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Kazakhstan to host Russian-led bloc’s military drills

cde.news desk · 1 min read
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epaselect epa09682777 Kazakh servicemen attend the ceremony marking the beginning of the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) from Kazakhstan in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 13 January 2022. In accordance with the decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council adopted on 06 January 2022, the collective peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have been sent 'for a limited time to stabilize and normalize the situation to Kazakhstan' at the request of the Kazakh president. They include units of the Armed Forces of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 08 January that the tranfer of the Russian contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan's 'Almaty' and 'Zhitygen' airfields continued by military transport aircraft from Russia's airfields in the Moscow, Ivanovo, and Ulyanovsk regions. EPA-EFE/STR

ALMATY, Sept 22 (Reuters) – A Russian-led security bloc will hold military drills in Kazakhstan from Sept. 26 to Oct. 8, the Kazakh defence ministry said, telling the public not to be surprised by the arrival of foreign troops and military vehicles.

Kazakhstan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) which also includes Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as Russia.

The drills will take place at an unusually tense time for the bloc, with Russia involved in the Ukrainian conflict, Armenia unhappy with CSTO’s refusal to back it in fresh clashes with Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in a fragile ceasefire after deadly fighting in a disputed border area.

Kazakhstan turned to the CSTO in January when the bloc’s troops came in to protect strategic locations during violent unrest and an attempted coup.

Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Gareth Jones

Photo A file photo of Kazakh servicemen during a ceremony of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. EPA-EFE/STR

Topics CSTOKazakhstanRussia

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