MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Troops from a Central Military District mountain motor rifle brigade based in the Republic of Tyva have arrived in Kazakhstan to take part in the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2017 international exercise held by of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping forces, the District's spokesperson told Interfax in a statement on Wednesday.
"Joint maneuvers will be held from October 16 through 20 at Iliysky and Shoshkaly ranges in southeastern Kazakhstan. The Russian side of the exercise involves some 400 troops and 80 pieces of equipment, including a group of [Mil] Mi-8 AMTSh transport attack helicopters and a couple of [Sukhoi] Su-25 attack aircraft," the statement said.
The main objectives of the exercise are: to boost mutual understanding and cooperation between CSTO peacekeeping troops; to raise the practical mastery and skills of commanders and staff of all degrees in planning a peacekeeping operation and commanding units and subunits in peacekeeping missions, the spokesperson said.
The CSTO consists of Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.