The Combat Brotherhood 2023 joint strategic military exercises are coming to a close on Wednesday, wrapping up the six-day event under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Military contingents from all member states, except Armenia, are taking part in Combat Brotherhood 2023, which includes five special drills related to intelligence units, medical personnel as well as chemical, biological, and radiological protection forces.
The exercises’ press service reported that during the war games, the intelligence units acted “in the interests of using the CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction Forces”.
According to the press service, these units practiced carrying out reconnaissance missions in order to “detect various objects of a mock enemy and illegal armed formations, as well as to direct and adjust the means of firepower.”
Vasily Piskarev, chairman of the Russian State Duma's (lower house) Committee for Security and Anti-Corruption, has meanwhile pointed out that the Combat Brotherhood 2023 exercises “show the entire world” that CSTO member states are capable of repelling “any attacks” of a potential enemy.
According to the Russian lawmaker, the drills demonstrated the cohesion between the armed forces of CSTO nations, who Piskarev said possess “the most cutting-edge weapons”.
He also touted Combat Brotherhood 2023 as an event to help CSTO members hammer out common approaches to defense and security issues.