VITEBSK, August 31. /TASS/. Over 2,000 servicemen and 450 pieces of equipment will participate in Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) drills in Belarus, the exercises’ press service told reporters.

Troop contingents of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are participating in the drills. These include military units, Interior Ministry special forces, security agencies, emergency response agencies, and operational groups of the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat. "In total, more than 2,000 servicemen and 450 pieces of weaponry and military equipment are involved, including nine combat aircraft, helicopters, and over 70 types of drones," the press service noted.

The opening ceremony took place in in the city of Vitebsk in Belarus, a TASS correspondent reported. The agenda for the drills began with a solemn commemoration ceremony for the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The servicemen laid flowers at the monument to those who fought in the war and contributed to the defeat of Nazism.

Addressing the exercise participants, Joint Staff Chief Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov noted that NATO continues to expand its military presence on the eastern flank, including in close proximity to the Belarusian and Russian borders. He added that, given the situation's dynamics, the CSTO's priority is conducting high-quality joint operational and combat training exercises. The main goal is to work out joint operational and combat tasks to ensure the deployment of regional troop formations.

In turn, Belarusian General Staff Chief Pavel Muraveyko told reporters that the servicemen would practice countering hybrid threats during the drills. According to him, the exercises will involve the most modern methods of warfare based on recent military conflict experience, including the use of drones, robotic systems, electronic warfare equipment, and communications equipment using the latest IT systems.