Kyrgyzstan Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

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Drone Production

Kyrgyzstan Expands Domestic Drone Production

A private research center near Bishkek is expanding production of unmanned and robotic systems as Kyrgyzstan invests more heavily in drones, robotics, and military modernization. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces have expanded alongside sharp increases in defense spending, with drones receiving particular attention since Bishkek acquired its first combat drones in late 2021. The Nanospace Research Center, which operates with private funding, was established with support from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, who allocated land for the facility and helped its founders establish cooperation with the country’s armed forces. According to Nanospace Director Ulan Salamatov, the center now holds a license to manufacture military-grade unmanned systems. “We assemble FPV drones, long-range reconnaissance drones, and ground robotic systems here. These machines can provide fire support or place explosives under enemy tanks,” Nanospace Director Ulan Salamatov told The Times of Central Asia. “Of course, we hope there will be no war, but in any case, we must be prepared.” Salamatov said the center initially copied foreign drone models before developing its own long-range reconnaissance drone, the SAARA-02. He claimed the drone was tested in Batken and used to support Kyrgyz forces during the 2021 Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes. He said the center is now capable of independently producing high-altitude reconnaissance drones, with most parts manufactured in-house using 3D printers. Only chips and microprocessors are imported, while circuit boards and electronic systems are assembled at the facility. The center also produces FPV drones, though Salamatov said mass production remains limited by a lack of industrial machinery and equipment. In addition to aerial drones, Nanospace is building small, unmanned ground vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and supplies to frontline positions or evacuate wounded soldiers. Salamatov said the center is also working under contract with the Kyrgyz special forces to build the Kabylan combat vehicle, a robotic platform that can be equipped with machine guns or serve as a mobile drone-launching base. [caption id="attachment_50418" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Salamatov said the center plans to begin training students this autumn, opening its facilities to young engineers interested in robotics. The program will combine theoretical classes in the morning with practical training alongside the center’s engineers. Rocket engineering is another focus for the facility. Several prototype rockets developed by the team have already reached altitudes of two kilometers, Salamatov said. Engineers are now working on a rocket capable of reaching the stratosphere. If successful, he said, the center plans to launch a dedicated rocket engineering faculty next year.

Armed Forces

Kyrgyzstan’s Armed Forces Double in Size Amid Rising Defense Spending

Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces have roughly doubled in size since 2018 amid a sharp increase in defense spending, military rearmament, and improved social benefits for service personnel, according to General Staff chief Tariel Otonbaev. On May 29, Kyrgyzstan marked the 34th anniversary of the establishment of its national armed forces. Speaking at the anniversary event, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev said the development of the country’s modern military had been shaped by the armed incursions in the Batken region in 1999-2000 and the border conflict with Tajikistan in 2022. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Otonbaev said today’s military differs significantly from the force that existed five or ten years ago. “Over the past five years, military funding has increased by 300%. Today, approximately 2% of the country’s GDP is allocated to defense. Most importantly, interest among young people in military service has grown,” he said. According to Otonbaev, some military units faced shortages of contract personnel of between 30% and 40% just a few years ago. Today, staffing levels among contract soldiers exceed 95%. Otonbaev also highlighted improvements in living conditions for military personnel. More than 900 service members are expected to receive housing this year, while others receive monthly government compensation for rental costs ranging from $170 to $205. Food standards have also improved, he said. The daily caloric intake provided to service members has increased from 1,800 to 4,800 calories, while the range of food products available has been expanded. “The state has begun fulfilling its social obligations. Arms procurement has become systematic, and today the military is fully supplied with the equipment and weapons it needs,” Otonbaev said. According to General Staff data, Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces now number approximately 23,000 personnel, compared with about 11,000 in 2018. In addition, roughly 300,000 citizens are registered as reservists. The country’s military budget has reached $654 million. Otonbaev said the armed forces are closely studying lessons from modern conflicts and adapting training programs to new forms of warfare. Specialized units within the military analyze emerging trends and oversee their incorporation into force development and training. Particular attention is being paid to unmanned systems. According to Otonbaev, modern warfare has been transformed by the widespread use of drones and artificial intelligence technologies. Kyrgyzstan acquired its first combat drones in late 2021, purchasing Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles. Since then, the country has purchased additional unmanned systems from other suppliers and has begun developing its own fixed-wing and rotary-wing military drones. The first domestically produced models were showcased during the Rubezh-2025 military exercises held by the Collective Security Treaty Organization, marking another step in the development of Kyrgyzstan’s domestic defense industry. The rapid expansion of the armed forces is part of Bishkek’s effort to build national defense capabilities following recent regional security challenges and adapt its military doctrine to the changing nature of modern warfare.

