BREST, September 6. /TASS/. The CSTO military exercise in Belarus made it possible for CSTO member states to exchange valuable experience, says General Naser Buhluli, officer of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff.
"I can say that the CSTO exercise went well. We can exchange experience here. During the exercise, we saw that armed forces of all [participating] states used their skills at the highest level. In complete order, they fulfilled their mission - from commander to soldier - at the highest level," the Iranian general told TASS after completion of the tactical part of the exercise at the Brestsky military ground.
The "Battle Brotherhood - 2023" joint strategic CSTO exercise, which took place in Belarus between September 1 and 6, encompassed five joint and special exercises. The "Interaction" exercise focused on use of CSTO collective security forces for settlement of a crisis situation in the Eastern European CSTO region.
The "Search" exercise focused on reconnaissance unit, while the "Echelon" exercise focused on supply and logistics. The "Barrier" exercise focused on radiation, chemical and biological protection, as well as medical aid. The "Rock" special exercise involved rescue forces.
The exercise involved national contingents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In addition to these countries, the CSTO also includes Armenia. Overall, the exercise involved over 2,500 servicemen and over 500 military and special vehicles. The final stage of the "Battle Brotherhood - 2023" exercise, called the "Unbreakable Brotherhood - 2023" will involve joint CSTO Peacekeeping Forces and will take place in Kyrgyzstan.