Belarus to take part in CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces drills in Kazakhstan

The military exercises will be held in Karaganda from August 18 to August 22.

The exercises will be focused on the use of military contingents and formations of the special purpose forces of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in the Central Asian region of the collective security, BelTA learnt from CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov.

The drills will involve about 3,000 personnel, 200 military vehicles and about 30 aircraft and helicopters from military contingents, operational groups and special purpose formations from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The troops will include military forces of the Russian airborne brigade, brigades of airmobile forces of Kazakhstan, the mobile brigade of special operations forces of Belarus, special detachments of Kyrgyzstan and an airborne squadron from Tajikistan.

The aim of the integrated exercises "Interaction 2014" is to improve the interaction of command units in the preparation of combat operations and troop control including the activities to deploy troops in the region of interaction and comprehensive support.

Belarusian opposition leaders condemned the signing of the agreement to form the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces and called them punitive forces that would defend CIS dictators. Belarus's involvement in the formation of these forces conflicts with the country's neutral status and the Belarusian constitution.