Russia’s militarised exclave of Kaliningrad lies to the north while, in Belarus to the south, an estimated 30,000 Russian and Belarusian soldiers have convened to test tanks, helicopters and “forward defence” strategies. The last such war games in 2021 helped give Russia cover to launch its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

They are intended to showcase close defense ties between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russia’s military might as it fights its 3½-year-old war in neighboring Ukraine.

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck early Saturday near the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Moscow insists it did not plan to hit targets in Poland, after Warsaw says it shot down Russian drones in its airspace.

The shooting down of Russian drones over Poland has inaugurated a new stage in NATO’s war against Russia in Ukraine, threatening to trigger a direct military clash between the nuclear powers of Europe and Moscow.

Russia on Friday condemned plans by Denmark to host a Ukrainian production facility for long-range missile fuel, saying the move would increase the risks of escalation and lead to more bloodshed in Ukraine.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — France said it’s deploying fighter jets to Poland and Britain announced fresh sanctions on Russia’s oil revenues and war machine Friday as European countries took steps to deter Moscow’s aggression after an incursion by Russian drones into Polish territory.

Welcome back to the Week in Your Words, where we take a step back and highlight some of your comments from the past week. Russia was once again in the news, after Poland, a NATO member, said 19 Russian drones crossed into its territory amid an attack on western Ukraine.