{"id":30053,"date":"2017-09-18T20:31:32","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T20:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/18\/putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:13:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:13:35","slug":"putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/09\/18\/putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin attends NATO-feared Zapad military exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LUZHSKY RANGE, Russia \u2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday attended the weeklong war games with Belarus that have demonstrated the Russian military\u2019s resurgent might and made neighboring countries nervous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin observed the Zapad (West) 2017 drills \u2014 tank attacks, airborne assaults and air raids that got underway Thursday \u2014 at the Luzhsky range in western Russia, just more than 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) east of Estonia\u2019s border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of the maneuvers, the Russian military on Monday also test-fired its state-of-the-art cruise missile at a mock target in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, showcasing the weapon\u2019s extended range and precision strike capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2017\/09\/14\/russia-launches-much-hyped-zapad-exercises-in-belarus\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-840463382.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Russia launches much-hyped Zapad exercises in Belarus<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">For the next week, all eyes will be cast just over NATO\u2019s Eastern flank.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some nervous NATO members, including the Baltic states and Poland, have criticized an alleged lack of transparency about the war games and questioned Moscow\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exercises, held in several firing ranges in Belarus and western Russia, run through Wednesday. Russia and Belarus say 5,500 Russian and 7,200 Belarusian troops are participating, but some NATO countries have estimated that up to 100,000 troops could be involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3153\" height=\"2102\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13362\" data-id=\"13362\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg 3153w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261457202797.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3153px) 100vw, 3153px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, walks with defense officials to attend a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2017. (Sputnik\/Kremlin Pool via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2384\" height=\"1473\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13371\" data-id=\"13371\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg 2384w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg?resize=300,185 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg?resize=768,475 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,633 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,949 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261443935173.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1265 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2384px) 100vw, 2384px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Russia and Belarus began major war games Sept. 14, 2017, an operation involving thousands of troops, tanks and aircraft on NATO&#8217;s eastern edge practicing how to hunt down and destroy armed spies, among other maneuvers. (Vayar Military Agency via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4272\" height=\"2848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13380\" data-id=\"13380\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg 4272w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261291577765.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4272px) 100vw, 4272px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A Belarusian Army air-defense missile system fires on a position during a military exercise at a training ground at an undisclosed location in Belarus. (Vayar Military Agency via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1165\" height=\"781\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13393\" data-id=\"13393\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261494171160.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261494171160.jpg.jpg 1165w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261494171160.jpg.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261494171160.jpg.jpg?resize=768,515 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261494171160.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,686 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1165px) 100vw, 1165px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Russian military helicopters fly during a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2017. The Zapad 2017 maneuvers have caused concern among some NATO members neighboring Russia, who have criticized a lack of transparency about the exercises and questioned Moscow&#8217;s real intentions. (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4242\" height=\"2827\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13404\" data-id=\"13404\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg 4242w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261489941096.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4242px) 100vw, 4242px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, second from right, watch a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2017. (Mikhail Klimentyev\/Sputnik\/Kremlin Pool via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1165\" height=\"781\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13413\" data-id=\"13413\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261493459070.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261493459070.jpg.jpg 1165w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261493459070.jpg.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261493459070.jpg.jpg?resize=768,515 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261493459070.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,686 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1165px) 100vw, 1165px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A Russian tank rolls during a military exercise at a training ground at the Luzhsky Range, near St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2017. (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4464\" height=\"2665\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-13421\" data-id=\"13421\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg 4464w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg?resize=300,179 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg?resize=768,458 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,611 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,917 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17261352614276.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1223 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4464px) 100vw, 4464px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A soldier with Belarus&#8217; Army prepares to fire a portable air-defense missile during a military exercise at a training ground at an undisclosed location in Belarus.. (Vayar Military Agency via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Russia\u2019s relations with the West at a post-Cold War low point over the fighting in Ukraine, worries about the war games ranged from allegations that Russia could permanently deploy its forces to Belarus to fears of a surprise onslaught on the Baltics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia and Belarus have said the exercises simulate a response to foreign-backed \u201cextremists\u201d and insisted the maneuvers don\u2019t threaten anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their troops are fighting three invented \u201caggressor countries\u201d \u2014 Veishnoriya, Lubeniya and Vesbariya. However, the Baltic states \u2014 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania \u2014 and Poland see the monikers for the made-up enemies as thinly disguised references to their nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO has rotated military units in the Baltics and Poland, and the alliance has staged regular drills in the region, activities Moscow has criticized as a reflection of the alliance\u2019s hostile intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia and Belarus kept the stated number of troops involved in the drills just fewer than 13,000, a limit allowing them to dodge more intrusive inspections by NATO in line with international agreements. The practice maneuvers nonetheless have put Russia\u2019s massive military mobilization capability on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also have involved various branches of the Russian military, including the Air Force\u2019s long-range bombers and missile forces. In a reflection of the drills\u2019 broad scope, they featured Monday\u2019s launch of the Iskander-M cruise missile, a new weapon that has drawn concern from the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The missile, launched from the Kapustin Yar firing range in southwestern Russia, hit a mock target at a range in Kazakhstan, some 480 kilometers away, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. has accused Russia of developing cruise missiles banned by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with a goal to threaten U.S. facilities in Europe and the NATO alliance. Moscow has rejected the accusations and insisted it has adhered to the pact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The INF Treaty bans an entire class of weapons \u2014 all land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The Iskander-M\u2019s stated range puts it just below the pact\u2019s threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Zapad 2017 maneuvers are intended to underline the close military cooperation between Russia and Belarus, but also revealed signs of strains between the allies. While Putin watched the previous drills in 2013 with his Belarusian counterpart, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said he would watch them separately on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lukashenko has relied on subsidized Russian oil and gas supplies and billions of dollars in loans to keep his nation\u2019s Soviet-style economy afloat. At the same time, he often has bristled at what he described as the Kremlin\u2019s attempts to subdue Belarus and force it to surrender control over prized economic assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lukashenko also has flirted with the West to try to reduce his dependence on Russia. His decision to dodge a joint appearance with Putin at the military exercises was seen by observers as an attempt to put some distance between Belarus and its giant eastern neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLukashenko is trying to mend ties with the West to get new loans, and the Kremlin\u2019s military games don\u2019t help that,\u201d Alexander Klaskovsky, a Minsk-based political analyst, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Yuras Karmanau in Minsk contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the weeklong war games with Belarus that have demonstrated the Russian military\u2019s resurgent might and made neighboring countries nervous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":58512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":13,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,13,16,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1323,4262],"class_list":["post-30053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ZTAI6O3X4ZFBFNGD5LFTAKEZ4U","arc_canonical_url":"\/training-sim\/2017\/09\/18\/putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Putin attends NATO-feared Zapad military exercise - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the weeklong war games with Belarus that have demonstrated the Russian military\u2019s resurgent might and made neighboring countries nervous.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2017\/09\/18\/putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Putin attends NATO-feared Zapad military exercise\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the weeklong war games with Belarus that have demonstrated the Russian military\u2019s resurgent might and made neighboring countries nervous.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/09\/18\/putin-attends-nato-feared-zapad-military-exercise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-18T20:31:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T22:13:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press, Ivan Sekretarev, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press, Ivan Sekretarev, The Associated 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