The Brest Fortress hosted the opening ceremony of the CSTO training "Combat Brotherhood-2023"

In front of the formation of the national military contingents, next to the Eternal Flame of the Brest Fortress-Hero Memorial Complex, 7 flagpoles were erected, on which the flags of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan were fixed.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov, Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Major General Viktor Gulevich, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, Major General Pavel Muraveiko, the First Deputy State Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus, Major General Yuri Shuleiko, Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee.

The participants of the ceremony, paying tribute to the soldiers who died defending the Brest Fortress, paid tribute to their memory with a minute of silence and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

Major General Viktor Gulevich, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, speaking at the ceremony, said: "It is symbolic that the opening ceremony of the “Combat Brotherhood-2023” joint operational-strategic training is taking place in the Brest Fortress - Hero. This Fortress is a symbol of the eternal glory of Soviet soldiers of many nationalities, of the greatest fortitude and courage of the Soviet soldier. Here every metre of land is soaked in blood.

The defense of the Fortress is a legendary feat of the sons of the people, who loved their country boundlessly and gave their lives for it.

We remember and will never forget the price our grandfathers and great-grandfathers paid for the opportunity to live and work under peaceful skies.

Therefore, in the current difficult military and political conditions surrounding our countries, it is very important to preserve historical memory, our common heroic history and to ensure the security of our states through joint efforts.

Today, worthy heirs of the generation of the Great Victory stand in one line. I am confident that participation in joint trainings will further strengthen the trust between the armed forces and the peoples of our countries.

I wish all participants in the training excellent results and further strengthening of cooperation to ensure peace and security in our countries".

In the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as part of the CSTO joint operational-strategic training "Combat Brotherhood-2023", under the leadership of Major-General Andrei Matiyevich, a joint training with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces "Interaction-2023", a special training with intelligence forces and means "Search-2023", a special training with logistical forces and means "Echelon-2023", and a special training with the joint formation of the CSTO NBC protection and medical support "Barrier-2023" are being conducted.

They involve mobile formations and military units of permanent readiness of the armed forces of the CSTO member states equipped with modern and compatible armaments, special forces formations from among the special units of the internal affairs (police), security, State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus and special services, as well as the authorized bodies responsible for preventing and dealing with the consequences of emergency situations, and operational teams of the CSTO Joint Staff and the CSTO Secretariat In all, more than 2,500 servicemen and more than 500 units of weapons, military and special equipment were involved.