Unrest in Kazakhstan

[daftandbarmy]

Tally Ho!

I'm surprised they didn't put air quotes around 'independence'.

Russian troops move to put down violent uprising in Kazakhstan
​

Central Asian country is experiencing the worst street protests since gaining independence 3 decades ago​

The Associated Press · Posted: Jan 06, 2022 1:06 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Fresh violence erupted in Kazakhstan's main city on Thursday after Russia rushed in paratroopers to put down a countrywide uprising in one of Moscow's closest former Soviet allies.

Security forces killed dozens of protesters and 18 police died during extraordinarily violent demonstrations in Kazakhstan that saw government buildings stormed and set ablaze, authorities said Thursday. Two police officers were found beheaded in escalating unrest that poses a growing challenge to authoritarian rule in the Central Asian nation.

Despite the severe response from authorities, protesters took to the streets again in the country's largest city, Almaty, a day after breaking into the presidential residence and the mayor's office there.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kazakhstan-troops-clash-shots-1.6305727

 

[The Bread Guy]

From the same paper that 'leaked' the possible Russian invasion plans in the Ukraine.....

Touché ...

 

[Retired AF Guy]

And now they are going into Kazakhistan.

Russians getting involved in troubles in another Central Asian country: what could go wrong?

More here at Radio Free Europe including additional reports and videos.

 

[The Bread Guy]

They don't have the Sochi Olympics this time to use as a distractor…KAZ unrest will have to do…
View attachment 67970

Wrong spokesperson ....

 

[Colin Parkinson]

They will treat our interference like the US would the USSR getting involved in Nicaragua.

 

[Kilted]

Russians getting involved in troubles in another Central Asian country: what could go wrong?

More here at Radio Free Europe including additional reports and videos.

So that's where we will have to go in 15 years.

 

[Czech_pivo]

So that's where we will have to go in 15 years.

Pack your longjohns, it gets cold there.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Quite a few of our Coast Guard hovercraft pilots took contracts there in the 90's in support of resource exploration, I recall my brother going there to advise on a tailing dam repair around 2014 as I recall.

 

[FJAG]

Quite a few of our Coast Guard hovercraft pilots took contracts there in the 90's in support of resource exploration, I recall my brother going there to advise on a tailing dam repair around 2014 as I recall.

My next door neighbour in Brandon was a doctor who decided to change his lifestyle and went to Kazakhstan for two years on contract.

His description of his time there could best be called "interesting". After two years they moved to the UAE to run a clinic. Martyn has now retired to the UK and makes high quality ukuleles. Eclectic.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Tidbits from overnight ....

• "Kazakh President Says Order 'Basically' Restored But 'Counterterror' Mop-Up Continues After Deadly Unrest" (Various wire services via U.S.-govt-funded media)
• "Kazakh president says constitutional order mostly restored" (Reuters)
• "Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the constitutional order has been 'mostly restored' in all regions of the country and local authorities are in control of the current situation, the press office of the country’s president announced following a session of the counter-terrorism headquarters ..." (RUS state media - links to archived version of article)
• "The Ministry of Defense of Russia said on Friday that several dozen of military transport dozen countries were involved to deploy troops to Kazakhstan gaming protests escalated. Over 74 aircraft, including the Ilyushin IL-76 Candid transport plane and heavy-lift AN-124 Condor plane, are involved in moving troops in Central Asian country. “Military transport aviation carries on with the deployment of the bulk of the Russian contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan from airfields in the regions of Moscow, Ivanov and Ulyanovsk,” according to the statement ..." (defence-blog.com)
• "The bulk of the Russian peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is ready to take off to Kazakhstan from several airfields across Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday. "Military transport aviation carries on with the deployment of the bulk of the Russian contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan from airfields in the regions of Moscow, Ivanov and Ulyanovsk," according to the statement. "Russia’s detached airborne troops from the CSTO peacekeeping contingent are currently on alert waiting to be boarded at the Chkalovsk, Ivanovo-Severny and Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airports," the statement reads ..." (RUS state media, links to archived article)
• "Russian units that participated in the aggression against Ukraine deployed to Kazakhstan" (infonapalm.org, a Ukrainian OSINT group - mix of invective & tidbits -- archived link also here)

 

[The Bread Guy]

Some updates from RUS state media (grain of salt caveats apply - all links to archived versions of stories)

• "An air group of more than seventy Il-76 and five An-124 planes formed by the Defense Ministry transfers units of the Russian contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan around the clock ..."
• "Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, the commander of the Russian Airborne Troops, has been appointed to lead the CSTO peacekeeping effort in Kazakhstan, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Friday. The Russian part of the peacekeeping force includes members of three units of the Airborne Troops, he said. They all have combat experience, the spokesman said ..."
• "Peacekeepers acting with Kazakhstan’s law enforcement forces took control over the Almaty airport, Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters. "The Almaty airport has now been taken under full control in a joint effort with Kazakhstan Republic’s law enforcement agencies," he said ..."
  "The peacekeepers that have been deployed to Kazakhstan by the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance of former Soviet republics, aren’t involved in military operations amid the country’s riots, Dauren Abayev, first deputy head of the country’s presidential administration, said on Khabar-24 television channel on Friday. "This is a peacekeeping mission," he said. "The CSTO soldiers aren’t involved in the hostilities and the liquidation of the militants." The peacekeepers will defend government offices, he said ..."
• "Kazakh leader brands free media, foreign activists as accomplices in tragedy in republic"

 

[dimsum]

His description of his time there could best be called "interesting"

Oh come on - you can't leave us hanging like that!

 

[Czech_pivo]

Oh come on - you can't leave us hanging like that!

I worked with a young ethnic Russian from the Kaz a few years back. They choose to come to Canada instead of mother Russia. The kid was around 20 when his family came here so his parents were older and willing to take the chance of coming to a completely foreign country in their late 40s, which is no small feat. He said they basically came here as 'persecuted people' as the Kaz gov't was kicking most ethnic Russians from all positions of power or prestige within the country and basically implementing a policy of 'Kazkhfing' the entire country.

 

[MilEME09]

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6307020

Unconfirmed reports indicate protestors have taken over government offices as well, and the prime Minister and other cabinet members have resigned.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Twitter feed

https://twitter.com/i/events/1478585058554376193

 

[Infanteer]

I fear for Borat Sagdiyev's safety. A man of his stature will likely be targeted first.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I fear for Borat Sagdiyev's safety. A man of his stature will likely be targeted first.

I'm sure he has an exit strategy in place ...

 

[dimsum]

Twitter feed

https://twitter.com/i/events/1478585058554376193

I chuckled that "peacekeepers" was in air quotes.

 

[MilEME09]

Pretty elite peacekeepers, Jane's has ID'd elements of the 331st Airborne regiment, as well as the new Russian Central Asian QRF, which includes elements of the 3rd Spetsnaz Brigade.

Seems pretty heavy for peacekeeping, that's like us sending elite troops to peacekeepers in some warn torn African country..........

 

[The Bread Guy]

Pretty elite peacekeepers, Jane's has ID'd elements of the 331st Airborne regiment, as well as the new Russian Central Asian QRF, which includes elements of the 3rd Spetsnaz Brigade.

Seems pretty heavy for peacekeeping, that's like us sending elite troops to peacekeepers in some warn torn African country..........

Maybe they want a bit of ... muscle in case the current management isn't able to completely keep a grip?