The Mi-8 helicopters of the Central Military District airlifted tactical assault forces of Armenia and Tajikistan to the area of simulated illegal armed group during the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2018 CSTO joint exercises in the Sverdlovsk region.

Paratroopers were air landed from Mi-8 helicopters. According to the scenario, the purpose of tactical airborne assault is to prevent the passage of illegal armed formations towards the refugee camp. Mi-24 attack helicopters of the Army Aviation of the Central Military District provided fire cover of the airborne assault.

The exercises involve five Mi-8 from airborne assault and a pair of Mi-24 to cover the troops.

The exercises involve military contingents from six CSTO member states: The exercises will engage military contingents from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, as well as operational groups of Joint Staff and CSTO Secretariat, police and EMERCOM units. At the exercises, the Russian Federation is represented by troops of the Central Military District as part of a peacekeeping battalion,  reconnaissance, aviation, military police, logistics, field command post units.

The total number of participants in the exercise amounts to about1,300 people, 300 pieces of military hardware and 20 units of various types of aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles. Representatives of International Committee of Red Cross are expected to participate in the exercises.