Executive Summary
This report provides an assessment of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) military exercise “Rubezh-2025”, held in Kyrgyzstan from 17 to 20 September 2025.
The military exercise involved contingents from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, under the coordination of the CSTO Joint Staff. “Rubezh-2025” concentrated on teamwork, anti-terrorism activities, and mutual defence, while also highlighting strategies against unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and operational insights from Russia’s current conflict in Ukraine.
This event reinforced Moscow’s influence within the CSTO, highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s pivotal role in regional security, and showcased the alliance’s readiness to respond to potential threats along Central Asia’s southern borders.
Key Takeaways
- “Rubezh-2025” consolidated CSTO members’ ability to plan and execute coordinated operations under Russian-led command.
- The exercise embedded Russian operational lessons from Ukraine into Central Asian military structures, with an emphasis on counter-UAS defence.
- Kyrgyzstan’s role as host confirmed its strategic importance for collective security arrangements in Central Asia.
Facts
On September 15, 2025, the Edelweiss Training Centre hosted the initial stage of “Rubezh-2025,” with over 160 officers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan participating in staff exercises. These sessions, led by the CSTO Joint Staff, focused on command synchronisation, operational deployment, and protection of command posts against UAV threats. The training concluded with a hands-on demonstration of how to defend against drone attacks.
From September 17-20, 2025, Military Unit 2636’s training facility, part of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defence, hosted the active phase of “Rubezh-2025”. The exercises included battalion-scale movements intended to mimic counter-terrorism efforts, defend against attacks, and organise joint responses to multifaceted dangers.
“Rubezh-2025” trained combined rapid reaction forces, electronic warfare, and joint missions. The training included simulations based on Russia’s experiences in Ukraine, specifically addressing the challenges of combating drone attacks and handling decentralised command centres.
Senior CSTO officials, including Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov, attended the meeting. Tasmagambetov underscored the danger of extremist groups infiltrating from Afghanistan and reasserted the CSTO’s obligation to defend Central Asia.
Analysis
“Rubezh-2025” demonstrated Russia’s continues effort to merge military influence across Central Asia by embedding operational practices from Ukraine into allied forces. The exercise improved interoperability among CSTO members, bolstered their ability to coordinate under Russian leadership, and improved regional preparedness to address asymmetric threats, particularly terrorism and UAV-based attacks.
Kyrgyzstan’s hosting of the exercise marked an important signal of Bishkek’s commitment to CSTO and reinforced its significance in regional defence planning. The selection of Military Unit 2636 as the site highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s willingness to offer essential infrastructure for multilateral exercises. Russia’s command of the exercise underscored its ambition to employ the CSTO for disseminating military experience, solidifying its enduring influence within Central Asian security frameworks.
The explicit focus on counter-UAS tactics reflects the adaptation of CSTO forces to modern conflict requirements and shows Moscow’s intent to replicate its Ukraine experiences in allied militaries. By connecting the drills to border security against extremists, the CSTO boosted its political importance to Central Asian governments worried about the instability in Afghanistan.
Implications
- Russia strengthens its position as the central security guarantor within CSTO and leverages Kyrgyzstan’s role to project influence across Central Asia.
- CSTO forces gained practical experience in counter-UAS tactics, enhancing their significance in future conflicts involving asymmetric threats.
- Kyrgyzstan emerges as a significant military hub for CSTO activities, signalling its deeper integration into Russian-led security structures.
- Regional actors accept Russia’s operational lessons from Ukraine, further aligning their doctrines with Moscow’s approach to modern warfare.
- CSTO exercises reinforce the collective commitment to border security along Afghanistan, enhancing Tajikistan’s reliance on the alliance.
Conclusion
“Rubezh-2025” demonstrated the CSTO’s ability to coordinate actions in Central Asia, alongside Russia’s commitment to implementing its strategic framework in the armed forces of its partners.
Looking forward, CSTO is likely to expand similar exercises across the region, further aligning Central Asian security practices with Russian operational priorities.
“Rubezh-2025” occurred in the same week Russia conducted the military exercise “Zapad-2025” with Belarus. While “Zapad-2025” demonstrated Russia and Belarus’s readiness to counter Western threats to their European borders, the concurrent Rubezh-2025 exercises in Kyrgyzstan enabled Moscow to highlight its ability to protect Central Asia via CSTO cooperation.
Through these military exercises, the Kremlin solidified its geopolitical position in Eurasia, underscoring its operational expertise in defending against drone attacks gleaned from the Ukraine war, and exhibited both regional leadership and strategic agility.
*Cover image: A picture from “Rubezh-2025” (Credits: Collective Security Treaty Organisation Official Website)
