View Full Version : The Kazakhstan Thread
Ninthace
6th Jan 2022, 11:37
"Russian paratroopers have flown into Kazakhstan as part of a Kremlin-led ex-Soviet military alliance to help quash an uprising by armed protesters who have torched Kazakh government buildings and chased the police off the streets.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) said it had deployed peacekeeping troops to Kazakhstan after local security forces killed dozens of protesters in the worst unrest since the fall of the Soviet Union thirty years ago.
Airborne troops from Russia, as well as contingents from Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, will take part in the operation".
Overnight, Kazakh special forces also deployed into central Almaty, the leafy crucible of middle-class life in Kazakhstan, fighting gun battles with the protesters.
Dozens have been liquidated. The identities are being established", Saltanat Azirbek, an Almaty police spokesperson, told media.
Photos from Almaty showed Kazakh soldiers wearing balaclavas and full combat kit patrolling through the empty streets of Kazakhstan's normally bustling commercial hub."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/01/06/russia-led-alliance-sends-troops-kazakhstan-local-security-forces/
Russian ac have been reporting flying out some of the big wigs
"Back in the USSR" Stalin would be laughing. A sad day for any sort of freedom
Fonsini
6th Jan 2022, 18:17
There is a video doing the rounds of Kazakh protestors handing out rifles to the crowd - if they get into a few military storage sites this could turn into a full blown uprising.
All triggered by raising tax on fuel wasn’t it? Doesn’t take much for a rebellion.
https://twitter.com/pmakela1/status/1479012882696261669?s=21
Praque 1968 all over again.
Asturias56
7th Jan 2022, 08:32
Hardly - Kazakhstan politics are very very different
With rifles being handed out does that mean he's losing his own military so has to get the Russians in since he can rely on them? Is it mainly conscripts?
Fonsini: From what I can gather the fuel price rise was more a case of the final straw rather than the cause. There has been a lot of unhappiness there for many years, a lot of it to do with fat-cats, and the economy. Something had to give, and fuel price was it.
rattman
7th Jan 2022, 09:35
Is it mainly conscripts?
The russians ? No volunteer forces various spetsnaz units, from VFV and GRU and suposedly the 11th Guards engineering unit
Ren TV reports that the VDV's 76th Air Assault Division's spetsnaz company and a company from the VDV's elite 45th Spetsnaz Brigade will be deployed. GRU/GU Spetsnaz brigades have also reportedly been alerted. 18/
Praque 1968 all over again.
I think Russia has memories of 1978 and the Iranian Revolution.
Russia is fearful of events in the Stans - Stalin et al moved millions of Russians there in the 20-60s where, in Kazakhstan, they briefly became the majority. Now demographics have done their work and the population is 65% Kazakh and 23% ethnic Russian - and Islamic/Orthodox in the same percentages.
Russia fears contagion from Afghanistan through Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and north into the southern Russian republics and will stamp down heavily, and/or assist in stamping down, on any populist uprisings.
dead_pan
7th Jan 2022, 11:14
Russia fears contagion from Afghanistan through Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and north into the southern Russian republics and will stamp down heavily, and/or assist in stamping down, on any populist uprisings.
How long could Russia keep this up if trouble flares again here or elsewhere, given its stance WRT NATO?
A quick trawl of the web revealed all manner of trouble brewing in various of the 'Stans. Russia is certainly going to have its work cut out.
Reuters: Kazakh president gives shoot-to-kill order to put down uprising
ALMATY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's president said on Friday he had ordered his forces to shoot-to-kill to deal with disturbances from those he called bandits and terrorists, a day after Russia sent troops to put down a countrywide uprising.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/kazakh-president-says-constitutional-order-has-mostly-been-restored-2022-01-07/
Worrysome news. Which leader in their right mind orders the authorities to shoot-to-kill protestors of their own people?
Which leader in their right mind orders the authorities to shoot-to-kill protestors of their own people?
Agreed Beamr, and I've just added a little emphasis Hope you don't mind?
Agreed Beamr, and I've just added a little emphasis Hope you don't mind?
sir, that is a welcome emphasis.
I wish I'd done it myself.
Lots of good posts on troop movements.
https://twitter.com/ralee85/status/1479291256895414280?s=21
https://twitter.com/ralee85/status/1479361233551863809?s=21
Can't help of thinking that Russia is using Kazakhstan as an opportunity to showcase its abilities in troop movement and rapid deployment. It seems to me a bit out of proportion.
