MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. Representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries have clarified and agreed on the details of the Interaction 2026, Search 2026, and Echelon 2026 military exercises during staff talks, Vladislav Shchegrikovich, press secretary of the organization’s Joint Staff, told TASS.

"From July 7-9, the second staff talks were held in the Russian Federation to organize and conduct the command and staff exercise with the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces Interaction 2026, the Search 2026 special reconnaissance forces and assets exercises, and the Echelon 2026 logistics exercise," the CSTO noted.

According to Shchegrikovich, activities related to the objectives of the Center 2026 strategic command and staff exercise of the Russian Armed Forces were also clarified and agreed upon, along with issues of management, the command strength and units of national contingents being trained, the procedure for conducting practical exercises, and the organization of comprehensive support.

According to the organization, representatives of the defense ministries of the Russian Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, as well as the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat, took part in the staff talks. Shchegrikovich added that actual ground inspection was also carried out in the areas of the exercises that are planned to be held at the Chebarkul training ground in September-October 2026.

"The CSTO Rapid Reaction Forces are designed to quickly respond to challenges and threats to the CSTO member states’ security. They include mobile formations and permanent readiness military units of the armed forces of CSTO member states, fully staffed and equipped with modern weapons and military (special) equipment, as well as special forces units from the special units of internal affairs agencies, security agencies, special services, and authorized bodies in the field of emergency prevention and response," he added.