MOSCOW. Oct 1 (Interfax) - The opening ceremony of the active phase of the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2024 command post exercise of Collective Security Treaty Organization's peacekeepers has taken place at the Bereg military training range in Kazakhstan, the exercise's joint press center said in a statement.
Kazakh First Deputy Defense Minister and General Staff Chief Lieut. Gen. Sultan Kamaletdinov said at the ceremony that personnel participating in the exercise "will practice elements of units' cohesion while preparing for and conducting a peacekeeping operation."
CSTO Joint Staff First Deputy Chief Lieut. Gen. Khasan Kaloyev said that the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2024 exercise would allow its participants to drill post-conflict settlement.
A special feature of this exercise is that units of internal affairs agencies, the police, the Internal Troops, the National Guard, security services and emergency response and mitigation agencies will be acting jointly with the Armed Forces.
According to the joint press center, the exercise involves national peacekeeping contingents from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, as well as operations groups from the CSTO's Joint Staff and Secretariat. In all, more than 2,000 troops, 500 pieces of armored hardware and automobiles, Mil Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters, Ilyushin Il-76 and C-295 aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles are taking part in it.
The participants have launched preparations for a peacekeeping mission, the press center said. This phase of the exercise includes the peacekeeping contingents' redeployment to the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces' base, achieving combat cohesion and organizing a peacekeeping operation. The CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces will tackle combat training missions at checkpoints and refugee centers and will practice escorting convoys and cargoes and providing humanitarian aid during the practical part of the drills.