Russia strengthens military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

Russia is reinforcing its military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with the latest weapons to prevent the advance of terrorism from Afghanistan into Central Asia, Sputnik commentator Alexander Khrolenko said in his article.

Russian soldiers in Tajikistan.

On June 7, during a meeting of defense ministers of SCO member states in Astana, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said: "Of particular concern is that IS militants have consolidated a number of positions in Afghanistan, numbering 3,500 people. The group's strategy of establishing an Islamic State threatens the security of Afghanistan and neighboring countries."

The situation in Afghanistan is getting worse by the day. The Taliban, who once controlled significant territory in the country’s rural areas, have launched attacks on major cities. The influence of the terrorist group IS is also growing.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Taliban fighters had a “last chance” to accept a ceasefire, but given the long history of conflict, a peaceful outcome is unlikely.

The activities of the Western coalition do not bring peace to Afghanistan, and the Russian Defense Ministry is taking steps to increase combat readiness at its bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, equipping them with modern weapons, and strengthening cooperation in the SCO countries.

Afghanistan's territory extends deep into Tajikistan, and along the more than 1,300 km long common border there are hotspots with about 10,000 militants from various groups. These are indeed serious threats. Perhaps that is why the 201st military base is Russia's largest military installation abroad.

The base is located in Dushanbe and Kurgan-Tube. The number of servicemen is about 7,500 people. In May, the 201st base was reinforced with a heavy artillery battalion - 220-mm multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) "Uragan", which can effectively strike targets at a distance of up to 35 km in complex mountainous terrain.

At the same time, for the first time, Russia deployed to the base in Tajikistan operational-tactical missile systems "Iskander-M" to participate in the joint anti-terrorism exercise "Dushanbe-Antiterror - 2017".

"Dushanbe-Antiterror" is the first exercise, organized by the Anti-Terrorism Center of the CIS member states with the participation of the armed forces of the Community countries.

Kyrgyzstan, located north of Tajikistan, does not share a border with Afghanistan, but also feels the threat of terrorism. The republic's armed forces are among the weakest in the world.

In this context, four Russian military bases: the air base of the collective rapid reaction force in the city of Kant (launched in 2003), the experimental naval base in the city of Karakol, the communications center in the village of Chaldovar and the automated seismic site in Mailu-Suu all play a significant stabilizing role.

Russia is building relations with Central Asian countries based on mutual interests, without imposing "color revolutions" on them. Earlier, Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that Russian military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are a guarantee of stability in the region: "Together with our allies, we are increasing the combat readiness of these military bases, increasing the security of Dushanbe and Bishkek."

According to Sputnik