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India and Pakistan: A Central Asian Perspective on Two Military Giants

The new round of heavy clashes involving India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir – then settled by a bilateral adherence to a “full-scale ceasefire” – has also been a confrontation involving the players surrounding the two Asian giants. The involvement of some of them took place in plain sight: take the case of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a staunch ally of Pakistan, which sent the country a military ship and a group of fighter jets. Or China, which in recent years has invested tens of billions of dollars in Pakistan under the Belt & Road Initiative, and has become by far the largest supplier of military equipment to Islamabad. Beijing immediately called on both sides to engage in diplomacy. On the Indian front, as reported by recent research on the subject, New Delhi is purchasing weapons from an increasingly varied group of countries, including Russia, France, Israel and the United States. The ceasefire saw direct involvement from Washington, which acted as mediator between the two sides. Given also its geographical proximity to the Indian subcontinent, when it comes to Central Asia it is clear that the region may be called into question in any confrontation between India and Pakistan – or that, at least, would be heavily affected by it. During the strikes carried out by India against Pakistan following the deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the Indian media emphasized the strategic role that the military base India allegedly operates in Tajikistan could play in a possible open confrontation with Pakistan. Indian experts pointed out that the base could have given New Delhi the ability to strike Pakistan from the west, seriously compromising Islamabad's air defense capabilities. Furthermore, China was also called into question in India's alleged use of the military outpost, as New Delhi is said to be monitoring China's movements on the northern front using its presence in Tajikistan. This base is Ayni Airbase, a Soviet-era military facility located near the Tajik capital Dushanbe. The facts we know for certain point to an Indian involvement in the Tajik base which appears to have ended around 2015. In 2002, India, in collaboration with Tajikistan and Russia, financed an operation to refurbish the base, investing around $70 million in the project. Among the changes made was the lengthening of the runway, which was intended to ensure that it could be used by aircraft operated by the Indian armed forces. As also stated in the report on Central Asian armed forces drafted by the DC-based The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, after a phase in which it seemed that India would play a concrete role in the management of the base, Dushanbe subsequently backtracked, partly due to pressure from Russia. The same path was followed by New Delhi's involvement in the Farkhor airbase, initially used to reach Afghanistan by land by landing Indian cargo planes at the base, located near the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Over the years, the logistical importance of the structure gradually...

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Top Kyrgyz Heart Surgeon Warns of Critical Infrastructure Shortfalls Costing Lives

Prominent heart surgeon Kaldarbek Abdramanov has issued a stark warning about the dire state of cardiac care in Kyrgyzstan, stating that thousands of lives are being lost due to the lack of adequate medical infrastructure. His urgent appeal, posted on Facebook, has sparked widespread public concern. Abdramanov emphasized that while Kyrgyz cardiac surgeons have performed more than 70,000 heart surgeries since the country’s first operation in 1959, systemic failures are now threatening the field’s progress. “Although we do not yet perform heart transplants, which is every cardiac surgeon’s dream, this is due to a lack of proper infrastructure and equipment, not knowledge,” he wrote. The surgeon recalled a fire last winter at the Research Institute of Heart Surgery and Organ Transplantation, which left the facility severely damaged. Since then, staff have been working in makeshift, substandard conditions not suited for complex procedures. He criticized the international aid programs targeted at the center as largely symbolic, offering little real assistance. “We are the students and followers of the great Isa Akhunbaev. We’ve conducted 70,000 heart surgeries and perform nearly all procedures that clinics in Europe and the U.S. do. We have the expertise and the specialists, but not the environment to support our work,” Abdramanov stated. He called for the urgent construction of a new, modern cardiology complex with at least 250 beds. “Yes, such facilities are expensive. But no cost is higher than the lives of hundreds or thousands of citizens who die each year due to the absence of this kind of center,” he warned. Abdramanov also voiced frustration with foreign medical missions, accusing them of offering superficial support. “They come and perform basic surgeries that our young specialists could handle. They don’t teach us new technologies and they don’t leave behind any equipment. This is not real help,” he said. His remarks come amid political fallout in the health sector. President Sadyr Japarov recently publicly criticized Health Minister Erkin Chechebaev for failing to manage the country's hospitals effectively. The president was informed that 24 children with critical heart conditions are awaiting surgery, with three deaths reported in recent days.

