Tajikistan's military personnel have arrived in Kyrgyzstan to participate in the joint "Rubezh-2025" exercises, organized by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The drills, which involve the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia, will take place from September 17 to September 20 at the Edelweiss training ground. CSTO operational headquarters and secretariat groups will also be involved in the exercises.
The Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense reported that the goal of the drills is to prepare and conduct operations aimed at eliminating illegal armed groups that have infiltrated the territories of CSTO member states. These maneuvers are part of the preparation for counterterrorism actions and other crisis response scenarios in Central Asia.
The Tajik Ministry of Defense has not provided any specific details about the participation of its military personnel in the CSTO exercises.
CSTO’s Rapid Reaction Forces
The Central Asian region’s Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) was established in 2001 under a decision by the CSTO Security Council, equipped with modern weapons and technology. Their primary task is to defend against external military threats and participate in joint counterterrorism operations.
Upcoming exercises in Tajikistan
In addition to the exercises in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan will also host its own drills this fall. These will be the first to be held under the cooperation between the CSTO and the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center. Two major events will take place: the CSTO "Nerushimoye Bratstvo-2025" and the CIS anti-terrorism exercises "Sodruzhestvo. Antiterror-2025."
CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov previously stated that the exercises will follow a unified plan, ensuring maximum coordination between the member states of both organizations. The main objective of these maneuvers is to practice actions for detecting and preventing the movement of terrorists across national borders, a key element in the fight against international terrorism.
