CSTO's Unbreakable Brotherhood 2025 and Barrier 2025 exercises commence in Tajikistan
20 October 2025 13:01
On 20 October, an opening ceremony of the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2025 joint exercise with the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Barrier 2025 special exercise involving a joint unit of radiation, chemical, and biological protection and medical support of the CSTO took place at the Fakhrabad training ground in Tajikistan.
The solemn ceremony was attended by Lieutenant General Bobojon Saidzoda (Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan), Imangali Tasmagambetov (Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation), Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov (Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff), representatives of the armed forces of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, and invited officials.
The solemn event began with formation of peacekeeping contingents. A military band performed national anthems and raised national flags of CSTO member states.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan Lieutenant General Bobojon Saidzoda, in particular, said that 'The response of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation to various threats and crisis situations, taking into account the evolving situation, has always been at the forefront of our attention.
In a dynamically developing environment and a concentration of destabilising factors in the immediate vicinity of our borders, the readiness of collective forces and means to carry out tasks of purpose is becoming increasingly relevant. Such large-scale joint exercises are dictated by the dynamic situation in our difficult region and underscores the need to unite the efforts of our countries in confronting current challenges and threats'.
Imangali Tasmagambetov, the CSTO Secretary General, welcomed the participants of the exercise.
'The exercises are carried out in conditions of escalating crisis in the system of international relations and preservation of conflict potential in the CSTO Central Asian region. The CSTO member states are taking all necessary measures to develop the forces and means of the collective security system in order to jointly counter modern challenges and threats.
CSTO peacekeeping forces, in a complex military-political situation and regional instability, must be in constant readiness to conduct peacekeeping operations both within and outside the Organisation's area of responsibility under the UN mandate,' the CSTO Secretary General said.
He also noted that the upcoming exercises would serve to improve the working methods of commanders and headquarters in preparing and conducting a peacekeeping operation, to improve field training and coherence of national peacekeeping contingents.
'I am confident that the exercises will be conducted at a high organisational and methodical standard and that their results will be used to improve the mechanism for making and implementing decisions on the use of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces,' Imangali Tasmagambetov said in his address.
The event ended with the peacekeeping contingents marching in formation at the field camp.
From 20 to 24 October, an active phase of the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2025 joint exercise with CSTO peacekeeping forces will be held at the Fakhrabad training ground in Tajikistan, during which a peacekeeping operation on the territory of a CSTO member state will be practised.
For the first time, within the framework of the peacekeeping exercise, a special exercise - Barrier 2025 - is being conducted with joint formation of CSTO NBC Protection and medical support units. During these exercises, the joint formation of CSTO NBC Protection and medical support is directly subordinated to the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces Commander. The main task of the joint formation in the exercise is to ensure the biological safety of the coalition grouping of forces.
Military contingents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and the operational groups of the CSTO Joint Staff and the CSTO Secretariat take part in the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2025 and Barrier 2025 exercises. The Russian contingent is based on units of the 201st military base of the Central Military District, including mountain units, communication units, electronic warfare units, NBC Protection units, medical units, and UAV teams. The total number of participants in the exercise is about 1,500 as well as more than 200 units of military and special hardware, including 6 helicopters and over 20 UAVs.
Active phases of the CSTO exercises are to be conducted in conjunction with the final stage of the joint anti-terrorism training of the competent authorities of the CIS member states, Commonwealth Anti-Terror 2025.
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