MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. During its CSTO chairmanship in 2026, Russia paid significant attention to developing combat training for the CSTO Collective Forces, President Vladimir Putin said at an expanded meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

"Significant attention has traditionally been paid to improving the operational and combat training of the forces and assets of the collective security system," he said, speaking about Russia’s priorities during its CSTO chairmanship.

The president emphasized that a series of large-scale joint exercises had recently been conducted in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia. In particular, Putin recalled that the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces successfully conducted the Interaction-2026 drills in the Chelyabinsk Region, which were combined with strategic command-and-staff exercises. Systematic work was also carried out to equip the Collective Forces with modern weapons and equipment.