Russia and Belarus set to hold joint military drill in September

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talk during a signing ceremony in Minsk, Belarus (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russia and Belarus will hold a joint military exercise in September as part of efforts by the two neighbours to expand their military ties amid the fighting in Ukraine, officials said.

The Zapad, or West, 2025 drill will involve over 13,000 troops, said Valery Revenko, a Belarusian defence official.