Prepare and protect: EU and Armenia join forces for a stronger response to CBRN threats

A major international event. Hundreds of participants. A packed hall. What would happen if an attacker released chemical agents into the crowd? Who would protect the victims? And how could panic – online and on the ground – be contained?

An intensive training in Yerevan

From July 13 to 17 July, first line responders are gathering in Yerevan for an EU-funded tabletop exercise followed by a field drill. The training was the culmination of months of preparation and close collaboration between local authorities and a team of experts from the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE).

The exercise reflects Armenia's long-standing commitment to strengthening its preparedness for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

Testing capacities under pressure

The drill put response capacities to the test in a realistic scenario: a chemical attack targeting the crowd at a major international event. The stakes were high, with tight time constraints, numerous victims to assist and a volatile media landscape under intense international scrutiny.

On the one hand, the drill explored inter-agency coordination capacities to respond to the CBRN threat and lead decontamination procedures. On the other hand, it assessed the responders’ abilities to protect victims while managing public panic and countering disinformation.

More than 30 participants took part in the training, guided by 9 international experts operating under the EU CBRN CoE. By responding to a lifelike scenario, emergency teams could assess the effectiveness of their existing procedures and identify concrete improvements to their response methodologies.

This is where drills matter the most. They help fine-tuning systems that could one day save lives, and pinpointing where greater preparedness would make a real difference.

A common engagement for regional safety

This exercise was organised under Project 106: TEST - CBRN Tabletop and Field Exercises, Simulations, Trainings to Mitigate Risks of the EU Global Threats programme. It is part of a broader set of initiatives in the region, such as the flagship regional exercise organised in Moldova in October 2025.

CBRN threats know no borders, but neither do the benefits of preparedness. Strong local capacities mean countries can protect their own citizens while preventing ripple effects on a wider scale. This collaboration between the EU and Armenia reflects a shared commitment, and ongoing efforts, to strengthen cooperation for regional safety.

*Important Operational Note: Please note that certain Personal Protective Equipment selected for this drill was utilized purely for simulation purposes. Due to specific exercise constraints, these items would not be applicable in a real-world CBRN incident. When reviewing event imagery, do not replicate the specific PPE configurations shown, particularly regarding the decontamination lane and evidence/samples collection procedures for such type of chemical scenario.