A way to affirm Russia's position as a great power

Zapad 2017 showed that the Russian military has made significant progress in large-scale, complex operations, surprising many Western experts.

Russian tanks participate in Zapad 2017 exercise. Photo: NYTimes.

The Zapad 2017 joint military exercises have been over for a month, but many Western officials and military analysts are still surprised by the progress made by the Russian military. The exercises showed that Moscow’s ability to conduct large-scale and complex operations effectively, with the application of new technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has improved significantly, according to the New York Times.

Western intelligence agencies believe that the size and scope of Zapad 2017 far exceeds what the Kremlin has claimed, making it Russia's largest military exercise since the Cold War. Previously, Russia claimed that the number of troops participating in the exercise did not exceed 13,000. However, NATO officials said that tens of thousands of Russian troops in the Arctic, Far East, Black Sea, and areas near the borders of Ukraine and Georgia participated in Zapad 2017.

"The exercises are combined into a strategic exercise involving the entire Russian and Belarusian armed forces," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. The Russian military deployed a variety of equipment from different branches of the armed forces, including the strategic missile forces.

Western analysts say Zapad 2017 is part of Moscow’s effort to demonstrate its military might and assert its position as a world power. In recent years, Russia has deployed troops to Syria, annexed Crimea and conducted a series of surprise military exercises.

Zapad 2017, which ran from September 14 to 20, saw the Russian military deploy a number of new technologies to enhance its combat capabilities. Moscow also demonstrated improvements in logistics, including the concealment and protection of vital supply lines.

Russian soldiers are now equipped with state-of-the-art personal communications systems that can connect with different units on the battlefield. In addition, reconnaissance UAV squadrons are an indispensable part of every exercise.

Russian Mi-8 helicopter squadron at Zapad 2017. Photo: NYTimes.

"They are key assets in the early stages of war, when time and distance to the battlefield are important factors, and whoever arrives first will have a big advantage. This year's exercise shows that Russia is continuing to improve its ability to conduct joint operations, coordinating between many different forces," said expert Michael Kofman at the US Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

During a hearing before the US Senate, General Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon closely monitored the Zapad 2017 exercise to understand the development of Russian military capabilities, as well as risks to US and NATO security.

Although Western military officials insist that Washington and Moscow are not on the brink of war, they are concerned that Russia's increased military activity could lead to an unexpected confrontation. "The Russian military is increasingly mobile and balanced, capable of conducting all types of modern warfare," the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed.

Baltic states watching the exercises have expressed concern that Zapad 2017 could be a pretext for Russia to increase its military presence in Belarus, an Eastern European country that shares a border with three NATO members: Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. However, Russia has denied this accusation.

US intelligence said it was too early to say whether Russia would use Zapad 2017 to build up a permanent military and equipment presence in Belarus. However, through this exercise, Russian President Vladimir Putin has successfully demonstrated his power, making the whole world watch, US analysts emphasized.

According to VNE