Russia sent paratroopers to Kazakhstan to help its government end mass protests there.
Summary
- Small numbers of Russian paratrooper units landed at an airbase in Kazakhstan, with Russian state media showing the soldiers disembarking from transport planes and off-loading armored vehicles.
- The number of Russian troops was unclear, but it was estimated from several hundred to a few thousand, alongside several hundred from Belarus, Tajikistan and Armenia that were also due to arrive.
- Kazakhstani government troops moved to regain control in Almaty on Thursday, with videos published by local media showing them opening fire on protesters.
- State media reported hundreds of people have been injured in the unrest.
- The CTSO’s general secretary Stanislav Zas told Russian state media the “peacekeepers” could remain in Kazakhstan as long as was required to stabilise the situation, saying they would be deployed to the cities where they were needed.