Фото: "Ваяр"
Exercises “Indestructible Brotherhood-2026” and “Barrier-2026” organized by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have begun in Belarus. More than 1,500 military personnel from five countries are taking part, along with over 300 pieces of weapons, military and special equipment, including around 80 drones of various types, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence reported.
The opening ceremony of the CSTO peacekeeping forces’ command-and-staff exercise “Indestructible Brotherhood-2026” took place in Vitsyebsk, while the “Barrier-2026” special exercise on radiological, chemical and biological (RCB) protection and medical support was held in Staryya Darohi.
The exercises involve contingents from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In addition to military personnel, participants include representatives of internal affairs agencies, police, internal troops and national guards, as well as operational groups from the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat.
The exercises are intended to practise the preparation and conduct of a peacekeeping operation by CSTO collective forces, as well as the elimination of sources of biological threats in the area of responsibility of these forces.
Uladzimir Bely, Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, said the exercises were taking place against the backdrop of a “global military-political crisis” and growing “military danger”. He accused Western countries of pursuing a “confrontational policy” and “building up their military potential.”
Ruslan Shpekbayev, Deputy Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, noted that one of the distinctive features of the exercises would be the involvement not only of military formations but also of law enforcement units and national guards in joint operations.
“As part of the peacekeeping exercise, a special exercise called ‘Barrier’ is being conducted with a joint RCB protection and medical support unit. Close coordination and the pooling of our countries’ efforts are particularly important in this area. Conflict potential in several regions directly adjacent to the CSTO area of responsibility continues to grow. Under these circumstances, successful task completion requires clear coordination between the armed forces and other security agencies,” he said.