DUSHANBE, 31.10.2018 /NIAT Khovar/.  The joint drills of the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries dubbed «Unbreakable Brotherhood 2018» kicked off in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Tuesday, reported TASS news agency.

The opening ceremony was held on the territory of the 32nd cantonment while the maneuvers will be conducted at the Sverdlovsky practice range.

«The aim is to check the readiness of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent to accomplish missions, improve the skills of the personnel and master the professionalism of officers of command and control bodies,» Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov said at the opening ceremony.

«In 2018, the troops of the Central Military District are going through especially tense operational and combat training: they have already taken part in five international drills,» Deputy Commander of the Central Military District Lieutenant-General Yuri Petrov said.

The Unbreakable Brotherhood-2018 drills involve about 1,300 troops, 300 pieces of military hardware and 20 various aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles.

About 300 servicemen have arrived in Yekaterinburg from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Russia will be represented by a peacekeeping battalion, reconnaissance, military police and logistics units, field mobile command posts and aircraft.