The Russian and Chinese governments have a strong interest in the security of the Central Asian states, but particularly in Tajikistan, where each has a military facility. Both governments have increased the level of security cooperation with Tajikistan over the past few years. As the Taliban consolidates control in neighboring Afghanistan, the accompanying excerpted articles provide a look at what Russia and China have been recently doing to bolster security in Tajikistan.
The article from Fergana Agency, an independent news website focusing on Central Asia, reports on a recent “joint military exercise with the participation of 2500 military personnel from Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan” that took place “at the Harb-Maydon training facility, 20km from the border with Afghanistan.” The article includes a statement from the commander of the Russian Central Military District, who noted how “the use of a specific joint group of forces with aviation, reconnaissance and fire systems, and airborne forces based on experience gained in Syria was demonstrated for the first time.” The article also mentions how “of the 2500 soldiers involved in the exercise, 1800 are Russian, mostly from the 201st military base in Tajikistan.”
The article from Kommersant, a semi-independent Russian daily newspaper, reports on the delivery of “17 modernized BMP-2Ms by the end of July” to the Russian 201st military base in Tajikistan. The article also notes a few features of the BMP-2M (a modernized variant of the Russian infantry fighting vehicle). While this may not appear to be a significant upgrade to the Russian units in Tajikistan, it marks another of several efforts over the past few years to increase the capabilities of units in the 201st (see: “Russia Transfers S-300s to Tajikistan,” OE Watch, December 2019).
The article from Avesta, an independent news agency reporting on Tajikistan, reports on a recent meeting between Chinese and Tajik officials where they “discussed issues of developing bilateral cooperation in security.” The article notes how “the situation of regional security was also discussed” and that “other details of the meeting were not disclosed.” In the past, details of security cooperation agreements between China and Tajikistan have rarely been publicly available, but have proven to be significant. This includes the establishment of a Chinese military base near the Tajik-Afghan border in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast a few years ago. The results of this meeting are unknown for now, but it appears that the two sides are maintaining cooperation. While this security cooperation took place before the Taliban seized control of the government in Afghanistan, the articles show that Russia and China continue to support the security of Tajikistan.
The use of a specific joint group of forces with aviation, reconnaissance and fire systems, and airborne forces based on experience gained in Syria was demonstrated for the first time.
Source: “В районе таджико-афганской границы завершились военные учения России, Узбекистана и Таджикистана (The military exercise of Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in a district on the Tajik-Afghan border has finished),” Fergana Agency (an independent news website focusing on Central Asia), 10 August 2021. https://fergana.agency/news/122657/
A joint military exercise with the participation of 2500 military personnel from Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has finished at the Harb-Maydon training facility, 20km from the border with Afghanistan…This was reported by the commander of the Russian Central Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Lapin…
“The use of a specific joint group of forces with aviation, reconnaissance and fire systems, and airborne forces based on experience gained in Syria was demonstrated for the first time,” said Lapin. He noted that the exercise was carried out alongside the ongoing situation in Afghanistan…Of the 2500 soldiers involved in the exercise, 1800 are Russian, mostly from the 201st military base in Tajikistan…
Source: “Россия усилит базу в Таджикистане партией БМП на фоне обострения в Афганистане (Russia is strengthening its base in Tajikistan with a delivery of BMPs against the backdrop of the escalation in Afghanistan),” Kommersant (semi-independent Russian daily newspaper), 21 July 2021. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4909723
The Russian military in Tajikistan will receive 17 modernized BMP-2Ms by the end of July, said the commander of the Central Military District, Alexander Lapin…
The BMP-2M is equipped with an automatic fire control system…it also has panoramic aiming and observation devices, as well as a new radio system, the R-168 “Aqueduct,” capable of operating in conditions with radio-electronic influence…
Source: “Таджикистан и Китай обсудили сотрудничество в сфере региональной безопасности (Tajikistan and China discussed regional security cooperation),” Avesta (an independent news agency reporting on Tajikistan), 10 August 2021. http://avesta.tj/2021/08/10/tadzhikistan-ikitaj-obsudili-sotrudnichestvo-v-sfere-regionalnoj-bezopasnosti/
Tajikistan and China discussed issues of developing bilateral cooperation in security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan reports…
The situation of regional security was also discussed, a source said.
Other details of the meeting were not disclosed.
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