From 15 to 19 September, an active phase of the CSTO CSTO exercise will take place in Armenia

From 15 to 19 September, an active phase of military exercises of the CSTO "Interaction-2012" collective response force will take place in Armenia at the Bagromyan test site, during which the use of collective security forces and means in the Caucasus region will be worked out.

The CSTO CRRF exercises are held in Armenia in accordance with the plan of joint activities of operational and combat training of command bodies and forces and means of the CSTO collective security system for 2012 year.

Military contingents and formations of special forces and operational groups of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, as well as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, international observers of the United Nations, OSCE, CIS participate in the exercises. The total number of contingents involved is about 2000 people.

The CSTO member states allocated to participate in the Interaction-2012 exercise military units and special forces units from the KSOR special forces formations have already arrived at the Baghramyan training ground, where the field camp is located, and have begun training.

On September 10, the first joint training of the units of the joint group of troops to work on the upcoming combat training tasks took place at the Baghramyan proving ground of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia. The actions of the collective forces were led by the commander of the CSTO RRF from the Republic of Armenia, Major General Kamo Kochunts.

During the training, issues of interaction between command and control bodies, the practical exit of units on military equipment and the actions of personnel in the areas of combat training tasks were worked out. The actions of troops (forces) were carried out with the support of units of the front and army aviation.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, the active phase of the joint exercise of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF) of the CSTO "Interaction-2012" will be observed by the heads of defense departments of the six participating countries.

According to the ministry’s information, the operational meeting was held in Armenia the other day, during which the command of the military contingents and command groups was given the initial situation and the purpose of the exercise, and areas for training combat missions were designated. "The commanders of military formations carried out a reconnaissance of the areas of the exercise and began to prepare them for the upcoming maneuvers," - said in a statement.

For the first time, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will participate in exercises with the CSTO CRRF in accordance with the Protocol of Intentions signed by the CSTO Secretariat and the ICRC in 2009 and the Cooperation Plan for 2012-2014.

The purpose of the ICRC’s participation in the exercise is to interact with the RRF’s command to ensure that the operation is conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law (IHL) and other international legal standards. The ICRC, in conjunction with the KSOR command, organizes briefings for participants in exercises on the mandate and activities of the organization and the basics of IHL. The units of the ICRC will also work out practical issues of interaction in the area of ​​operations, including when the ICRC is monitoring the humanitarian situation and visiting detainees.

The CSTO collective rapid reaction forces are designed to repel military aggression, conduct special operations to combat international terrorism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, and also to eliminate the consequences of emergency situations.

The military component of the CORF consists of formations and units of constant combat readiness. The total strength of the CSTO CRRF is estimated at about 20 thousand people, half of whom are Russian soldiers.

CSTO participants after the suspension of Uzbekistan’s membership remain Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.