Russia and Belarus began a massive week-long military exercise on NATO’s borders Sept. 10 after President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’s leader agreed on a new effort toward integrating the nations, including creating a “single defense space.”
Washington Post: Russia and Belarus open Zapad military drills after moves toward closer bonds
In this handout photo released by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service, Russian honor guard soldiers perform during the opening ceremony of the "Zapad-2021" joint strategic exercise of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus at the Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region on September 9, 2021.
