From July 7 to 9, second staff talks were held in the Russian Federation on the organization and conduct of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF) command-and-staff exercise “Interaction-2026”, the special reconnaissance exercise “Poisk-2026”, and the logistics support exercise “Echelon-2026”.
In accordance with the 2026 Action Plan of the Coordinating Council of Heads of the Competent Authorities for Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the CSTO Member States, and as part of the Russian Federation's priorities during its 2026 CSTO Chairmanship, the sub-regional counter-narcotics operation “Kanal – Amber Coast” was conducted from June 29 to July 3, 2026. The operation was aimed at disrupting trafficking routes for narcotic drugs, their precursors and analogues, new psychoactive substances, and potent substances into the CSTO area of responsibility, neutralizing international transnational drug trafficking groups, dismantling clandestine drug production facilities, undermining the economic foundations of the drug trade, including the laundering of drug proceeds.
The 12th Southern Information Security Forum “Infoforum Sochi 2026” is taking place in Sochi, Russia, from June 30 to July 3. On July 1, the Forum's plenary session brought together representatives of federal and regional authorities, regulatory bodies, leading companies, and international organizations to discuss current challenges in the protection of critical infrastructure, the development of artificial intelligence, and international cooperation.
On June 30 – July 1, 2026, Saint Petersburg hosted a series of events chaired by Alexander Kurenkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, with the participation of heads of the competent authorities of the CSTO member states responsible for emergency prevention and response.
From June 24 to 26, 2026, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov paid a working visit to the Republic of Tajikistan at the personal invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.
The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization congratulated the officers of the CSTO Joint Staff on Defender of the Fatherland Day
20.02.2026
Today, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov congratulated the personnel of the CSTO Joint Staff on Defender of the Fatherland Day.
Congratulating the officers, Talatbek Masadykov, in particular, noted: “Within the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the tasks of ensuring the functioning and planning of the employment of the Collective Forces, the preparation and conduct of joint training activities, military-technical cooperation, coordination of the training of personnel and specialists, as well as the organization of the functioning of the Crisis Response Center are assigned to the Joint Staff and are successfully carried out thanks to the professionalism, responsibility, and dedication of servicemen of the armed forces of all member states of the Organization serving in the Joint Staff.”
“On this significant day, please accept my sincere words of gratitude for your conscientious military service, diligence, and high sense of duty. I wish you good health, success, and new professional achievements. Happiness and well-being to you and your loved ones. Peace and prosperity to our states,” the Secretary General of the Organization said.
Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Hero of the Russian Federation Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, speaking at the ceremonial event, in particular, noted that “23 February has become a symbol of the unity of the defenders of the Fatherland, a symbol of the common heroic history of our peoples.”
Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov said: “On this day, we pay tribute to the indomitable generation of the Victors. We will always remember that in the Great Patriotic War it was the Soviet people who defended the freedom of our country, all of Europe, and the entire world.”
Addressing the participants of the event, Colonel General Serdyukov also said: “Our task is to remain constantly ready to defend the interests of the CSTO member states in a unified combat formation, as it has been throughout the history of our countries.”
The Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff also emphasized that among the unconditional priorities of the current year is the implementation of the priority areas of activity declared by the Russian Federation for the period of its chairmanship in the Organization, conducted under the motto announced by the President of Russia — “Collective security in a multipolar world: a single goal — shared responsibility.”
