CSTO army exercise begins in Kazakhstan

The opening ceremony of the CSTO peacekeeping exercise, Unbreakable Brotherhood 2012, in Kazakhstan. Credit:eurasianet.orgThe peacemaking exercise Indestructible Brotherhood 2012 was solemnly opened at the training center Iliysky in Kazakhstan on 8 October.

The exercise involves peacemaking troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states, representatives of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA.

Seven flags of the participating states - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan - were hoisted at the ceremony. During the opening ceremony Kazakh paratroopers demonstrated operational procedures of peacemaking forces in various situations, BelTA reports.

First Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus, Major-General Piotr Tikhonovsky took part in the opening ceremony. After the solemn event he met with the Belarusian peacemaking squad.

It is the CSTO's first joint peacemaking exercise involving the collective peacemaking forces. The exercise will take place at the training grounds Iliysky, Shoshkala, and Bereg. Up to 1,000 people will be involved, 70 automobiles, 24 armored vehicles, and four helicopters. The Belarusian Armed Forces will be represented by the peacemaking squad of the 103rd independent guards mobile brigade of the special operations forces.

8 October saw the first phase of the training begin. During this phase the united command and multinational peacemaking units will be formed, with a peacemaking operation prepared. The command and the personnel will be prepared to accomplish their tasks. The troops will study such things as the convoy of humanitarian cargoes, liquidation of mass riots, provision of first medical aid, detection and disarming of self-made explosive devices and mines, protection of a military base, checkpoint service procedures, patrolling, and a search operation in a populated locality.

A week later, during the second phase of the exercise, the CSTO collective peacemaking forces will be deployed to their responsibility areas and will start performing peacemaking tasks in a peacemaking operation.

Representatives of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations will be invited as observers to monitor the active phase of the exercise on 17 October. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration, the CIS Executive Committee, the diplomatic corps accredited in Kazakhstan will be invited as well.

KAZINFORM