Russian Paratroopers Arrive in Kazakhstan as Protesters Are Urged to ‘Apologize to the Troops’

Russian paratroopers began arriving in Kazakhstan on Thursday after the president appealed to Moscow for help in quelling widespread unrest. Russia’s RIA Novosti released footage of the troops loading up for their deployment, as the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization released a statement saying the “leading units” from the “peacekeeping” mission have already “begun to fulfill assigned tasks.” Troops from Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were also set to be arriving as part of the security collective after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appealed to Moscow for help in crushing protests. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko addressed Kazakh protesters directly ahead of his troops’ arrival, urging them to “get on your knees and apologize to the troops.”