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India Joins Russian War Games as Moscow Rehearses Nuclear Strike
India has taken part in Russia’s Zapad-2025 military exercises, joining Belarus and other nations in drills that included the rehearsal of tactical nuclear strikes.
According to Russia’s state media, India sent 65 troops to the joint exercises, which concluded on Tuesday. The wargames featured Russia’s Iskander-M missile system and the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, tested last year in Ukraine.
Belarus confirmed that nuclear weapons were part of the simulation, with President Alexander Lukashenko saying the drills ranged “from firing conventional small arms to nuclear warheads.” He insisted the moves were not aimed at threatening anyone but were necessary to maintain readiness.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in military attire, made a surprise appearance at the training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where he was briefed by defence officials. He said the five-day exercise involved 100,000 soldiers and was aimed at strengthening the defence of the “union state” of Russia and Belarus.
The United States confirmed it sent observers to the drills after receiving an official invitation. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described such participation as a routine practice between militaries.
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Apart from India, troops from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali also joined the exercises, according to Russian reports.
India’s involvement underscores its balancing act between long-standing ties with Moscow and its growing but recently strained relations with Washington. Tensions rose last month after the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of indirectly supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine through its continued oil purchases.
Despite the friction, Trump has said trade talks with India are ongoing. He also called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday, describing him once again as a “friend.” Modi, in turn, thanked Trump and downplayed any rift.
Iran also joined the Zapad drills, further highlighting its deepening military cooperation with Moscow. Tehran has supplied Russia with drones and, according to Western intelligence, ballistic missiles. Earlier this year, both nations signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty covering defence and other areas.
The drills, seen by Western analysts as a show of force, come at a time of heightened global tensions, with NATO members on alert after Russian drones recently entered Polish airspace.
