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4:41
Putin sent support troops to Kazakhstan to contain protests
The protests have claimed the lives of dozens of protesters.
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym Jomart Tokayev, has requested support from the Russian military forces due to the high cost of lives caused by the fighting in the streets.
Called an "anti-terrorism operation", the Kazakhstan police and army seek to contain the fighting in the streets. "Dozens of attackers were killed. We are ascertaining their identities," said the representative of the city police, Saltanat Azirbek, without revealing further to the press.
The authorities are asking city dwellers to try not to leave their homes.
So far, Russia has sent paratroopers to Kazakhstan as a certified peacekeeping force component. "It is an externally inspired attempt to forcibly undermine security and integrity," as Russia's foreign ministry described the protests, "with the use of armed and trained groups."
Russian television in the morning showed images of Russian tanks moving along the streets of Kazakhstan, while vehicle traffic continued on the opposite way.
The origin of the conflict
The revolt began on Sunday in western Kazakhstan in response to rising fuel costs.
In a few days, the expense of gas condensate multiplied in the Central Asian nation. The government has canceled the increases and restored price controls, but the street brawls have not stopped.
The police blame the "extremist forces, which tried to take over various administrative headquarters, the Almaty police department, as well as several police barracks in other regions." Decreeing a state of emergency until January 19.
The authorities seek to keep the population in their homes, with a curfew that begins at 11 at night and ends at 7 in the morning. In addition, they have prohibited the entry of foreigners.
Kazakh President Kasim-Yomart Tokayev requested help from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance that brings together six former Soviet republics led by Russia.
The military groups will be in the country for a limited period to balance and normalize the situation in the nation, said the head of state of Armenia and current leader of the Council, Nikol Pashinian.
Russia has warned that it will talk to Kazakhstan and different allies about possible additional measures to improve the "counterterrorism" operation.
According to the local media, shots from automatic weapons are heard in the city.
Through social networks, users have reported that both the police and the military as well as the protesters are armed. Images posted on the web show large numbers of people breaking into the main government building in Almaty.
The dissidents set fire to the prosecutor's office in Almaty before going to the president's house. Many protesters have gone from asking for more accessible costs to demanding a more comprehensive policy.
For example, the direct election of regional rulers of Kazakhstan, who from now on are elected from the executive branch.
Brutality has been on the rise since the protests began on Sunday. At least 10 police officers have been killed in the clashes, trying to expel protesters from the local airport, authorities reported yesterday.
With a population of 19 million, Kazakhstan is the richest country in Central Asia. It has strong alliances with Russia, which has demanded that there be no "interference" from outside.
Security at the Russian Baikonur cosmodrome, located in the Kazakh region near the city of Tiuratam, has been tightened, according to Dimitri Rogozin, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Kazakhstan is a major global energy supplier
Large companies like ExxonMobil have invested millions of dollars in the west of the country, precisely where the fighting began.
Kazatomprom, the world's largest uranium manufacturing company, says that it continues to work regularly without affecting production.
The price of uranium has also been on the rise as a result of the protests.
Internal decisions
The president of Kazakhstan promised on Wednesday to act decisively against the Protestant groups.
In four days, government buildings, television channels, the air terminal and dozens of businesses have come under attack by these anti-government groups.
Despite having retracted the increase, the demonstrations have been growing. The regional office of the ruling Nur Otan party was left in ashes after an attack.
Dissidents are destroying sculptures of Nazarbayev, a ruler so acclaimed in the past that the capital (until then Astana) received his name when he left power three years ago.
Dissidents today shout "shal ket", which in Kazakh means "Old man, disappear."
In view of the growing problems, N azarbayev has been removed from the Security Council by President Tokayev himself, who also removed Samat Abish, Nazarbayev's nephew, from his post as first delegate of the public security administration.
