CSTO launches military exercises to counter militant infiltration from Afghanistan

The Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has launched military exercises in southeastern Kazakhstan, focusing on countering the possible infiltration of militant groups from Afghanistan into Central Asian countries, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

According to The Times of Central Asia, the CSTO exercises began on 12 September and will continue until 19 September in the Koktal area of Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region.

The organisation’s rapid reaction forces are training in mountainous and desert terrain to counter the infiltration of armed groups into border areas.

The exercises come as Russia and Tajikistan have again raised concerns about the activities of armed groups in Afghanistan.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said on 8 September that Moscow was paying particular attention to strengthening security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

Following several attacks from Afghan territory late last year, Tajikistan called on other CSTO members to provide additional assistance to protect its border. Five Chinese citizens and two Tajik border guards were killed in attacks in late 2025.

In this context, CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov said on 28 August that the first shipment of equipment and weapons to strengthen the border would be sent to Tajikistan this autumn.

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a military and security alliance comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. Tajikistan is the only CSTO member that shares a border with Afghanistan.

Despite growing engagement between Central Asian countries and the Taliban since the group returned to power in August 2021, the presence of armed groups in Afghanistan, particularly ISIS-Khorasan, remains a shared security concern for CSTO members.

According to UN estimates, around 15,000 to 20,000 fighters linked to roughly 20 armed groups are present in Afghanistan. Russia has estimated their number at up to 23,000.

The Times of Central Asia wrote that the Taliban was regarded as a serious threat to Central Asian countries in the late 1990s, but the current CSTO exercises are not directed against the group.

Russia has recognised the Taliban government, while even Tajikistan has gradually established channels of communication with the group.

CSTO members are now more focused on groups such as IS-Khorasan. The group claimed responsibility for the 22 March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow, which killed more than 140 people.

The infiltration of armed groups, drug trafficking and insecurity along Afghanistan’s borders remain among the CSTO’s main security concerns.