Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the completion of the CSTO peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan. This is reported by the website of the head of state.
According to Shoigu, after the relevant decisions, the military "immediately began planning and implementing an operation to create and transfer the CSTO peacekeeping forces involved."
The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, according to the Minister of Defense, is in constant contact with colleagues, including from Kazakhstan. "They organized an air bridge. More than 80 military transport aircraft were involved. Since it was necessary to transfer the peacekeeping forces of all CSTO member countries: Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and, of course, a contingent of Russian troops along with equipment," Shoigu told the president details about the transfer of troops to Kazakhstan.
"In the shortest possible time, all forces were transferred, 14 objects of particular importance were taken under protection. These are communication facilities, energy facilities, facilities responsible for the vital activity and capacity of the state. At the request of the leadership of Kazakhstan and on your instructions, a number of other facilities have been secured, which also pose a serious threat if they are captured by terrorists," the head of the Russian military department said.
The military commander said that during the operation, everything that was previously practiced in the exercises was worked out. "This is the movement of the advance group, the landing of the first echelon, taking control of the infrastructure that will allow you to establish the very bridge and the very work," Shoigu explained.
The Defense Minister also said that thanks to the peacekeepers, the Kazakh security forces managed to switch to confrontation with gangs. "A plan has been prepared for the transfer of facilities already under the protection and security of the law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan, which was previously impossible to do. Since in the first days the task was just different - to free them from the protection of these objects. Due to this pace of the operation, it was possible to release about 1,600 employees of the law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan in the very first days, and they actively joined the work to combat the bandits who brought this chaos to the republic," the head of the Russian military department noted.
Today, Sergei Shoigu stressed, governance in Kazakhstan is "sustainable". "We are working in full cooperation. Approved the decision on the phased withdrawal and transfer of objects under the protection of Kazakhstan. We start the withdrawal today. Tomorrow, we will withdraw all the forces of our colleagues - Armenia, Tajikistan, Belarus - on the 14th sides," the minister said, adding that the Kyrgyz colleagues are leaving on their own, taking into account the fact that they are nearby.
"Further, within 5 days, as the objects are transferred, the withdrawal of the remaining peacekeeping forces will also be carried out. We plan to complete all the work on January 19," the minister reported.
Ivan Petrov
