After a Kazakh media outlet recently published an advertising material offering young women from Kazakhstan an opportunity to get a new profession and job as part of the Alabuga Start program, Orda.kz has investigated what is known about the Alabuga special economic zone in the Russian region of Tatarstan and its Alabuga Start project, which
In the 2025 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower, Kazakhstan ranked 57th among the 145 countries listed — the best position compared to other Central Asian countries and one position up compared to the 2024 ranking. Other Central Asian countries are ranked as follows: Uzbekistan is in 58th place, Turkmenistan in 77th place, Kyrgyzstan
Authorities in Russia have once again proposed sending immigrants who have received Russian citizenship to fight in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry has increased the size of payments for those who sign contracts to join Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. An article published by Radio Azattyk (RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service) reveals how Russia lures Central Asians
As part of the operational-tactical command and staff military exercise Birlestik-2024, military sports competitions in terrain orienteering were held at the Oymasha training ground in Kazakhstan. As reported by the Kazakh Defense Ministry, military personnel from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated, while the team of the host country, Kazakhstan, performed outside the competition. The
The Chinese Embassy in Dushanbe on July 15 denied media reports that Beijing is building a military base in Tajikistan, calling the reports “groundless,” RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. The embassy responded to a story in The Daily Telegraph showing satellite photos of buildings and what the report claimed is a shelter for helicopters in the
The Kazakh Defense Ministry said on July 8 that its armed forces, along with those from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, had begun joint military maneuvers on the shores of the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The Association-2024 drills, scheduled to run until July 17, are taking place at the Oimasha
Russia continues to recruit foreign citizens for military service to participate in the war against Ukraine. For joining the Russian army, foreigners are offered a monthly salary of $2,200, a one-time payment of $2,000, a Russian passport, free medical care and training, Deutsche Welle reported with reference to information from the UK Ministry of Defense.
In the 2024 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower, Kazakhstan ranked 58th among the 145 countries listed — the best position compared to other Central Asian countries. In the ranking, Uzbekistan is 65th, Turkmenistan 83rd, Kyrgyzstan 100th, and Tajikistan 107th. In the 2023 Ranking, Kazakhstan was in 63rd place. The Global Firepower ranks
