Russia and CSTO Allies Launch Military Drills in Belarus

Russia and its CSTO allies launched joint military exercises in Belarus on Monday, October 12, according to the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The drills, codenamed Indestructible Brotherhood-2026 and Barrier-2026, are scheduled to run from October 12 to 16.

Participating Countries and Scale

Military contingents from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are taking part. The Russian component is drawn primarily from units of the Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District. Over 1,500 service members and more than 300 units of weapons and special equipment are deployed, including approximately 80 drones of various types.

Training Objectives

According to the CSTO, the exercises focus on practicing peacekeeping operations and include scenarios for the elimination of biological threat sources. Training takes place at the Losvido and Starodozhensky firing ranges in Belarus.

The drills follow Belarus announcing in May that nuclear weapons combat use exercises were conducted jointly with Russian forces.