Executive Summary
Between 20 and 24 October 2025, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) conducts the military exercises Indestructible Brotherhood-2025 and Barrier-2025 at the Fakhrabad training ground in Tajikistan.
The training emphasised peacekeeping operations and radiological, chemical, and biological (RCB) defence, showing an ability to address international threats originating from Afghanistan and the CSTO’s functional unity.
This report highlights that, beyond the immediate military objectives, the exercises serve as an instrument of political signalling, reaffirming Russian influence in Central Asia and asserting the alliance’s relevance to regional and global actors.
Key Takeaways
- CSTO exercises reaffirm Moscow’s military strategy and foreign policy in Central Asia, consolidating Tajikistan as a central node for regional security.
- Integration of RCB defence capabilities highlights adaptation to non-traditional threats and modern operational requirements.
- Military drills serve the dual purpose of displaying solidarity among allies and signalling Russia’s ongoing regional presence to outside parties.
Facts
Senior officials attended the opening ceremony, including the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan, Lieutenant General Abdukodir Saidozoda, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov, Chief of the Joint Staff of the CSTO Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov, representatives of the organisation’s armed forces and invited officials.
The exercise involved military forces from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, with Russia’s 201st Military Base providing the main operational support. The drills involved about 1,500 people, including mountain infantry, communication specialists, electronic warfare experts, medical staff, unmanned aerial system operators, and RCB protection teams. The military exercises also included over 200 military and specialised systems, such as six helicopters and over 20 UAVs.
Indestructible Brotherhood-2025 focused on peacekeeping operations, command-and-control, and interoperability, while Barrier-2025 specifically trained forces for biosecurity and RCB incident response.
Following the CSTO’s Rubezh-2025 exercise in Kyrgyzstan in September 2025, these drills exhibited a coordinated series of operational actions among the allied forces. Official communications highlighted the exercises’ operational and political aspects, encompassing alliance unity, preparedness for cross-border threats, and the confirmation of multinational command structures.
Analysis
The CSTO exercises in Tajikistan represent a deliberate intersection of operational readiness, strategic signalling, and doctrinal evolution. Both geographical and strategic requirements dictate the choice of Tajikistan, as the country’s proximity to Afghanistan makes it an important location for surveillance of insurgent infiltration, illicit drug trafficking, and biological safety risks. These military exercises test the CSTO’s capacity to organise swift reactions across both standard and unconventional threat areas.
Operationally, integrating RCB defence units with traditional peacekeeping forces signifies a change in CSTO doctrine regarding multidimensional security threats. The 201st Military Base provides Russia with logistical supremacy and operational centrality, enabling coordinated deployment, command, and support of allied contingents. These exercises confirm multinational interoperability while showcasing Moscow’s ongoing ability to direct intricate regional operations.
Politically, the exercises serve as a signal to CSTO member states and external actors alike. The drills strengthen the alliance’s unity and operational reliability, considering recent Armenia’s stances and participation within the alliance. In addition, Indestructible Brotherhood-2025 and Barrier-2025 respond to earlier criticisms of CSTO efficiency, since the organisation has militarily intervened only in Kazakhstan in 2022.
Externally, these military drills communicate to China, Turkey, and Western powers that Russia maintains primacy in hard-security arrangements across Central Asia. Ceremonial elements, media coverage, and participation of senior officials amplify the political dimension, projecting unity and readiness.
Strategically, these exercises show Russia’s intent to sustain influence amid competing regional actors. A visible CSTO activity counterbalances China’s expanding economic and security footprint in Central Asia and Turkey’s regional engagement through the Organisation of Turkic States. The emphasis on both peacekeeping and biosecurity shows a recognition of current security threats, such as hybrid warfare, terrorism, and biological hazards, highlighting the CSTO’s continuing doctrinal adjustments.
Implications
- Enhances CSTO credibility and reassures member states of alliance readiness to address conventional and non-conventional threats.
- Demonstrates operational integration in biosecurity and peacekeeping domains, providing a foundation for rapid deployment in crisis scenarios.
- Consolidates Russia’s strategic primacy and operational influence within Central Asia, particularly through Tajikistan and the 201st Military Base.
- Signals the CSTO’s capability and cohesion to external actors, including China and Turkey.
- Increases regional tension by emphasising Russian-led security structures in a competitive geopolitical environment.
Conclusion
The CSTO exercises in Tajikistan exemplify a convergence of operational preparedness, alliance signalling, and strategic influence. The military drills reinforce Moscow’s crucial position in regional security, confirm the validity of CSTO command structures, and showcase the alliance’s ability to tackle conventional and biosecurity threats.
While troop numbers remain modest relative to historical standards, the exercises combine practical interoperability with political messaging, reinforcing the organisation’s relevance and resilience.
Projecting forward, the alliance might persist in conducting prominent exercises to preserve unity, provide assurance to member nations, and affirm Russia’s strategic influence in Central Asia amid contending regional entities and persistent security concerns originating in Afghanistan.
*Cover image: a moment during the opening ceremony of CSTO exercises “Unbreakable Brotherhood-2025” and “Barrier-2025” in Tajikistan (Credits: CSTO Official Website)
