SAEDNEWS: India has joined Russian-led Zapad-2025 drills alongside Belarus, where Moscow rehearsed tactical nuclear weapons launches and hypersonic missile strikes. The move underscores India’s delicate balancing act between its historic ties with Russia and its increasingly strained relations with the US.
India’s participation in Russia’s Zapad-2025 military drills is sending ripples across global capitals. The exercises, which wrapped up this week, featured not only conventional combat training but also rehearsals for launching tactical nuclear weapons and the testing of Moscow’s much-hyped Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
For India, the move highlights its strategic balancing act: keeping long-standing ties with Russia alive while trying not to alienate the United States, where relations have already been shaken by recent trade tensions.
According to Russian state media, about 100,000 troops took part in the five-day exercises across Russia and Belarus. President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to observe the drills, donning military attire and receiving briefings from defense officials.
The exercises included everything from small arms combat to simulated nuclear strikes. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko defended the inclusion of nuclear scenarios, insisting it was “natural” given Russia’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. “We are not hiding it,” Lukashenko said, while adding that there were “no plans to threaten anyone.”
India sent a 65-member contingent, reportedly led by soldiers from the elite Kumaon Regiment. The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed its presence, emphasizing that participation was aimed at fostering “mutual trust and cooperation.”
This is not India’s first time in Russian drills — it also sent troops in 2021, shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the timing of Zapad-2025 makes India’s role far more sensitive, especially given heightened Western scrutiny of Moscow’s military maneuvers.
India’s involvement comes as relations with Washington are under stress. President Donald Trump’s administration recently slapped a 50% tariff on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine through oil purchases.
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 75th birthday with a cordial phone call from Trump, underlying tensions remain. Washington sees India as a counterweight to China in Asia, but New Delhi’s visible partnership with Moscow risks weakening that strategic alignment.
India was not the only international participant. Troops from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also joined the drills. Iran’s presence, though not officially confirmed by Tehran, underscores Moscow’s tightening alliances.
The two nations recently signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” and held joint drills in the Caspian Sea after Israel’s attacks on Iran escalated into a regional war.
Western analysts say Zapad-2025 is designed to send a clear message to NATO: Russia and its allies are prepared to escalate, even with nuclear options on the table. Reports of Russian drones entering Polish airspace during the drills have only heightened concerns.
For India, the participation is both symbolic and risky. It demonstrates its unwillingness to distance itself from Russia despite Western pressure, but it also raises questions about whether New Delhi can remain Washington’s most trusted partner in Asia.
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