NutLoose
8th Jan 2022, 10:45
Irony…
Russia squeezes gas supplies that results in wholesale fuel prices rising, this then results in rioting in Kazakhstan at the doubling of fuel prices overnight, Kazakhstan then invites Russia in as a “peace keeping” force to control a problem they instigated.
NutLoose
8th Jan 2022, 10:54
Can't help of thinking that Russia is using Kazakhstan as an opportunity to showcase its abilities in troop movement and rapid deployment. It seems to me a bit out of proportion.
His problem there is he may be tied down there for ages, nothing like foreigners coming into a country and shooting at the populace to form a resistance movement.
Salusa
8th Jan 2022, 11:50
His problem there is he may be tied down there for ages, nothing like foreigners coming into a country and shooting at the populace to form a resistance movement.
A significant proportion of Kazakh citizens are ethnic Russian. A more significant proportion of the Kazakh population just want want stability.
I hold no firm opinion myself as to the true cause of the current unrest , but the news I am hearing from personal contacts in Kazakhstan is largely supportive for CSTO deployment.
The general opinion amongst those I am in contact with in Almaty is that Russian led CSTO intervention is welcome and required.
As a relative (pun intended) outsider I also support CSTO intervention.
Enough pussy footing around with radicals and trouble makers.
Salusa - you must be another one with a day job in the FSB if you believe that.
Funny how your own people suddenly become terrorists, radicals and trouble makers who can be shot on sight when you don't like what they are protesting about (mainly because it was your fault).
Putin never needs much of an excuse to deploy his troops and show his strength at home - he does seem an insecure individual, no wonder he and Trump got along.
Ninthace
8th Jan 2022, 12:20
A significant proportion of Kazakh citizens are ethnic Russian. A more significant proportion of the Kazakh population just want want stability.
I hold no firm opinion myself as to the true cause of the current unrest , but the news I am hearing from personal contacts in Kazakhstan is largely supportive for CSTO deployment.
The general opinion amongst those I am in contact with in Almaty is that Russian led CSTO intervention is welcome and required.
As a relative (pun intended) outsider I also support CSTO intervention.
Enough pussy footing around with radicals and trouble makers.
Around 23% are ethnic Russian. Given the past history of Russian involvement one might have thought it would be more.
From the World Population Review website
Kazakhstan Population History.
In the late 1800s, thousands of people from both Ukraine and Russia were brought into to settle the land that is modern-day Kazakhstan. By 1916 the people wanted to break out from Soviet rule and began a rebellion that killed 150,000 and displaced another 300,000. Ultimately they were unsuccessful in achieving autonomy at this point and the nation was an autonomous republic of the USSR for many years to come. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, a program was begun to begin industrializing and setting the nation up to collectivize agriculture, but the plan was ill-formed and more than one million people died of starvation.
Still under Russian rule, hundreds of thousand were forcibly moved to Kazakhstan from Korea, Germany, and Uzbekistan. Between 1954-1962 an additional 2 million Russians were moved into the area in an attempt to further develop the land. At this point, only 30% of the population were ethnic Kazakhs. After many years of unrest, Kazakhstan gained full independence from Russia in 1991.
Russia getting involved in another quagmire. Where next?
https://www.politico.eu/article/kazakhstan-russia-vladimir-putin-kassym-jomart-tokayev-nursultan-nazarbayev/
Putin puts out fires across a former Soviet empire clamoring for change
zambonidriver
9th Jan 2022, 12:40
To get back to the military aviation aspect of it Russia is apparently putting a fairly serious (and competent tbh) effort here. I'm surprised they have that many 124 airworthy 🤔
tdracer
9th Jan 2022, 19:05
This should be effectively diverting Vad's attention from the Ukraine - at least for a while.
Asturias56
10th Jan 2022, 17:44
Last time they did a stunt like this they finished up in Afghanistan.............
unmanned_droid
10th Jan 2022, 22:22
Kazakh troops seen wearing faked UN helmets. (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43819/kazakhstan-troops-caught-wearing-unsanctioned-blue-u-n-peacekeeping-helmets-during-crackdown)
Now it seems you can dress up as whoever you like in the Kazakhstani Armed forces.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kazakhstan-unrest-caused-by-foreign-trained-terrorists-vladimir-putin-claims-0kf97nm9n
President Putin has alleged that last week’s deadly unrest in Kazakhstan was carried out by terrorists who had received training in overseas camps, as the leader of the oil-rich central Asian state described the disturbances as a coup attempt.….
