Russia: Collective Security Treaty Organization actually has integrated air defense – minister

Sergei Shoigu

MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/: The integrated air defense (AD) system of member-states of the Collective Security Organization (CSTO) has actually been created, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on the air with the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"It [the integrated AD system - TASS] has actually been created, created at a bilateral level. We have an agreement <...> with each country. This is with Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and naturally with Belarus," the minister said.

"Certainly, it is outfitted, it is in service; we stage exercises from time to time and keep it in the state of combat readiness. The United AD system is in CIS. It is actually present in the CSTO," Shoigu said. "We have a bilateral agreement with each of CSTO member-states. The system was created under the said bilateral agreement," the minister added.