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Mysteries Remain Over Soviet Spacecraft That Reentered Earth’s Atmosphere

The saga of a Venus-bound lander probe that launched from Soviet-run Kazakhstan in 1972 and made an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere on Saturday had triggered wide international interest, partly because there was so much uncertainty about its return. Would the spacecraft make it through the atmosphere intact? Where exactly would it end up? One thing is for sure: the Cosmos 482 spacecraft is down (and no one has to worry anymore about the very remote possibility of an encounter with flying spacecraft debris). But the answers to some of the mysteries about the lander still appear to elude scientists, or at least are the subject of continuing debate. Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Telegram on Saturday that the lander “entered the dense layers of the atmosphere at 9:24 Moscow time, 560 km west of Middle Andaman Island, and fell in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta.” The Russian statement was extensively reported by media organizations around the world. However, Dr. Marco Langbroek, a scientist based in the Netherlands, said on X that “it is not at all clear how accurate that position is and what it is based on, and whether it better represents the other estimates.” Some other space agencies and institutions had predicted other reentry points, including in the Pacific Ocean. “There is a planet-size discrepancy in some predictions about the Soviet Venus probe's impact point this morning, but everybody seems to agree it is down and it is in the ocean (our condolences to all "hope it is in my backyard" wishes),” space journalist Anatoly Zak wrote on Saturday. For its part, NASA concurred with Roscosmos that the lander probe had plunged into the ocean west of Jakarta, but the U.S. space agency didn’t say how it arrived at the conclusion. “Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it is possible it survived reentry,” NASA said. The spacecraft had a titanium protective shell originally designed to get through the extreme atmosphere of Venus, which has the hottest surface of any planet in the solar system. There was also uncertainty at the European Space Agency, which said in its last update on Saturday that the spacecraft hadn’t been spotted over Germany as expected and that it hadn’t received “any reports on visual direct observations of the final re-entry, or on any impacts on the ground.” The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 482 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then a Soviet republic. The probe never got out of Earth’s orbit and moved closer to Earth’s atmosphere over the decades. Today, Russia operates the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which retains a popular allure for its role in early space exploration and is still a vital part of the Russian space program.

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Video: Meet Marziya Aitzhanova, the Woman Helping To Bring Purified Water to Shymkent

The Times of Central Asia spoke to Marziya Aitzhanova, who is helping to bring purified water to Shymkent as part of the growing number of women in management positions in New Kazakhstan. “We purify two kinds of water,” she told TCA, “one desalinated and the other chemically purified. The first goes to the boiler and turbine, and the second goes to the city for heating.” [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Конкурс-2-ролик-1.mp4"][/video]

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Victory Day in Central Asia: Honoring Sacrifice Amid Shifting Narratives

For the countries of Central Asia, Victory Day holds a deep significance. Although debates over the nature of the May 9 commemorations have intensified in recent years, the importance of the holiday remains unchallenged. A War That Touched Every Family Attitudes toward the celebration marking the defeat of Nazi Germany are largely shaped by each nation's level of participation in the war effort. Kazakhstan mobilized over 1.2 million people, nearly 20% of its pre-war population of 6.5 million. Of these, more than 600,000 perished at the front, with an additional 300,000 dying in the rear due to malnutrition, forced labor, and inadequate medical care. With a similar sized population, Uzbekistan sent approximately 1.95 million people to the front - or one in every three residents. Around 400,000 Uzbeks did not return home. Over 500 Kazakhstani and more than 300 Uzbekistani soldiers were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. [caption id="attachment_31602" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Eternal flame and Crying Mother Monument, Tashkent; image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland[/caption] Kyrgyzstan, home to just 1.5 million people at the time, sent over 363,000 to the front. Approximately 100,000 perished, and 73 received the Hero of the Soviet Union medal. Tajikistan mobilized more than 300,000 troops, with over 100,000 never returning. Fifty-five Tajiks received Hero of the Soviet Union honors. Turkmenistan, with a population of 1.3 million, sent around 200,000 soldiers and officers; 16 received Hero status. Central Asian soldiers played vital roles in major battles, including the defense of Moscow. They helped liberate territories across the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The region also contributed 20-30% of its horse population, then a central component of local economies, for military use. The war profoundly reshaped Central Asia. Thousands of Soviet enterprises were relocated to the region, fueling industrialization. Millions of refugees from Nazi-occupied zones found sanctuary in Central Asian republics. Many children were taken in by local families and raised as their own. Today, many in Central Asia feel that outsiders fail to grasp the weight of Victory Day. While countries like the UK, U.S., Italy, and France recorded wartime deaths of 380,000, 417,000, 479,000, and 665,000 respectively, the USSR suffered over 26 million losses. German losses are estimated at 8.4 million. Celebrating Amid Controversy Recent years have brought a shift in how Victory Day is perceived in Central Asia. Symbols such as the Guards ribbon, criticized for echoing imperial Russian motifs, have sparked debate. Some argue that the holiday reflects colonial oppression, as the peoples of Soviet Asia were conscripted into a foreign war. These debates have grown louder since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, with some now viewing the May 9 celebrations as a tool of Russian influence in the region. Nonetheless, Central Asian leaders have rejected efforts to "cancel" Victory Day, reaffirming its deep personal and national resonance. Efforts to distinguish the celebration from Russian state narratives are evident. Many events now emphasize patriotism rather than Soviet nostalgia. On May 7, Kazakhstan held its first military parade in Astana in seven years,...

