Roman Bezsmertnyi, Ukraine’s former ambassador to Belarus (2010–2011), shared his opinions with Espreso TV.“In the final phase of Zapad-2025, strategic command and staff exercises were conducted, and now their results are becoming clear. After these drills, drone attacks on European countries began, aircraft entered their airspace, and ships crossed into territorial waters. The next stage — an escalation of mass attacks on Ukraine. Then comes Valdai, with the corresponding rhetoric. Next — the deliberate stimulation of political crises in various countries. Note how right-wing and left-wing populists responded on cue, how protesters in several states suddenly rallied in support of Middle Eastern terrorist organizations. All this points to clear coordination,” commented Roman Bezsmertnyi.According to him, all these developments, including Putin’s statements at Valdai, show that Russia has entered the next stage of hybrid warfare, this time primarily targeting European countries.“The fact that reports are now emerging from the Institute for the Study of War and other sources about Putin considering concrete plans for war against European states and NATO — information also echoed by intelligence agencies — further proves that the Zapad-2025 strategic command and staff exercises gave him grounds to prepare for aggression against Europe. I am not even mentioning the growing assistance to Russia from China and North Korea, as well as reports of recruitment into the Russian army from Cuba, African, and Asian countries. All of this indicates that Moscow is deliberately escalating the situation,” the diplomat emphasized.Bezsmertnyi concluded that these actions cannot and should not be viewed as isolated or unrelated events. Together, they form a coherent picture of what is known as hybrid warfare — another stage of the conflict that Russia is now entering.On September 12, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced the start of the joint strategic exercises Zapad-2025, conducted by the armed forces of Belarus and Russia. The drills lasted until September 16.