Russian Aerospace Forces transport planes delivered 2,095 Russian and foreign citizens from Kazakhstan to Russia, Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.
"Russian Aerospace Forces transport aviation planes delivered a total of 2,095 Russian and foreign citizens. On January 11, 376 Russian citizens were transported to Moscow," the Ministry said.
Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings getting ransacked in several cities a few days later. The ensuing violence left scores of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) requesting assistance from the Russia-led bloc. As a result, peacekeepers have already been deployed to Kazakhstan. Law and order, Kazakh authorities affirm, was restored to all of the country’s regions by the morning of January 7.
The largest riots took place in Almaty, where rioters captured the airport. While control over the airport has been restored, it is still out of service, which led to cancellation of some flights.
