September 20, 2017

Zapad: What Can We Learn from Russia’s Latest Military Exercise?

AFP/Scanpix
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), accompanied by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, watches the joint Zapad-2017 (West-2017) Russian military exercises with Belarus at the Luzhsky training ground in Leningrad region on September 18, 2017.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), accompanied by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, watches the joint Zapad-2017 (West-2017) Russian military exercises with Belarus at the Luzhsky training ground in Leningrad region on September 18, 2017.

Roger N. McDermott

As one of the leading Western analysts of Russian military developments, Roger McDermott, says “while Russia’s armed forces’ leadership remain very interested in military theory, they test and rehearse new approaches to warfare in strategic exercises”.

Thus, he adds, “exercises like Zapad offer glimpses into the real level of capability and demand careful and sober assessment for outsiders”.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41309290

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