12 Oct 2019 12:01

CSTO Indestructible Brotherhood 2019 to be held in Tajikistan in late October

YEKATERINBURG. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Peacekeepers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries and the Rapid Deployment Collective Forces of the Central Asian Region will hold the Indestructible Brotherhood 2019 exercise at the Harb Maidon training ground in Tajikistan on October 21-29, Russia's Central Military District stated on Friday.

The exercise will involve troops from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia; the latter will be represented by 2,000 personnel and over 600 units of weapon and equipment, the press service said.

The main aim of the exercise is to perfect CSTO commanders' practical skills in troop control and organization for task-execution, increase cohesion, and improve the composition and command of the CSTO Collective Forces in joint peacekeeping operations, the press service said.

The exercise will be led by the commander of the Central Military District, Alexander Lapin, in accordance with the Russian Armed Forces' this year's training plan.

The exercise will be two-stage: during the first, the Rapid Deployment Collective Forces of the Central Asian Region will conduct a counter-terrorist operation to block and destroy mock militant groups and illegal armed formations; the second stage will involve honing skills in carrying out a peacekeeping operation in the Central Asian region.

The drill is the concluding stage of the CSTO's Combat Brotherhood 2019 strategic exercise.