MINSK, October 15. /TASS/. As part of the Barrier 2026 special exercise, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military personnel practiced providing medical care in the event of a major outbreak of a dangerous infectious disease, the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry reported on Telegram.
According to the ministry, at the Starodorozhskaya Central District Hospital, a joint NBC protection and medical support unit has been practicing the provision of medical care in the event of a large-scale infectious disease outbreak. A patient screening area and an observation zone have been set up on the hospital grounds. A decontamination station for medical transport has also been established. The hospital has been reinforced with a PCR laboratory provided by the national Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health. Military specialists and civilian medical personnel are working together to identify patients with symptoms of infectious diseases.
According to Alexander Malyukh, chief of the Belarusian Defense Ministry’s Military Medical Directorate, medical personnel have demonstrated a high level of readiness to detect biological threats, conduct reconnaissance, implement sanitary and anti-epidemic measures, and provide medical care to patients with infectious diseases. A unit of the joint force has been deployed to one of the Health Ministry’s medical facilities, where its team of doctors and nurses is supplementing the facility’s capacity to provide medical care.
"We place special emphasis on cooperation between the military and civilian healthcare systems, which is practiced through the treatment of patients and the conduct of clinical and laboratory tests. Carrying out such activities with the participation of specialists from other countries represents a tremendous exchange of experience for medical professionals from various nations. The joint task force is ready to respond to any situation while carrying out missions in the territory of CSTO member states. At the same time, the specific nature and characteristics of the sanitary and epidemiological situation in these countries must be taken into account," the ministry’s press service quoted Malyukh as saying. He noted that the experience gained from deploying the joint unit in the territory of Belarus could be used in the future to combat infectious diseases.
According to the ministry, personnel of the CSTO’s joint NBC protection and medical support unit have established a reception and diagnostic unit at the Starodorozhsky training ground. It is designed to provide care for patients with or suspected of having dangerous infections. The unit’s staff practices procedures for identifying patients with suspected viral infections, isolating them, and transporting them to a specialized medical facility. The work is carried out under strict anti-epidemic protocols. The unit provides initial triage and isolation, qualified medical care, PCR-based laboratory diagnostics, containment measures, disinfection, and the disposal of biohazardous waste.
CSTO exercises
On October 11, the CSTO command and staff exercises Indestructible Brotherhood 2026 and Barrier 2026 began in Belarus. They involve over 1,500 military personnel and 300 pieces of weaponry, military hardware, and specialized equipment. Taking part in the exercises are troop contingents (Collective Forces) from the CSTO member states: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. These include military contingents, units of internal affairs bodies and national guard, as well as task groups of the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat. The Russian military contingent is primarily composed of units from a combined arms army of the Central Military District.