‘The CSTO is an exclusively defensive political-military organization. It can use collective defensive forces only within its area of responsibility,’ the official explained to the Mir 24 television channel.

The alliance is made up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Forces from these countries, with the exception of Armenia, began joint antiaircraft maneuvers at the Ashuluk military range, in the Astrakhan region, near the Caspian Sea.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, more than two thousand soldiers participate in the exercise, in addition to anti-missile systems S-400, S-300 and Pantsir, strategic bombers Tu-22M3 and Su-25, Su-30, Su-27 and MiG-29, among other combat aircraft.

The CSTO plans to conduct military exercises from September 7th-9th in Kyrgyzstan, also with military units and task forces from all member countries but Armenia.

Under the name of Rubezh 2021, the exercises will take place at the Edelweiss training ground, in Russia, under the premise of ‘destroying illegal armed formations that invaded the territory of a CSTO member state,’ reported its press service.

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