Bishkek, 4 September 2024 (TDI): The military exercises under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), known as “Interaction-2024,” commenced on September 3 in Kyrgyzstan, according to a statement from the CSTO press service.
The exercises, which will run until September 15, include several components: the “Interaction – 2024” command and staff exercise, the intelligence-focused “Search – 2024,” and the logistical support exercise “Echelon-2024” for CSTO collective forces.
Participants in the drills include armed forces from CSTO member states—Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan—as well as operational groups from the CSTO Secretariat and its joint headquarters.
The exercises will also involve units from the Ministries of Internal Affairs, National Guard, Ministry of Emergency Situations, and special services from the participating countries.
Notably, Armenia has announced it will not be participating in the exercises, having previously suspended its involvement in the CSTO.
From September 3 to 6, participants in the command and staff exercise with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces “Interaction-2024”, special exercises “Search-2024” and “Echelon-2024” are regrouping in the Kyrgyz Republic
Contingents of the CSTO Troops are being sent from… pic.twitter.com/y0YuMAzDeK
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) September 4, 2024
International Observers Invited
According to Andrei Serdyukov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, several international observers have been invited to the exercises, including representatives from Algeria, Egypt, India, Iran, China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, the UN, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Additionally, parliamentarians from CSTO member states will attend the final phase of the exercises.
The exercises aim to address key issues such as air defense coordination during troop movements, and operational deployment, and to improve decision-making processes and interoperability among CSTO member forces.
The drills will also test new methods for managing collective force operations and showcase modern weaponry and military technology developed by Russian defense enterprises.
The exercises will involve over 5,000 personnel and more than 900 units of weapons and military equipment.
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