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.
The 12th Southern Information Security Forum “Infoforum Sochi 2026” is taking place in Sochi, Russia, from June 30 to July 3. On July 1, the Forum's plenary session brought together representatives of federal and regional authorities, regulatory bodies, leading companies, and international organizations to discuss current challenges in the protection of critical infrastructure, the development of artificial intelligence, and international cooperation.
On June 30 – July 1, 2026, Saint Petersburg hosted a series of events chaired by Alexander Kurenkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, with the participation of heads of the competent authorities of the CSTO member states responsible for emergency prevention and response.
From June 24 to 26, 2026, CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov paid a working visit to the Republic of Tajikistan at the personal invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.
The CSTO trainings “Indestructible Brotherhood-2025” and “Barrier-2025” started in the Republic of Tajikistan
20.10.2025
On October 20, in the Republic of Tajikistan, at the “Fakhrabad” training ground, a solemn ceremony was held to mark the start of joint trainings with the Peacekeeping Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization “Indestructible Brotherhood-2025” and a special training with the joint formation of radiation, chemical, and biological protection and medical support for the CSTO “Barrier-2025.”
The solemn opening ceremony of the trainings was attended by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Lieutenant General Abdukodir Saidozoda, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov, Chief of the Joint Staff of the CSTO Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov, representatives of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, and the Republic of Tajikistan, and invited officials.
The ceremony began with a parade of peacekeeping contingents. The military band played the national anthems and the national flags of the CSTO member states were raised.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Lieutenant General Abdukodir Saidozoda, said in particular: "Issues related to the Collective Security Treaty Organization's response to various threats and crisis situations, taking into account developments in the situation, have always been at the forefront of our attention.
In a rapidly changing environment and with destabilizing factors concentrated in close proximity to our borders, the readiness of our collective forces and resources to perform their intended tasks is becoming increasingly important and relevant. The conduct of such large-scale joint trainings is dictated by the dynamically developing situation in our challenging region and underscores the need to combine the efforts of our countries in countering modern challenges and threats”.
The CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov addressed the participants of the trainings with a welcoming speech.
"The trainings are being conducted amid an escalating crisis in international relations and continuing potential for conflict in the Central Asian region covered by the CSTO collective security system. The heads of state of the Organization's member countries are taking all necessary measures to develop the forces and means of the collective security system in order to jointly counter modern challenges and threats.
In the context of a complex military-political situation and regional instability, CSTO peacekeeping forces must be constantly ready to conduct peacekeeping operations both within the Organization's area of responsibility and beyond it, under a UN mandate," the CSTO Secretary General said.
He also noted that the upcoming trainings would serve to improve the methods used by commanders and staff in preparing and conducting peacekeeping operations, as well as to raise the level of field training and coordination among national peacekeeping contingents.
“I am confident that the trainings will be conducted at a high organizational and methodological level, and their results will be used to improve the mechanisms for adopting and implementing decisions on the use of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces,” Imangali Tasmagambetov said in his speech.
The event concluded with peacekeeping contingents marching solemnly in formation across the parade ground of the field camp.
From October 20 to 24, the Republic of Tajikistan will host the active phase of the joint training with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces, “Indestructible Brotherhood-2025,” at the “Fakhrabad” training ground, during which issues related to the preparation and conduct of peacekeeping operations on the territory of a member state of the Organization will be worked out.
For the first time, a special training is being conducted as part of the peacekeeping training with the joint formation of NBC protection and medical support for the CSTO “Barrier-2025.” In these trainings, the joint formation of NBC protection and medical support for the CSTO is operationally subordinate to the Commander of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces. The main task of the joint formation during the training is to ensure the biological safety of the coalition group of troops.
Military contingents from the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, the Republic of Tajikistan, operational groups of the Joint Staff and the CSTO Secretariat are participating in the “Indestructible Brotherhood-2025” and “Barrier-2025” trainings. The Russian contingent is mainly made up of units from the 201st military base of the Central Military District, including mountain units, communications units, electronic warfare units, NBC protection units, medical units, and unmanned aerial vehicle crews. The total number of participants in the trainings is about 1,500 people and more than 200 units of military and special equipment, including six helicopters and more than 20 UAVs.
The active phases of the CSTO trainings will be conducted in a combined format with the final stage of the joint anti-terrorism training of the competent authorities of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, “Anti-Terror 2025.”
Joint Press Center of the CSTO trainings,
the Republic of Tajikistan, “Fakhrabad” Training Ground
