Servicemen of the Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District (CMD) have arrived in the Republic of Belarus to take part in 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”.
On October 7, 2026, the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Forum opened in Minsk (Republic of Belarus), bringing together the CIS Conference on Countering Terrorism and Extremism, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure international scientific and practical conference, and joint counter-terrorism exercises.
October 7 marks the 24th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which formalized the establishment of the CSTO as an international regional organization. The goals set out in the document, including strengthening peace and stability and collectively protecting the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the member states, remain the foundation for developing mutually beneficial, truly allied cooperation. On this basis, the Russian Federation is chairing the CSTO in 2026 under the motto “Collective security in a multipolar world: a common goal, shared responsibility.”
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.
