TASS, Reuters and various local witnesses report that in Almaty until the early evening (local time) of Thursday 6 January, gunshots and explosions were heard and that law enforcement officers had targeted cars and people on foot.
There are rumors that thousands of arrests have taken place, especially in the former capital, in the last few hours. Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry told the press that 18 security personnel were killed and 748 injured during clashes in the country. Law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan claim control over all important administrative buildings in the center of Almaty.
International diplomacy seems particularly vigilant, always in the sense of supporting the institutions and the government in power.
On the one hand, Turkish President Erdoğan had a phone call with President Tokayev and said he was following events closely and showing solidarity with Kazakhstan. He also expressed the hope that a new government will take office as soon as possible and that the tension will be over in a short time.
On the other hand, the United States does not seem willing to export democracy to a country where the leadership usually wins elections with 100% of the votes and where, obviously, there are no elected opponents. Secretary of State Blinken spoke today with his Kazakh counterpart Mukhtar Tileuberdi and reiterated the United States' full support for Kazakhstan's constitutional institutions and, his goodness, freedom of the media. He expressed Washington's support for a peaceful and rights-respecting solution to the crisis. After giving a blow to the circle (Moscow friends in Central Asia), he also gave a blow to the blow, affirming the priority of promoting stability in Europe, including supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in response. to Russian aggression.
Beijing's reaction was rather cold: for the Chinese foreign ministry, protests in Kazakhstan are an internal affair of the country. It's a message but… to whom? In Moscow or the Washington / Ankara duo?
For its part, the EU Commission has made its voice heard, in case you miss it: when asked about the sending of Russian peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan, it argued that the intervention must respect the sovereignty and independence of the Village.
About the forces of Moscow and allied CSTO, units of the 31a e 45a special forces brigade of the Russian air forces, Ivanovo and Ulyanovsk airborne troops, were sent to Kazakhstan. The first units have already landed.
The Belarusian leader Lukashenko also raised his hand to say present, who through the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced the dispatch of 103 unitsa airborne brigade.
We will keep you informed in the next few hours if there will be any significant news.
Frame: ABC News