Border Security

Kyrgyzstan Opens New Border Post Near Uzbekistan in Batken Region

A new border post has opened in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region near the border with Uzbekistan, as authorities continue efforts to improve security infrastructure in sensitive frontier areas, according to 24.kg news agency. The opening ceremony for the Sogment border post took place in the village of Sogment in Batken district. The facility is part of the Charbak border outpost under the Batken regional department of Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service. The presidential representative’s office in Batken region said the ceremony was attended online by Abdikarim Alimbaev, chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service, while local officials, border guards, and regional authorities gathered at the site. Among those present was Mamyrzhan Rakhimov, the presidential representative in Batken region. Officials congratulated border guards on Border Guards’ Day, which is marked in Kyrgyzstan on May 28, and described the opening of the new facility as an important step toward improving national security and maintaining stability in border areas. According to local authorities, the post includes modern barracks and other facilities designed to support border personnel stationed in the area. Border guards assigned to the sector are responsible for monitoring more than 12 kilometers of the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan state border. The report noted that several additional border facilities were also inaugurated across Kyrgyzstan on the same day. The opening comes amid broader efforts by Central Asian states to improve border cooperation following years of tensions and unresolved territorial disputes in the region. On March 31, 2025, the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed a landmark agreement defining the junction point of the three countries’ borders during a summit in Khujand, Tajikistan. The agreement was signed by Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rahmon, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In May this year, Japarov also visited the newly established Dostuk, or Friendship, Stele in Batken region near the tri-border area. The monument symbolizes the settlement of long-standing border issues and a new phase of regional cooperation among the three neighboring states. During that visit, Kyrgyz authorities also presented plans for the proposed Dostuk International Trade and Economic Park, a cross-border development project intended to strengthen trade, logistics, and investment ties in the region.

Education

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Foreign Teachers to Ease Education Staff Shortage

A group of deputies in Kyrgyzstan’s Jogorku Kenesh, the national parliament, has drafted legislative amendments aimed at attracting foreign teachers and modernizing the country’s educational infrastructure through new legal and economic incentives. The proposed amendments were submitted for parliamentary consideration. Under the draft legislation, foreign teachers working in Kyrgyzstan would be exempt from income tax and mandatory social security payments. The bill would also grant foreign educators the right to obtain temporary residence permits. Additional measures include tax incentives for educational institutions and exemptions from value-added tax (VAT) on imported educational equipment. The authors of the amendments argue that modernizing Kyrgyzstan’s education system will require the introduction of international teaching standards, digital technologies, and updated educational programs. They say the process will also require the involvement of highly qualified specialists, including foreign teachers with international experience. According to the lawmakers, the proposed legislation is intended to help implement advanced teaching methods and global educational practices, improve student training, create a more competitive academic environment, and strengthen the intellectual potential of younger generations without requiring students to study abroad. The bill’s explanatory note states that a shortage of qualified teachers in schools and universities remains one of the key challenges facing Kyrgyzstan’s education system. The shortage comes as the country experiences a steady increase in student numbers and mounting pressure on educational infrastructure. According to official figures cited in the draft legislation, Kyrgyzstan had 2,175 public schools and 219 private schools in 2025, serving a total of 1,526,800 students with 108,006 teaching staff. The country also has 32 public universities and 41 private universities.

