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.
“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.
The Russian Defense Ministry also stated that Russia’s CSTO peacekeepers, who had been already sent to Kazakhstan, assumed their duties providing for the further deployment of the peacekeeping contingent.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Thursday that peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization were sent to Kazakhstan at the request of the republic’s authorities, and this decision was made collectively.
Earlier this week, Kazakhstan President Tokayev appealed to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) for support. The bloc includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Armenia.
The overseas force reportedly sent about 2,500 soldiers to Kazakhstan. The CSTO says the troops are a peacekeeping force and will protect state and military installations. They will stay in the country for several days or weeks, the Russian RIA news agency reports.
