President Putin says Russia, Belarus will hold massive joint military drill in early 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka have agreed to hold another round of joint military drills early next year in February or March in Belarus. Putin, who met with Lukashenka in St. Petersburg on December 29, told the Russian news outlets that he has agreed to Minsk’s proposal to conduct war drills that appear to send a strong message of deterrence to NATO. Russia and Belarus launched massive military drills in September last, which NATO-member Poland labelled as "provocations" as tensions simmered on European Union's eastern border due to the looming migrant crisis. 

At least 200,000 Russian troops participated in the week-long Zapad-2021 military exercise in Belarus, western Russia and the Baltic Sea in one of the largest joint military exercises held between the two nations yet. Footages released by the Russian defence forces showed warships 290 tanks, 15 vessels, artillery, 80 military fighter jets conducting drills with Belarusian forces.

Belarusian leader's $1 billion (€850 million) weaponry purchase from Russia 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, clad in military fatigues at the drill had announced his plans of purchasing $1 billion (€850 million) worth of weaponry from Russia by 2025. As the Russian troops once again concentrated on the Ukrainian border, and tensions soared with the West, Putin reportedly met with Lukashenko in St. Petersburg and announced that Belarus and Russia will be conducting another military drill. The officials will coordinate on further details.  

Last month, Moscow sent nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over Belarus on a training mission in a strong show of Moscow’s support for its ally amid a border dispute with Poland. At least two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers were spotted practising bombing runs at the Ruzany firing range, located in Belarus about 60 kilometres (just over 37 miles) east of the border with Poland. Belarusian fighter jets simulated an intercept, Associated Press reported.

A pair of Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers also earlier conducted military drill with Belarusian Airforce for over 4 1/2 hours in what the Russian military said was to strengthen countries’ defence alliances. Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, told reporters at UN headquarters in New York that “it is a response to a massive build-up on the Polish-Belarusian border. Poland meanwhile threatened, “if there is a build-up of military resources on the border with Belarus, we have to react.”