‘Unbreakable Brotherhood’: CSTO forces exercising response to refugee flow in Belarus

The joint exercise Unbreakable Brotherhood 2016, which involves the collective peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, started in Belarus’ Brest region on Tuesday.

The exercise is taking place in the combined arms exercise area Abuz-Lyasnovski near the town of Baranavichy and is controlled by Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister, Major-General Syarhei Patapenka.

National contingents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are partici[pating in the exercise. Up to 1,500 personnel representing the armies, interior troops and police of all the six CSTO member states as well as about 30 aircraft, armored vehicles and automobiles are involved in the military game.

As part of the exercise the CSTO collective peacekeeping forces will respond to a mass arrival of refugees from conflict zones. Buffer zones will be created, hypothetical aggressors will be separated, militants will be blocked and disarmed, and humanitarian cargoes will be escorted. The exercise will test the real readiness of the staffs, commanders and rank and file personnel of the peacekeeping forces to act in an aggravated crisis situation, Patapenka said.

The Unbreakable Brotherhood 2016 exercise is scheduled for 23-27 August.