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Kazakhstan Faces Record Power Deficit as Electricity Shortfall Hits 2.4 Billion kWh

Kazakhstan has experienced its most significant electricity imbalance in recent years. According to data from Energyprom.kz, the gap between electricity production and consumption reached 2.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2024, an increase of 200 million kWh from 2023, when the shortfall stood at 2.2 billion kWh. While the country’s total generation amounted to 117.9 billion kWh, domestic consumption exceeded 120.4 billion kWh. Imports Offset Domestic Shortfalls To address this growing energy deficit, Kazakhstan primarily imports electricity from Russia. Smaller volumes are supplied by Kyrgyzstan, although these are typically part of Russian transit deliveries to Kyrgyz consumers. Despite these imports, domestic electricity generation continues to grow at a modest pace. In 2024, total generation rose by 4.2%, with a 3% year-on-year increase recorded in the first two months of 2025. Nevertheless, the production boost has not been sufficient to meet demand, necessitating continued reliance on external suppliers. Decline in Coal Dependence One notable trend is the gradual reduction in Kazakhstan’s dependence on coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs), traditionally among the most polluting energy sources. In 2024, the share of coal-fired generation declined from 77.4% to 74.9%, equivalent to approximately 88.4 billion kWh of total output. In contrast, the share of alternative power sources increased. Hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) contributed 9.5% of total generation, up 1.8 percentage points year-on-year, while gas turbine power plants (GTPPs) accounted for 10.1%, a 0.3-point increase. Renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, and biogas, produced 6.4 billion kWh, representing 5.4% of total electricity output. Revised Forecasts and Growing Challenges The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan has updated its projections to reflect the sector’s challenges. As of early 2025, officials estimate the country’s electricity deficit could grow to 5.7 billion kWh by year-end. This revision stems from downgraded forecasts for generation volumes, which are now projected at 117.1 billion kWh, down from an earlier estimate of 121.8 billion kWh. Expectations for the commissioning of new generation capacity have also been lowered, further exacerbating the shortfall. Nonetheless, government planners remain cautiously optimistic. If several large-scale energy projects move forward on schedule, the deficit could shrink to 2.6 billion kWh by the end of 2026. A full build-out of planned capacity could even lead to a surplus. New Capacity and Long-Term Plans The government has outlined plans to construct 59 new energy facilities with a combined capacity of 26.4 gigawatts (GW). These include both new builds and upgrades to existing plants. Major initiatives involve constructing a nuclear power plant (2.4 GW) and a third state district power station (GRES-3) with 2.6 GW of capacity. Additionally, 11 regional centers are set to receive combined-cycle gas turbines with a total capacity of 4.5 GW. Renewable energy is also a key focus. By 2029, Kazakhstan aims to commission four large wind power plants equipped with energy storage systems, totaling 3.8 GW in capacity. These projects are being developed through intergovernmental agreements with investors from the United Arab Emirates, France, and China.