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.
Issues related to the joint formation of NBC protection and medical support for the CSTO during the special training “Barrier-2026” were discussed
10.03.2026
A working meeting chaired by Lieutenant General Anatoly Yakovlev, Head of the CSTO Troop Deployment Planning Department (Collective Forces), was held with the participation of representatives of the defense ministries of the Republic of Belarus (via videoconferencing), the Russian Federation, and the CSTO Joint Staff.
During the event, issues related to the preparation and conduct of the special training “Barrier-2026”, which is scheduled for October in the Republic of Belarus, the implementation of priorities for expanding cooperation in the field of military medicine and protection against biological threats, announced by the President of the Russian Federation for the period of the Organization's chairmanship in 2026, as well as the organization of research work during the special training with a unique formation.
The joint formation of NBC protection and medical support for the CSTO was created in 2022, taking into account the experience of the Russian Ministry of Defense in involving military medics and chemists in measures to combat the pandemic caused by the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection, both in the Russian Federation and in providing assistance to other states.
If necessary, the formation may be deployed on the territory of one of the member states of the Organization in order to ensure the protection of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces) and to create safe medical and biological conditions for their deployment and use, as well as to participate in ensuring a collective response in the event of a large-scale and rapid spread of dangerous infectious diseases. The joint formation includes specialists from all CSTO member states, with the Russian Federation playing a leading role in its equipment and organization.
