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CSTO exercise led by Russia’s National Guard kicks off in Siberia

Interested ministries and agencies from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan took part in the ceremony

NOVOSIBIRSK, August 14. /TASS/. The opening ceremony for a special exercise of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Cobalt-2024, led by the National Guard of Russia, was held in Siberia’s Novosibirsk Region on Wednesday.

According to a TASS reporter, participants in the exercise will practice new actions by groups of forces and means and test new weapons and military hardware as well as train on tactical methods of using unmanned aerial vehicles.

"Amid global instability and heightened terrorist activity, the present situation requires us to be in a state of constant readiness for combat use as attempts are being made to undermine the constitutional order, ignite military conflicts and wars," Colonel General Nikolay Markov, commander of the Siberian National Guard District, said in opening remarks.

Interested ministries and agencies from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan took part in the ceremony.

During the drills, set to run through August 16, participants will exchange best practices and improve cooperation between units from special operations forces. CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force troops will train practical skills in joint activity for the purpose of searching for, tracking and destroying illegal armed formations. On the final day, special forces will practice storming a building and vehicles, freeing hostages and wiping out militants.

Earlier, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov said at the meeting of the Council and the 16th plenary session of the organization’s Parliamentary Assembly that the CSTO plans to hold seven joint military exercises in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2024.

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