Putin’s claims came as news emerged of the deaths in rapid succession of three highly placed Kazakh security officials amid fears of a power struggle.….
Karim Masimov, the former Kazakh security service chief and ex-prime minister, was arrested at the weekend and charged with treason (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/karim-masimov-ex-kazakhstan-prime-minister-charged-treason-protests-282q2tk93) amid rumours of infighting among the country’s political elite. Masimov, 56, was dismissed by Tokayev last week at the height of the unrest.
This was followed by announcements today of the deaths of three senior Kazakh security officials.
Zhanat Suleimenov, the head of police in the Jambyl region, where protesters last week clashed with security forces, committed suicide, Interfax reported.
Azamat Ibraev, a colonel with the KNB state security agency was found dead in the courtyard of his home in Nur-Sultan, the capital, after apparently falling from a window.
Tanat Nazano, a police official in Almaty, died in his office of a heart attack, Kazakh media said.
A spokesman for Nursultan Nazarbayev (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kazakhstans-hardman-in-pyjamas-quivers-as-anger-boils-over-in-the-streets-2w2rt7vbg), the former president who retains the title “leader of the nation”, said yesterday that he remained in the country and supported Tokayev….
Vitek
11th Jan 2022, 20:14
Keeping in touch when able with a buddy who flies in Kazakhstan.
According to him plenty of foreigners are the "peaceful protestors". From neighbouring -stan countries.
Normal and sane locals are happy the CSTO stepped in to help.
etudiant
11th Jan 2022, 22:05
Night of the long knives, Kazakhstan style.
Fairly clear that this upheaval did not go as expected. No Maidan rerun here.
Presumably the sources of discontent also remain, even if the regime caved on the fuel price issue..
Big Pistons Forever
12th Jan 2022, 00:11
Zhanat Suleimenov, the head of police in the Jambyl region, where protesters last week clashed with security forces, committed suicide, Interfax reported.
Azamat Ibraev, a colonel with the KNB state security agency was found dead in the courtyard of his home in Nur-Sultan, the capital, after apparently falling from a window.
Tanat Nazano, a police official in Almaty, died in his office of a heart attack, Kazakh media sa
How convenient :rolleyes:
Beamr
12th Jan 2022, 05:45
It is somewhat odd that once the Russians arrive, people start falling from windows.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/499x313/putin_acc_9a5521a66a0e0cf30cd2dda3bee0a8c59ee2280b.jpg
Vitek
20th Jan 2022, 11:49
Funny how CSTO forces came in, stabilized the situation and left. All in less than a month. The funny part is that I haven't seen many articles in western propaganda, oh sorry, media, that they left.
Cute too that BBC and CNN like to call these guys protestors. Go on YouTube and see how peacefully these guys were protesting.
I recall that the peaceful protestors that stormed the US Capitol building received some hefty sentences.
Might be mistaken though, I usually see double standards and don't try to call something that is black as white and vice versa.
Beamr
20th Jan 2022, 12:03
Even funnier is that the CSTO forces were there in 48 hours in thousands, but it took two weeks to get out. Smells like it was all set up.
And it was reported by western propaganda:
https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/13/russian-led-forces-begin-withdrawing-from-kazakhstan
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/11/kazakhstan-tokayev-csto-russia-intervention/
https://abcnews.go.com/International/russian-troops-begin-leaving-kazakhstan-government-restores-control/story?id=82243668
https://www.dw.com/en/kazakhstan-russia-led-troops-to-start-leaving-in-2-days/a-60384521
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/russia-led-bloc-starts-pulling-troops-out-kazakhstan-2022-01-13/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/11/world/europe/kazakhstan-russia-troops.html
https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/russian-troops-leave-kazakhstan-as-state-of-emergency-ends/news-story/3911201757290df9858ca0cd22a4b58c
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220113-russian-led-troops-begin-withdrawal-from-kazakhstan-after-deadly-protest-crackdown
Very cute is to call the protestors foreign terrorists. How on earth did thousands of foreign terrorists get into the country in the first place.
tdracer
20th Jan 2022, 16:07
Cute too that BBC and CNN like to call these guys protestors. Go on YouTube and see how peacefully these guys were protesting.
CNN has a long history of calling things "protests" - such as the "mostly peaceful" George Floyd "protests" in the US in 2020 (most looked more like riots to me). Even going so far as having reporters standing talking about these "mostly peaceful protests" while buildings burn and people loot in the background...