Russia is believed to have canceled the ZAPAD 23 military drills due to a lack of troops and equipment, according to British military intelligence.

The “ZAPAD-21” military drills were held two years ago in western regions of Russia and Belarus, including areas near the border with the European Union, causing concern in Ukraine and some NATO countries.

Since 2010, Russia has had a four-year cycle of alternating military exercises across the country, the BBC Russian Service reports, noting that the exercises held in 2021 were the largest in decades.

Now in 2023, as British military intelligence points out, Russia has probably canceled the ZAPAD-23 exercises, not only because it has few troops and equipment but also, probably, because the Russian leadership is afraid of criticism at home due to the demonstrative nature of the exercises in a time of war.

Source: APA MPA

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