Kamchybek Tashiyev

Tashiyev Charged as Kyrgyzstan’s Elite Rift Deepens

Former head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (GKNB), Kamchybek Tashiyev, has been charged under two articles of the criminal code, his lawyer said, amid signs of escalating political tension in the country. According to defense attorney Ikramidin Aitkulov, Tashiyev faces charges under Article 326, concerning forcible seizure or retention of power and actions aimed at forcibly changing the constitutional order, and Article 337, concerning abuse of office. The latter charge relates to alleged actions carried out for personal gain or for the benefit of others, and to conduct by a senior public official. A restraint measure has been imposed on Tashiyev in the form of a written undertaking not to leave his place of residence. After questioning at the Interior Ministry, he left the building late on April 29. His lawyer said the former official denies all charges. Tashiyev said he intends to defend himself through legal means. “I am innocent and, God willing, I will be acquitted,” he said in a statement. He also urged his supporters to remain calm and act within the law. Media reports suggest that former Prosecutor General Kurmankul Zulushev and former parliamentary speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu may also be linked to the same case, though their legal status remains unclear. The Interior Ministry has not publicly confirmed or denied reports that they were questioned. President Sadyr Japarov has previously said that any potential involvement by Tashiyev in the so-called “Letter of 75” should be determined by investigators and the courts. The letter, made public in February, urged Japarov and parliament to initiate an early presidential election, citing ambiguity over whether his current term should be treated under the six-year term in force at the time of his 2021 election or the five-year term introduced by the constitution adopted later that year. Tashiyev’s fall has been one of Kyrgyzstan’s most significant political ruptures since Japarov came to power after the 2020 upheaval. The two men had long been seen as the central tandem in Kyrgyz politics, with Japarov controlling the presidency and Tashiyev heading the security apparatus. That arrangement ended on February 10, when Japarov dismissed Tashiyev as GKNB chairman and deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. The official explanation was that the decision had been taken “in the interests of the state” and to prevent a split in society. The move was followed by a wider reshuffle inside the security services and parliament, where figures seen as close to Tashiyev came under pressure. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Japarov’s decision appeared to have broken the Japarov-Tashiyev tandem that had shaped the country’s power structure since 2020. The political pressure on Tashiyev’s network intensified in March and April. Tashiyev returned to Kyrgyzstan in March after more than a month abroad and was questioned by the Interior Ministry in connection with Kyrgyzneftegaz, the state oil company. TCA previously reported that the State Tax Service had revived allegations involving the company and private entities linked to Tashiyev’s relatives or associates, while...

Power Struggle

Japarov, Tashiyev, and the Kompromat War

Kyrgyzstan has seen three revolutions since 2005. It has been a politically active country since becoming independent in late 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. But since the current President Sadyr Japarov came to power after the 2020 revolution, he and his long-time friend and security chief, Kamchybek Tashiyev, have stifled expressions of public discontent. For the last five years, Kyrgyzstan’s political scene has been uncharacteristically quiet. But events since Japarov sacked Tashiyev on February 10 have raised speculation that a fierce political battle between the two powerful men now looms ahead for the country. Japarov has already fired the first shots. Accusations of corruption against Tashiyev and his family have led to arrests. But two can play at that game, and the former security likely has compromising information about Japarov and his family. “You Can't Cook Two Sheep's Heads in One Cauldron” The February 10 announcement of Tashiyev’s firing was arguably Kyrgyzstan’s biggest political shock since the October 2020 revolution that saw Japarov go from a prison cell to simultaneously occupying the posts of prime minister and president within ten days. The two had been friends for decades, they started their political careers about the same time, and both quickly rose through the ranks of government during the presidency of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was ousted in the 2010 revolution. The day after he was confirmed as president, Japarov appointed Tashiyev to be head of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB). The day before Tashiyev was sacked, a group of 75 prominent figures, who included former government officials, released an open letter to President Japarov and the speaker of parliament calling for an early presidential election. The group pointed to the discrepancy over whether Japarov was serving the six-year presidential term mandated in the 2010 constitution or the five-year term stipulated in the constitution adopted in April 2021, three months after the snap presidential election that Japarov won. It quickly became apparent that Tashiyev’s dismissal and the letter were connected. The same day Tashiyev was fired, so were several top GKNB officials, with the sacking of officials said to be close to Tashiyev continuing for days. Japarov’s spokesman said it was necessary to “prevent a split in society.” However, Japarov has avoided any detailed explanation of the reasons for the many changes and repeatedly described Tashiyev as a friend. Member of Parliament Elvira Surabaldiyeva, in an April 24 interview with a Kazakh journalist, said Tashiyev was dismissed because he was planning a coup and had been preparing it for a long time. “The president is going through a very difficult time right now, because his longtime friend tried to remove him from office,” Surabaldiyeva said, and added, “There's a saying: ‘You can't cook two sheep's heads in one cauldron.’ This seems to be exactly the case.” Kompromat Tashiyev was out of Kyrgyzstan when the news broke that he had been fired. He briefly returned on February 13, leaving again on February 17. He returned on March 19 and the...