On October 30, 2026, the results of the “Channel-Caspian Lighthouse” subregional anti-drug operation were summed up as part of the implementation of the 2026 Plan of Key Activities of the Coordinating Council of Heads of Competent Drug Control Authorities of CSTO Member States (CCHCDCA).
From October 18 to 23 this year, in accordance with the 2026 Plan for the Joint Training of Command and Control Bodies and Formations of Forces and Assets of the Collective Security System of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the “Cobalt-2026” special exercise was held at the Magob training range of the Special Purpose Units Training Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan.
An international scientific and practical conference entitled “Greater Eurasia: Institutions, Development, Cooperation” was held at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, jointly organized with the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICCA RAS). CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov took part in the conference.
A working meeting between CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov and Kazem Jalali, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation, was held at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Russian Federation.
An international scientific and practical conference entitled “Transformation of the Global Security System and the Shaping of a Eurasian Security Framework” was held at Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU).
In Belarus, the CSTO joint NBC protection and medical support formation begins practical operations as part of the “Barrier-2026” exercise
13.10.2026
Today, at the Starodorozhsky training range in the Republic of Belarus, servicemen of the CSTO joint NBC protection and medical support formation began practical operations as part of the “Barrier-2026” special exercise.
At this stage of the exercise, the participants are practicing occupying the designated area, engineering preparations for the assembly area, camouflage, organizing comprehensive support, and preparing the forces and assets of the joint formation to carry out tasks in support of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces.
As part of NBC reconnaissance, the crew of an RKhM-8 reconnaissance chemical vehicle collected a sample from a suspected contaminated area and delivered it to a field chemical laboratory to test for the presence of hazardous or particularly dangerous infectious agents.
The field chemical laboratory complex consists of two modules. The first detects toxic or radioactive substances in samples, while the second detects biological warfare agents and pathogens of dangerous infectious diseases.
During the exercise, laboratory personnel conducted real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of a soil sample taken from an area potentially contaminated with biological warfare agents. The analysis was performed using an ANK-32 nucleic acid analyzer capable of processing 32 samples simultaneously.
The exercise involves practicing joint actions to conduct biological reconnaissance, collect and analyze samples, and carry out full decontamination.
The Republic of Belarus is hosting 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”.
At the Starodorozhsky training range, the “Barrier-2026” special exercise focuses on practicing the elimination of sources of biological threats in the area of responsibility of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces.
The exercises 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. These include military contingents, units of internal affairs bodies (police) and the National Guard, as well as operational groups from the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat. The Russian military contingent is primarily composed of units of the Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District.
In total, more than 1,500 servicemen and over 300 items of weapons, military and special equipment are involved, including approximately 80 different types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
CSTO Joint Exercise Press Center
Republic of Belarus, Losvido and Starodorozhsky training ranges
