During the “Conduct of combat operations” stage, two main training objectives are being practiced: the occupation by the national contingents of the CRDF CAR of the area of responsibility and the destruction of illegal armed formations that have invaded the territory of a CSTO member state.
The active phase of the joint exercise with the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Region (CRDF CAR) “Frontier-2026” has begun at the Koktal training range in the Republic of Kazakhstan. During the exercise, the participating forces are practicing the preparation and conduct of combat operations to destroy illegal armed formations that have invaded the territory of a CSTO member state.
On September 11, 2026, a round table entitled “Kazakhstan–Central Asia–Greater Eurasia: resilience and security amid new challenges” was held at the Center for Social Conservative Policy. The event was organized by the CSTO Secretariat jointly with the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICCA RAS) and the Center for Social Conservative Policy (CSCP).
The event was attended by CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov, Director of the ICCA RAS Kirill Babaev, members of the CSTO Permanent Council and representatives of the academic and expert communities of the member states. The discussion was moderated by Yuri Shuvalov, Head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the CSTO Secretariat.
CSTO member states strengthen cooperation in combating drug trafficking
27.08.2026
A meeting of the Working Group of the Coordination Council of Heads of Competent Authorities on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking (CCHN) on organizing international anti-drug operations within the CSTO framework was held in Aktau, Republic of Kazakhstan.
The meeting was attended by CSTO Secretariat Adviser and Deputy Secretary of the CCHN of the CSTO member states Mikhail Melikhov, representatives of the competent authorities of the CSTO member states, as well as representatives of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre (CARICC), the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, the Committee of Heads of Law Enforcement Units of the Council of Heads of Customs Services of the CIS member states, and other partner structures.
Particular attention was paid to preparations for the regional anti-drug operation “Channel – Caspian Lighthouse”, with its active phase scheduled for October 2026. The participants discussed the operational situation, drug trafficking routes, joint activities, information exchange, and efforts to counter the legalization of drug proceeds.
The delegations agreed that under the current circumstances, operational information exchange, coordinated action by law enforcement agencies, and joint special anti-drug operations are of particular importance. This format makes it possible to identify transnational criminal links in a timely manner, establish the organizers of drug trafficking networks, and disrupt drug supplies at various stages.
The international “Channel” operation is aimed precisely at strengthening such cooperation. It brings together the efforts of the competent authorities of the CSTO member states to counter international drug trafficking, dismantle clandestine laboratories, disrupt supply channels, combat the distribution of drugs via the Internet, and undermine the financial infrastructure of the illicit drug market.
