Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (IIRPS VU), Bimonthly Review no. 20. September, Belarus Research Network on Neighborhood Policy, 2025.
This bimonthly review summarises developments in Belarus in September 2025. It begins with CSTO drills that rehearsed counter-insurgency, logistics and reconnaissance tasks, showcasing political cohesion and adaptation to drone warfare. It then turns to ZAPAD 2025, which was marked by Russian drone incursions into Poland, nuclear signalling from Kaliningrad and the Far East, and the presence of US observers. The review also highlights Belarus’s release of 52 political prisoners, brokered by Washington, and it examines the construction of a new military complex in Belarus, pointing to Minsk’s deeper integration into Russia’s long-term strategic posture.