Putin dons military fatigues in war games 500 miles from the frontline in a show of strength to the West

Published on September 16, 2025 at 11:29 PM
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THE battle of egos continues as Vladimir Putin dons a military uniform in an effort to upstage The Don.

The Russian tyrant was spotted on Tuesday in military fatigues during the Zapad-2025 (West 2025) war games.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a military uniform, looking towards the right, with another man blurred in the background.Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Zapad-2025 Russian President Vladimir Putin inspecting military equipment at the Zapad-2025 exercises.Donning the military uniform, Vlad was trying show up Trump ahead of Windsor Castle visit Russia's President Vladimir Putin inspects the "Zapad-2025" military drills in a vehicle with another man.Putin, in military uniform, more than 500 miles from the nearest frontline

His army-outfit appearance came the morning prior to

Putin was last seen in an uniform in March, after which critics claimed it was his body double.

Appearing at Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the dictator was at least 500 miles from the nearest in the war.

Putin – Russia’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief – has steadfastly avoided the frontline, unlike Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky regularly wears the military uniform and appears alongside his combat soldiers.

The 72-year-old chose to don the fatigues ahead of Trump’s arrival at on Tuesday night.

The Zapad-2025 war games are a show of Russian strength to the West.

On Tuesday, Putin thanked foreign observers and participants.

“I would like to thank you for your participation,” he said.

“I hope it was useful from a professional point of view [and] from the point of view of restoring a high level of trust between our countries”.

The war games included plans for firing nuclear missiles at countries.

“I hope it was useful from a professional point of view [and] from the point of view of restoring a high level of trust between our countries,” Putin said.

He went on to boast that the practice for attacking NATO was “taking place at 41 training grounds”.

“100,000 servicemen are participating, [with] about 10,000 weapons and equipment systems,” he said.

He added that 333 tactical and strategic aviation aircraft and military transport planes were taking part in the exercises.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin inspects the "Zapad-2025" (West-2025) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills.Putin said troops at 41 training grounds were practising to attack NATO countries Russian President Vladimir Putin inspecting military equipment at the "Zapad-2025" military drills.During his visit, Russian troops were carrying out strikes on Ukrainian city Kharkiv US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step off Air Force One at Stansted Airport.Trump and Melania landed in the UK on Tuesday night

“More than 247 surface ships, submarines and support vessels are also used,” he said.

“Twenty five foreign delegations have arrived to participate in the events of the 2025 exercise.”

The dictator also tried on a pair of Strekoza tactical glasses, while in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, his troops unleashed a drone strike on a residential area of the city.

A video of one missile could be seen spiralling through the air before hitting a building, leaving it engulfed in flames, while one school was also hit by a drone.

Vladimir Putin in military uniform at the Zapad-2025 drills, surrounded by other military personnel and observers.The war games are a show of Russian strength to the west

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