A soldier from the Russian contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping forces. File photoALMA-ATA, Jan 28Russian peacekeepers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) contingent, upon arrival in Alma-Ata, guarded the Consulate General of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Bobrov, Consul General of Russia in Alma-Ata, said in an interview with RIA Novosti. According to the diplomat, after the start of unrest in the city in the consulate took a set of measures provided for in case of an emergency, taking into account the fact that families of employees with children live in the consulate building. «Alarming events unfolded directly near our building. Several vehicles, there were about 50 people with sticks and batons.At first there was a version that they could be people's guards.But as I was told by the duty border guard of the Consulate General, who was watching what was happening on the video surveillance cameras, when one person tried to escape from them, he got shot in back, and then dragged him back in. It became clear that the other Zhinniki don’t behave like that,” said Bobrov. from the first groups of peacekeepers who arrived in Kazakhstan. This was necessary, since it became clear that we were talking about sufficiently trained militants, and we were afraid that there might be some kind of provocation against our foreign establishment,» he said.
The head of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry spoke about Tokayev’s order that frightened the militants Later, the protests 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 until January 19 and launched a counter-terrorism operation. According to the UN, during the protests in Kazakhstan, about 1,000 people were injured. According to the country's Prosecutor General's Office, 4,578 people were injured as a result of the riots, 225 people were killed, including 19 security officials. On the morning of January 5, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart 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. Later, on January 7, Tokayev said that terrorists, including those who arrived from abroad, continue to resist, and promised to destroy those who did not lay down their arms . In addition, the president noted that all the demands of citizens, expressed in peaceful forms, were heard. The successful completion of the CSTO mission was announced on January 13. On January 19, the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan announced that there were no longer any foreign military in the republic.
