Bloody uprising in Kazakhstan: Russian paratroopers take part in fighting

Created: 01/07/2022Updated: 01/07/2022, 9:13 AM

The uprising in Kazakhstan plunged the country into a deep crisis.

There is talk of dozens of deaths.

Russia sends troops to the neighboring country.

• An uprising is raging in Kazakhstan.

  Conditions similar to civil war prevail, especially in the million-dollar metropolis of Almaty.

• Russia * sends troops to the neighboring country.

  They are supposed to help regain control of the neighboring country's cities.

• All developments and news in our live ticker.

+++ Update, 9.12 a.m.:

The street fighting in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, continues.

Meanwhile, paratroopers from the Russian army have also arrived there.

They are designed to help regain control of the roads.

Meanwhile, the violent uprising in the country continues.

According to the police in Almaty, dozens of protesters have already been killed.

All over Kazakhstan, according to the news channel Al Jazeera, security forces are engaged in skirmishes with the insurgents.

The Kazakh military has regained control of the country's largest airport, reports the French news agency AFP.

Kazakhstan: Riots in Almaty continue

Update from Friday, January 7th, 2022, 7.30 a.m.:

According to the Interior Ministry, 26 demonstrators were killed in the unrest in Kazakhstan.

There were more than 3,000 arrests, as the state broadcaster Khabar 24 reported on Friday morning, citing the ministry.

The authority therefore spoke of "armed criminals".

Another 18 of them were injured.

State television had already spoken of dozens of "eliminated" people in the metropolis of Almaty on Thursday.

That already suggested civilian casualties.

The authorities had initially only confirmed the deaths of 18 security forces.

Heavily armed Russian paratroopers on their way to Kazakhstan.

© Russian Defense Ministry / imago

Kazakhstan: President Tokayev wants "complete eradication of fighters"

According to Khabar 24, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the anti-terrorist operations - so called by him - should continue until the "fighters are completely wiped out".

In Almaty in the south-east of the country, where the riots were particularly violent, armed demonstrators are said to have holed up in the building of a TV station.

Order in Kazakhstan has largely been restored, said Tokayev.

The head of state wanted to address the Kazakh people in a speech at noon.

In Kazakhstan there have been violent protests against the authoritarian leadership of the country for days.

The unrest was triggered by displeasure at the rise in fuel prices at petrol stations - but it quickly turned into protests against the government, abuse of power and corruption.

Kazakhstan: Investigation into "acts of terrorism" initiated

+++ 10.30 p.m.:

In Kazakhstan, criminal proceedings were initiated as a result of the serious riots.

The public prosecutor's office in the authoritarian country is accused of organizing and participating in mass unrest.

In addition, pre-judicial investigations into the "carrying out of acts of terrorism" have been initiated, as the state broadcaster Khabar 24 reported.

As part of the state of emergency that was imposed in Kazakhstan, six checkpoints were set up around the capital Nur-Sultan, according to state television, and a curfew was issued from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

At this time, entry and exit through the checkpoints is restricted.

Unrest in Kazakhstan: Russia sends military - USA for "peaceful solution"

Update from Thursday, January 6th, 2022, 6:20 p.m.:

Against the background of the violent protests in Kazakhstan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telephoned his Kazakh colleague Muchtar Tleuberdi. The subject of the conversation was the ongoing state of emergency, said the US State Department *. Blinken had reaffirmed "the full support of the United States for the constitutional institutions of Kazakhstan and the freedom of the media". He also spoke out in favor of a peaceful solution.

The UN Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also called on all sides in Kazakhstan to seek a peaceful solution.

People have the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression.

At the same time, demonstrators should not use force against others, Bachelet said.

She also called for the release of arrested peaceful demonstrators.

EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell has expressed "deep concern" about the unrest in Kazakhstan.

"The rights and safety of the civilian population must be ensured," wrote Borrell on Thursday (January 6th, 2022) on Twitter.

Kazakhstan: Dozen killed in riots - Russia sends "peacekeepers"

First report from Thursday, January 6th, 2022:

Almaty - Dozens of demonstrators were killed in serious unrest in Kazakhstan. In the metropolis of Almaty on Thursday (January 6th, 2022) there was a "violent exchange of fire" between armed people and the military in front of the town hall. This was reported by the Russian state agency Tass, citing its local correspondent.

About 300 soldiers had advanced in armored personnel carriers.

They would have surrounded the square.

"Extremist forces" tried to storm administration buildings as well as the headquarters and several police stations in Almaty, police spokesman Saltanat Asirbek told the news agencies Interfax-Kazakhstan, Tass and Ria Novosti.

Dozens of attackers have been "eliminated".

On Wednesday, thousands of people stormed the city administration.

At least eight members of the security forces were killed and 317 others injured in the riot, according to the Kazakh media, citing the Ministry of the Interior.

Kazakhstan: Dozens of people killed in riot

In the center of Almaty there are no more demonstrators and soldiers, reported the Kazakh medium Vlast in the news channel Telegram.

Many supermarkets and shops were looted, including an arms dealer's shop.

In addition, many ATMs were blown up.

"There is a strong smell of fire in the city."

A man photographs the windows of a police kiosk damaged by participants in a demonstration.

Serious riots are currently taking place in Kazakhstan.

© Vladimir Tretyakov / dpa

Videos from the capital Nur-Sultan, on the other hand, show how public life started into the new day. You can see cars and buses on the streets, but also a large number of security forces that have cordoned off the government buildings. At the city's airport, all flights were reportedly canceled until noon. The state of emergency applies throughout the country. Long queues formed in front of some banks.

The trigger for the biggest wave of protests in years is displeasure about the significantly higher fuel prices at the petrol stations in the oil and gas-rich former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan *.

In response to the protests, some of which were violent, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed the government before the military intervened in Almaty on Thursday night.

According to him, the Kazakh Air Force was in a "persistent battle" with "terrorists" who had hijacked five planes on Thursday.

Kazakhstan: Russia sends "peacekeepers" because of unrest

A Russian-led military alliance has also announced that it will send "peacekeeping troops" to unrest-ridden Kazakhstan.

It was decided to deploy troops "for a limited time" in order to "stabilize and normalize" the situation in Kazakhstan.

The current chairman of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced on Facebook on Thursday.

Kazakhstan's head of state Kassym-Shomart Tokayev had previously requested help from the alliance.

(lrg / vbu / afp / dpa) *