Russia will increase the combat readiness of military bases in Central Asia

Shoygu announced an increase in combat readiness of bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Photo: Internet

The Minister of Defense of Russia, Sergey Shoygu, at a meeting of defense ministers from the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), announced that in light of the situation in Afghanistan, Russia will increase the combat readiness of its military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as other crisis response forces in the region.

According to Shoygu, the situation in Afghanistan is complicated by the active activities of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The situation in this country “remains a serious challenge to security in Central Asia,” the minister believes.

In Kyrgyzstan, Russia has a military airbase “Kant,” located in the Chuy region, which was opened in 2003. It is home to Su-25SM aircraft and Mi-8MTV helicopters. Structurally, the base is part of the Central Military District of Russia.

In Tajikistan, the largest military base outside of Russia, the 201st military base, operates. It is located in Dushanbe and Bokhtar. There, reconnaissance units, radiation, chemical, and biological protection troops, as well as communication specialists are stationed. The base houses motorized rifle, tank, artillery, and air defense units.