In a large field 45 miles (72km) from Belarus' capital Minsk, a battle is raging.
There are giant explosions as Sukhoi-34 bombers drop guided bombs. Huge plumes of smoke darken the sky.
The whole area echoes to the sound of exploding mortar and artillery shells. Helicopter gunships join the attack, while surveillance drones sweep overhead to view the damage.
It's only an exercise, though.
Together with other international media we've been brought to the Borisovsky training ground where Belarusian and Russian forces are taking part in joint manoeuvres. It's part of the Zapad-2025 ('West 2025') military drills. Military attachés from a variety of embassies are observing the drill from a viewing platform.
Moscow and Minsk maintain that the drills are of a purely defensive nature, designed to strengthen security and counter potential external threats. However, concerns linger, especially after the 2022 exercises led to Russian troops invading Ukraine from Belarusian territory.
As tensions rise in Eastern Europe, particularly with ongoing conflicts and recent drone incursions into neighboring countries' airspace, these military exercises serve as a potent reminder of the region's precarious nature. Inviting international media could be viewed as an effort towards transparency, yet might also be interpreted as a calculated threat towards the West.
The drills coincide with heightened tensions in Eastern Europe, raising the stakes for all involved as diplomatic relationships remain fraught.
