The Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has launched joint military exercises in Belarus, with troops from Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan taking part.
The maneuvers began on August 31 with a parade in Vitebsk and will run until September 6 at the Losvido and Lepelsky training grounds.
Around 2,000 personnel from the attending members are participating, along with 450 pieces of equipment, nine aircraft and helicopters, and more than 70 drones, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
The drills include three core events: “Interaction-2025” with the CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction Forces, “Search-2025” with reconnaissance units, and “Echelon-2025” with logistics support.
Commenting on the large-scale cooperation, Belarusian Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Pavel Muraveyko said the exercises were moved deeper into the country to avoid escalating tensions near NATO’s borders.
“We deliberately moved the exercises away from the western and southern borders so that we would not be accused of various insinuations and possible provocations,” Deutsche Welle quoted Muraveyko as saying.
Preparing for Nuclear Planning Drills
CSTO Chief of Joint Staff Andrey Serdyukov said the current drills are “closely linked” to Zapad-2025, a major Russian-Belarusian exercise scheduled between the second and third week of September.
Earlier in August, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin confirmed that Zapad-2025 will involve planning for the use of nuclear weapons and Moscow’s new intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile.
He described the activities as part of broader strategic deterrence measures in response to NATO deployments near Belarus, Minsk’s state news agency BelTA reported.
Lithuania has already pledged tighter border security during the exercises, though details of the measures remain classified.
Exchanging Skill Sets
Russian National Guard Senior Contingent Col. Grigory Kurchaninov said his country’s troops would share lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The personnel from the Russian Federation will also share their experience, taking into account the conduct of a special military operation,” he said.
Other CSTO members stressed the value of joint training. Kyrgyz officer Senior Lt. Mirzat Shankoev said the maneuvers allow soldiers to “find new comrades,” while Kazakh commander Lt. Col. Murat Matkerimov called the drills “invaluable experience” for collective security.
About the CSTO
The CSTO is a six-member defense bloc that includes the mentioned partners as well as Armenia.
Formed in 2002, the alliance was designed to serve as a counterweight to NATO, though analysts note it has struggled to respond collectively to security crises.
The bloc’s activities in Belarus have drawn criticism from neighboring states. In early 2022, Russian forces deployed to Belarus for CSTO exercises remained in the country and later joined Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
