September 14, 2026
Times of Central Asia - For the CSTO, Afghanistan Might Be the Last Credible Threat
The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization is conducting its “Rubezh (Frontier) 2026”military exercises from September 12-19.
Those exercises are designed with Afghanistan in mind, a country that the CSTO has been talking about frequently in 2026, and also one where militant groups pose a shared threat to its members.
And even the Taliban are no longer viewed as the threat they once were.
Frontier 2026
The Frontier 2026 exercises are taking place at the Koktal training ground in southeastern Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Province. The CSTO’s Rapid Deployment Force is practicing to repel cross-border incursions in mountain and desert terrain.
The exercises come this time as concerns about infiltration by militants in Afghanistan into CIS territory are increasing. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on September 8 that Russia is paying special attention to strengthening Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan.
Read the full article on The Times of Central Asia.
Bruce Pannier is a Senior Fellow at the Turan Research Center.