On July 15, 2026, the High-Level Regional Meeting “Enhancing Capacities to Prevent the Supply of Weapons to Terrorists in Central Asia” was held in Moscow, organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism with the participation of the Russian side.
On July 14, 2026, a working meeting was held at the CSTO Secretariat between CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov and UN Assistant Secretary-General Alexander Zuev.
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.
Representatives of the CSTO took part in the V International Conference of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Countering Extremist Ideology
19.09.2025
The V International Conference of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation on the problem of the spread of extremist ideology was held in Moscow. A delegation from the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) took part in the forum: Sergey Gonchar, Deputy Head of the Department for Countering Challenges and Threats, and Igor Demchenko, Advisor to the Department.
The event brought together law enforcement officials and representatives of international organizations from more than 20 countries to develop coordinated approaches to countering modern security challenges.
Sergey Gonchar delivered a speech at the plenary session on “Countering terrorism and extremism within the CSTO”. In his speech, he emphasized the complex nature of modern threats and the need for a collective response to them, noting: “The trend of turning terrorist and extremist groups into instruments of geopolitical struggle is a complex challenge, and it is a challenge to the very foundations of the state's existence. In these circumstances, the CSTO member states have no alternative but to take urgent and coordinated measures aimed at ensuring security”.
The presentation provided a detailed overview of the CSTO's practical experience, including the ongoing Operation Mercenary, which aims to disrupt channels of terrorist financing, recruitment and illegal migration. Particular attention was paid to efforts to harmonize legislation and develop cooperation with key international partners.
