Explosions rang out, artillery shells screeched and jets roared as a few dozen men — including U.S. military officials — watched through binoculars as Belarusian and Russian troops charged across a training ground.
Moscow and key ally Minsk say the drills, called Zapad, are designed to simulate a possible invasion of their territory.
But it is NATO's eastern flank that has its tail up about a possible attack — spooked by the movement of thousands of troops just days after Russian drones were downed over Poland and with Warsaw warning "open conflict" is closer than at any point since World War II.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.