MOSCOW, 19 August (BelTA) – The Unbreakable Brotherhood 2016 exercise for peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization will take place in Belarus on 23-27 August, CSTO Press Secretary Vladimir Zainetdinov told BelTA.
The exercise is supposed to become an important stage in joint operational and combat training of various parts of the CSTO's force component this year.
This year's exercise will take place near Baranovichi in the Obuz-Lesnovsky exercise area. The exercise will focus on preparing and carrying out a peacekeeping operation by the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces. However, the concept of the exercise will differ from conventional templates. Instead a number of useful novelties will be practiced. They reflect new ways of carrying out peacekeeping missions as part of modern integrated peacekeeping operations.
For the first time the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces will get a mandate of the UN Security Council and will act in a crisis area together with the UN mission. Concerted efforts aimed at improving the CSTO's peacekeeping assets have been noted by representatives of other international organizations. Representatives of the UN Secretariat and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been invited to attend the exercise.
The Unbreakable Brotherhood 2016 exercise will involve over 1,000 officers and soldiers from the armies, the interior troops, and police of the six CSTO member states (Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Tajikistan) as well as over 500 automobiles, aircraft, and armored vehicles.
