An international scientific and practical conference entitled “The Situation in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel Region: Development Forecasts for 2027” was held in Moscow, organized by the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
On October 18, 2026, the “Cobalt-2026” special exercise opened in the Republic of Tajikistan, in accordance with the 2026 Plan for the Joint Training of Command and Control Bodies and Formations of Forces and Assets of the CSTO Collective Security System. The exercise involves special units of internal affairs and national security agencies, internal troops (National Guard), special services and anti-drug agencies, as well as rescue units incorporated into the Special Purpose Forces formations of the CSTO Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF).
From October 13 to 16, 2025, the 23rd International Combat Sambo Tournament for the Cup of the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, featuring law enforcement personnel from CSTO member states, was held at the Ognikovo Park Hotel (19 Ognikovo, Istra District, Moscow Region).
Today, the final stages of the command-and-staff exercise with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces “Indestructible Brotherhood-2026” and the special exercise with the CSTO joint NBC protection and medical support formation “Barrier-2026” took place at the Losvido and Starodorozhsky training ranges in the Republic of Belarus.
On October 15–16, a CSTO, CIS and SCO conference on security issues in Central Asia and Afghanistan was held in Moscow as part of Russia’s CSTO chairmanship programme.
CSTO Collective Forces practice assaulting the positions of a simulated adversary as part of the “Interaction-2026” exercise
01.10.2026
Today, at the Chebarkulsky training range in the Russian Federation, as part of the command-and-staff exercise with the CSTO Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF) “Interaction-2026”, joint actions to liberate a populated area captured by a simulated adversary were practiced.
CORF assault units, operating from several directions, advanced through the populated area along converging axes using small arms fire and supported by strike FPV drones, gradually seized the positions of the simulated adversary and consolidated their positions.
While performing training and combat tasks, the assault groups, using aerial reconnaissance data, practiced pursuing the adversary and, with fire support from combat vehicles, destroyed the simulated adversary as it attempted to establish a foothold in the area.
At the conclusion of the practical operations episode, CSTO CORF special forces formations carried out tasks to inspect buildings and structures in the liberated populated area.
The CSTO exercises at the Chebarkulsky training range involve contingents of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) from the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan. They include military contingents; special forces formations drawn from special units of internal affairs bodies (police), security agencies and special services, authorized bodies responsible for preventing and responding to emergencies; as well as operational groups from the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat. In total, approximately 2,000 servicemen and 350 items of weapons and military and special equipment are involved. The exercises feature extensive use of various types of UAVs and robotic systems, as well as the practice of troops' practical actions taking into account the experience of the special military operation.
CSTO Joint Exercise Press Center
Russian Federation, Chebarkulsky training range
