The active phase of joint military exercises involving countries in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) finished in Belarus on Saturday.

The CSTO contingents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan took part in the week-long drills.

Observers from Iran attended the final stage of the exercise at the Losvido training ground in Vitebsk region, Russian news agencies reported.

According to a report by the Russian State TV, all soldiers of the Russian contingent were on the frontline in Ukraine and their main goal was to share real combat experience.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said the CSTO troops demonstrated “the ability and possibility to respond to various threats in the organization's areas of responsibility.”

The Collective Security Treaty Organization was formed in the first half of the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Besides Russia, it includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.