NATO on high alert over Russia and Belarus war games as WW3 fears escalate

NATO is said to be on high alert after Russia and Belarus began military drills on the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

Known as the 'Zapad 2025', the drills started on Friday (12 September) and are expected to last until the beginning of next week, on NATO's eastern border.

Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has closed the border with Belarus in response.

He said in a government meeting, as per Reuters: “On Friday, Russian-Belarusian manoeuvres, very aggressive from a military doctrine perspective, begin in Belarus, very close to the Polish border.

“Therefore, for national security reasons, we will close the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, in connection with the Zapad manoeuvres on Thursday at midnight.”

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski explained the border would only be reopened once the government was certain 'there was no more threat to Polish citizens'.

Russia and Belarus began military drills (Contributor/Getty Images)

In response, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said: "The temporary suspension of passage indicates rather an intention to conceal one's own actions than the existence of any threat from Belarus."

Meanwhile, of the drills, Russian officials described them as 'the final stage of this year’s joint training between the two countries’ armies', adding that troops will be practising at 'firing ranges in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation and in the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea'.

Earlier this week, air defences from Poland and NATO were used to shoot down drones from Russia, which had violated Polish airspace.

Tusk said he had been given a report from his country's armed forces on 'the shutting down of drones that entered our airspace and could constitute a threat', adding that he was in 'constant contact' with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

He said: "Last night, the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down. I am in constant communication with the secretary general of NATO and our allies."

Search efforts to locate the wreckage of these drones are underway, and Poland's military called it 'an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens'.

Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has closed the border with Belarus in response (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Jim Townsend, told the BBC said that the Russian incursion was unlikely to be a mistake, explaining: "One drone is a mistake, multiple drones is not a mistake."

"We’ve got to have more time for Poland to figure out what they are finding and see what their views are. But this is more than likely a test - this is a test that NATO has to answer."

This event marks a shift in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as it is the first time since the war began in 2022 that NATO military assets have engaged Russian equipment.

Russia has previously used Poland’s airspace in its bid to target Ukraine. Last month, a drone dropped into Poland, and missiles passed through Poland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the 'egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and NATO airspace by Russian drones'.

He said: "I have been in touch with the Polish Prime Minister this morning to make clear our support for Poland, and that we will stand firm in support of Ukraine."