The CSTO Collective peacekeeping forces will completely withdraw from Kazakhstan on January 19, according to the plan, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin Thursday.
"Tomorrow, 14 Russian planes will remove all forces of our colleagues from Armenia, Tajikistan, and Belarus; our Kyrgyz colleagues will withdraw on their own, considering that they are close. Then, the withdrawal will proceed for five days, as the remaining peacekeeping forces will hand over their facilities. We plan to wrap up all operations on January 19," Shoigu said.
Shoigu noted that an airlift was organized for the relocation of troops.
"Over 80 aircraft were engaged because we had to relocate peacekeeping forces of all CSTO member states: Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and, of course, Russian contingent with vehicles," Shoigu said.
The peacekeepers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization have accomplished their mission in Kazakhstan, and it’s time for them to return home, President Putin said.
"Overall, it’s time to return home. We have accomplished our task," Putin said as he met with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
The president thanked the defense minister, the General Staff, and all those who had led the operation. "I want to express hope that this practice of using our armed forces will be studied additionally, adjustments if any will be made to the practical work," the president added.
In compliance with a decision by the CSTO Collective Security Council made on January 6, 2022, the organization’s collective peacekeeping forces were sent to Kazakhstan for a limited period to stabilize and normalize the situation in the Central Asian republic. The peacekeeping contingent comprised units of the armed forces of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian peacekeepers in Kazakhstan were assigned the task of protecting key strategic facilities in Almaty. On January 13, the CSTO began the gradual withdrawal of its collective peacekeeping forces from Kazakhstan that will last several days.
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