Poland Launches Żelazny Obrońca Strategic Exercises in Response to Zapad-2025

In response to the Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2025 exercises, Poland will hold its own strategic maneuvers called Żelazny Obrońca.

General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, announced this, as reported by Defence24.

The exercises, set to take place in September, will also see participation from several NATO countries.

“Żelazny Obrońca (Iron Defender) is a series of exercises (…) organized by various branches of the armed forces (including allied forces, such as the United States). Their purpose is to test combat systems based on platforms recently acquired by Poland. Our aim is to integrate them into a single, effective combat system,” said General Kukuła, who also mentioned another important objective – deterrence.

He also noted that the Zapad exercises have never brought anything good to Western countries.

“The intentions of the Russian Federation remain unchanged, and we stopped being naive many years ago. We are not deceived by Russian propaganda claiming that these exercises are aimed at defending Russia. Neither NATO nor any of its member countries intend to attack anyone (…). Our primary task as the armed forces is deterrence, and that cannot happen without proper communication,” said Kukuła.

As previously reported, Russia and Belarus plan to conduct large-scale joint strategic military exercises, Zapad-2025, this September. Their official objectives are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve the coordination of their armed forces, and test the military’s readiness for various deployment scenarios.

However, these maneuvers always raise concerns among neighboring countries due to the potential for unpredictable actions or incidents. Such worries are not unfounded, as Belarus has served as a staging ground for the Russian invasion forces’ offensive in northern Ukraine, including the attack on Kyiv.