Russian servicemen from the CSTO peacekeeping contingent during unloading from the military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace ForcesMOSCOW, 18 Jan. Forty aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered Russian peacekeepers from the CSTO forces from Kazakhstan to military airfields in the Moscow and Ulyanovsk regions in a day, the RF Ministry of Defense reports. Kazakhstan to military airfields in the Moscow and Ulyanovsk regions,» the message says. After the ceremonial rallies, the peacekeepers unloaded weapons, military equipment, property and marched to the points of permanent deployment. Mass protests in Kazakhstan began in the first days of 2022 — residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in the west of the country opposed the doubling of prices for liquefied gas. Prices were lowered, but the protests continued and spread to other cities, including Alma-Ata, the old capital and the largest city of the republic: looting began there, militants attacked state institutions, took away weapons. In response, the authorities declared a state of emergency throughout the country and launched a counter-terrorist operation. On the morning of January 5, Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev dismissed the government and headed the Security Council. At the first meeting of the Security Council under his leadership, Tokayev described the situation in Kazakhstan as undermining the integrity of the state and said that he had asked for help from the CSTO «in overcoming the terrorist threat.» The CSTO Collective Security Council decided to send collective peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to normalize the situation in the country. On Thursday, January 13, the successful completion of the CSTO mission was announced, peacekeepers began to return home from Kazakhstan. Lukashenko said
