Russia and its allies begin military exercises in Belarus

Military exercises Indestructible Brotherhood 2026 and Barrier 2026 begin in Belarus on 12 October, involving Russia and other allies of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).

Source: CSTO website

Details: The exercises will run from 12 to 16 October.

Quote: "The exercises involve contingents of troops (collective forces) from the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan.

These include military contingents, units of internal affairs agencies (police) and national guards, as well as operational groups from the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat. The Russian military contingent is primarily made up of units from a combined-arms army of the Central Military District."

Details: More than 1,500 military personnel and over 300 pieces of weapons, military and special equipment are involved, including around 80 different types of UAVs.

The CSTO website described the exercises as training for "peacekeeping operations". Among other things, participants will practise measures to "address biological threats".

The exercises will take place at the Losvido and Starodorozhsky training grounds.

Background: Belarus's Ministry of Defence announced that exercises for units on the combat deployment of nuclear weapons had begun in the country on 18 May. They are being conducted in coordination with Russian military forces.

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