Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the closure of the border with Belarus in response to the upcoming joint Russian-Belarusian exercises.

“For reasons related to national security, we will close the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, in connection with the Zapad maneuvers on Thursday (September 11) at midnight,” Tusk said.

Belarus, a former Soviet republic, is a key ally of Russia. Moscow used its territory to launch its offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, AFP reported.

The “West-2025” exercises will take place from September 12 to 16.

In response to the joint exercises, Polish and allied forces will conduct their own military exercises in Poland, Tusk added. About 30,000 soldiers are expected to take part in them.

According to the Polish prime minister, the Zapad military exercises are designed to simulate the occupation of the Suwalki Corridor, which stretches along the border between Poland and Lithuania, bordered by Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

The corridor is often considered a “vulnerable point” for NATO and could potentially be the first target of a hypothetical Russian attack.

Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Oreshnik said the Zapad exercises would include training for missile and nuclear strikes.

Kiev and several Eastern European countries are concerned about a possible military buildup in Belarus, which borders Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Lithuania closed its airspace over parts of its border with Belarus at the end of August after military drones violated its airspace twice in the previous month and due to the planned Russian-Belarusian exercises. | BGNES