Russia has highly likely cancelled its planned joint strategic exercise, ZAPAD 23, which should have taken place in September, the British defence ministry said on Monday.

Russia has likely cancelled the exercise because too few troops and equipment are available, the ministry said in its daily intelligence update.

The "Zapad-2021" war games ran last two years ago on Russia and Belarus' western flanks, including sites close to the European Union's borders, and alarmed Ukraine and some NATO countries. (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)