and a warhead capacity of 300–400 kilograms, making it both fast and formidable.
Beyond hypersonics, the Russian Air Force showcased the breadth of its strike capability. Su-34 fighter-bombers carried out low-level raids against ground positions, while long-range Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft executed strategic patrols. These aerial operations were paired with naval drills in northern waters, underlining Moscow’s ability to integrate air, land, and sea forces in a joint combat scenario.
The timing of the exercises has further heightened concerns in NATO states. Just days earlier, Poland accused Russian drones of violating its airspace on September 9 and 10. In response, the alliance launched its own military readiness operation, codenamed Eastern Sentry, to reassure allies along the eastern frontier. Analysts believe Russia’s Zapad maneuvers were partly intended to signal its readiness to respond to NATO activities with a show of overwhelming firepower.
While Moscow and Minsk continue to stress that the Zapad exercises are routine, the use of advanced hypersonic weapons and heavy bombers points to a calculated message: Russia wants the world to recognize not only its conventional military reach but also its ability to deploy next-generation strike systems in an escalating standoff with the West.