Forces from the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) engaged in large-scale combat drills in Kyrgyzstan, Friday. Anti-drug units from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan took part in the drills, called Grom-2013 (Thunder-2013), focusing on combating drug-trafficking in Kyrgyzstan. Two Su-25 assault jets, provided by the Russian Defence Ministry, flew over the polygon several times in mock bombing raids. The planes took off from the Kant air base, which Russia rents from host Kyrgyzstan. Mi-8 helicopters dropped counter-trafficking troops, while other units arrived on armoured personnel carriers. One team landed on the roof of a building from an Mi-8 and stormed it from the top. The drills also included sniffer and combat dogs in action, practising to find and detain criminals. Some analysts speculate that the CSTO is conducting these drills in response to the impending withdrawal of NATO forces from nearby Afghanistan, which produces over half of the world's opium. However, the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, Viktor Ivanov, denied this claim, saying: "First of all, I would like to say that the drills are not connected with troop withdrawals from Afghanistan in 2014. Besides, part of those forces will maintain a presence [in Afghanistan]. Secondly, Afghan drug production is so large-scale, that it has been estimated that there is up to 40,000 tons of opium stored in warehouses there. So, we do not expect any decrease or increase in drug production in Afghanistan. Its level is so high that the wave of drugs eclipses the current market for Afghan drug production." The Secretary General of CSTO, Nikolai Bordyuzha, was also present at the drills.

• published: 21 Sep 2013
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