Zakharova stated during a press conference on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum: “We are closely monitoring the annual maneuvers (Namejs 2025) taking place in Latvia from September 2 to October 8, as well as any other NATO activities on the eastern flank.” She added, “We have noticed an increase in the size of the participating forces, with more than 15,000 military personnel compared to last year.” Latvian Defense Minister, Andris Sprūds, had previously stated that these exercises would run concurrently with the Russian-Belarusian exercises “Zapad 2025,” emphasizing that his country would enhance monitoring of airspace, media, and cyberspace during the exercises. The Eastern Economic Forum, in its tenth edition, is held from September 3 to 6 at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, under the theme, with several international delegations participating, while Sputnik agency serves as the main media partner for the forum.
