CSTO peacekeepers' exercise has started in the Vitebsk region
The exercise will be held in Belarus until October 16. It involves contingents of CSTO member states, operational groups of the Joint Staff and the CSTO Secretariat, police (militia) forces, and units of the ministries of emergency situations. The number of participants in the maneuvers exceeds 900 people; more than 120 units of military and special equipment will be involved, including helicopters and UAVs.
The opening ceremony of "Indestructible Brotherhood - 2020" was attended by the Chief of the General Staff - First Deputy Minister of Defense of Belarus, Major General Alexander Volfovich, the Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Central Military District of the Armed Forces of Russia, Major General Rustam Minnekayev, as well as representatives of the CSTO Secretariat.
Major General Alexander Volfovich noted that the analysis of the global situation and the post-Soviet countries (conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine) indicates that it is quite complex. Only the consolidation of allied efforts and the actions of international and regional organizations to ensure security can bring peace, prevent conflict, or stop it in its early stages. "Belarus has always advocated and will continue to advocate for intensified cooperation within the CSTO. Holding today's exercise is eloquent evidence of the organization's capabilities; strategic deterrence measures help to cool down some hotheads. I am confident that we will exchange experience and improve the coordination of staffs and troops. We will prove that the CSTO contributes to peace and stability in the territory of our countries," he said.
The Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, added that the demand for peacekeepers is growing: today, such forces in the organization number more than 3.5 thousand people. Although the pandemic did not allow for larger-scale maneuvers this year, their importance and relevance are not diminishing.
During the exercise, the preparation and conduct of a peacekeeping operation by the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the CSTO in the Eastern European region of collective security will be practiced.
The CSTO command and staff exercise "Indestructible Brotherhood - 2020" is held in accordance with the plan for joint training of management bodies and formations of forces and means of the collective security system. Such exercises have been organized annually since 2012 in one of the CSTO member states.