Media reports say the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will hold the active phase of its Indestructible Brotherhood 2023 peacekeepers’ drills in Kyrgyzstan from October 9-13.

"The active phase of the exercise will take place at the Edelweiss training ground from October 9-13 at the final phase of the CSTO’s Combat Brotherhood 2023 operational and strategic exercise," Vladislav Shchegrikovich, a spokesman for the CSTO Joint Staff, told TASS on October 4. 

According to him, the exercise will focus on honing the skills of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent’s commanders and personnel and improving troop coordination in fulfilling objectives in the Central Asian region.

"Troops will exercise in high mountain conditions to fulfil the objectives of the post-conflict settlement in a crisis zone, carry out a peacekeeping operation with the use of forces and capabilities of the CSTO collective security system and render humanitarian aid. The Collective Peacekeeping Forces in interaction with Emergencies Ministry units will practice combat training assignments at checkpoints and casualty reception points while escorting columns and cargoes, liberating a populated area, rescuing notional hostages and rendering humanitarian assistance," the spokesman said.

The troops participating in the drills are reportedly redeploying to Kyrgyzstan on October 4-8.  

Kyrgyzstan’s AKIpress reports that these exercises will involve the peacekeeping forces of the CSTO member countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Recall, Tajik military personnel did not take part in the CSTO joint exercises, dubbed "Border -2021", which were conducted in Kyrgyzstan in September 2021.

For their part, Kyrgyz military servicemen did not participate in the CSTO drill, dubbed Rubezh 2022 (Frontier 2022), which was conducted in Tajikistan in October last year.  

Both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, along with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which was founded in 1992.   

On October 6, 2007, CSTO members agreed to a major expansion of the organization to create a CSTO peacekeeping force that could be deployed under a U.N. mandate or without one in its member states.

On December 10, 2010, the member states approved a declaration establishing a CSTO peacekeeping force and a declaration of the CSTO member states, in addition to signing a package of joint documents.