Russian-Led CSTO To Hold Military Maneuvers In Central Asia In October

Large-scale CSTO military exercises are due to be held in three Central Asian countries later this year. (file photo)

NUR-SULTAN -- The Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will hold wide-scale military maneuvers in Central Asia in October.

"In October this year, the Cooperation-2022 command-post exercises of the collective forces of operative reaction, Search-2022 special maneuvers with the participation of intelligence forces, and Echelon-2022 material and technical supply drills will be held in Kazakhstan," the Kazakh Defense Ministry said late on April 27 in a statement.

The statement added that CSTO troops will also hold Frontier-2022 maneuvers in Tajikistan in October and Endurable Brotherhood-2022 exercises in Kyrgyzstan.

Since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, many in Kazakhstan have expressed concerns regarding the Central Asian nation's membership in the CSTO.

Those fears have built on recent uneasiness over ties with Russia after Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev turned to the CSTO to send troops to the country to help disperse mass anti-government protests earlier this year that turned deadly.

CSTO members include Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.