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CIS

Moldova Moves to Leave CIS as Post-Soviet Bloc Loses Another Member

Moldova’s parliament approved, in final reading on April 2, the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with 60 deputies voting in favor. President Maia Sandu then promulgated the denunciation decrees, which were published in the Official Journal on April 8 and entered into force, with the Foreign Ministry set to notify the CIS. If Moldova’s withdrawal takes full legal effect after notification and the relevant notice period, eight CIS member states would remain: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The CIS was created immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a framework to manage the breakup and maintain post-Soviet cooperation among former republics. Moldova’s denunciation concerns a structure originally formed by 11 former Soviet states, not all 15 Soviet republics. Moldova’s exit further weakens the CIS politically, though the bloc will continue to exist if the remaining member states stay in place. Moldova has already approved the denunciation of the 1991 Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, the related Protocol, and the 1993 CIS Statute. The Moldovan authorities say the CIS’s core values and principles are no longer being respected, especially the recognition of territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. They cite Russia’s war against Ukraine, acts of aggression against Georgia, and the illegal military presence of Russian troops on Moldovan territory. Chisinau says the move is consistent with Moldova’s European path, while the European Union remains its main economic partner. Economic ties with the Commonwealth have significantly declined: in 2025, CIS countries accounted for 5.9% of Moldova’s exports, while the European Union accounted for 67.5%. Moldova’s final withdrawal from the CIS may not, therefore, come as a surprise to its other members. On January 19, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi announced the start of the process to denounce the three core CIS agreements underpinning Moldova’s membership. “We are already in the process of getting approvals for the denunciation of three agreements with the CIS. They are the agreements that form the basis of our affiliation to the CIS, namely: the CIS Statute, the CIS Founding Agreement, and the Annex to this agreement,” Popșoi said. He added that this would mean Moldova was no longer a CIS member legally, while participation had already been suspended de facto. Moldova set a course toward breaking its remaining ties with its Soviet past after the 2020 presidential elections, when new president, Maia Sandu, announced a path toward EU integration and refused to participate in CIS summits. Moldova has spent the past several years unwinding CIS-linked agreements. As of January 2026, Moldovan officials said the country had signed 283 CIS agreements, of which 71 had already been rescinded, and about 60 more were in process. On December 12, 2025, Moldova’s parliament approved the denunciation of the 1992 Bishkek agreement on visa-free travel for CIS citizens. For Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and several other states, visa-free travel with Moldova remains in place under bilateral agreements. Moldovan authorities said the denunciation of the Bishkek agreement would affect...

transport corridor

Kyrgyzstan Tests Alternative Transport Route to Russia That Bypasses Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan and Russia are advancing plans for an alternative transport route that would bypass Kazakhstan. The proposed Southern Transport Corridor would connect the Russian port of Astrakhan across the Caspian Sea to the Turkmenbashi port in Turkmenistan and then continue overland through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan. The first test cargo shipments along this corridor have already been completed, according to Russian media reports citing Kyrgyzstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiyev. Amangeldiyev said Kyrgyzstan views the development of this southern route via the Caspian Sea as a promising alternative for trade between the two countries. “We’re working in this direction. We have a strategic partnership in this area and a shared vision. We are currently in negotiations,” he told Russia’s TASS news agency on April 3 on the sidelines of the CIS International Economic Forum in Moscow. Discussions on establishing the new transport corridor date back to October 2024, during the visit of then–prime minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov to Moscow. For Kyrgyzstan, the Southern Transport Corridor offers a way to reduce dependence on transit through Kazakhstan. At present, most cargo traffic between Russia and Kyrgyzstan passes through the territory of Kazakhstan. Trucks from Kyrgyzstan often face delays of several days at the border, creating significant obstacles for cargo transport, particularly for perishable agricultural goods. The new corridor is expected to help alleviate these bottlenecks and provide an alternative route linking Kyrgyzstan with the European part of Russia. Kazakhstan would continue to serve as the primary transit route for trade with Russia’s Siberian, Ural, and Far Eastern regions.

Crocus City Hall attack

Second Attack in Moscow Was Planned Alongside Crocus City Hall Assault

Organizers of the deadly attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow had initially planned a second, simultaneous attack in the Russian capital but later abandoned the idea, according to materials from the ongoing investigation cited by TASS. A participant in the court proceedings told the agency that investigators had identified a coordinator operating from abroad, known by the alias Saifullo, who had prepared a group of recruited and trained attackers for two separate operations in Moscow. The second attack was intended to take place at the same time as the assault on Crocus City Hall, with two individuals assigned to carry it out and three others designated for the concert venue. However, shortly before the attack, the plan was revised. Instead of dividing their forces, the organizers decided to concentrate on a single target, reinforcing the group assigned to Crocus City Hall. The exact location and method of the planned second attack were not disclosed in the case materials, although investigators noted it was also intended to result in mass casualties. According to TASS, one week before the attack the coordinator informed the perpetrators that an additional individual, previously assigned to the second operation, would join the group targeting Crocus City Hall. Several suspects linked to the case have been placed on Russia’s list of designated terrorists, while the alleged coordinator remains at large abroad. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, a man sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the attack died in pretrial detention, in what Russian authorities described as suicide. Investigations into the organization and execution of the Crocus City Hall attack are ongoing.

Migrant Workers

Uzbekistan Officials Intervene Over Wage Delays for Migrant Workers in Russia

Uzbek diplomats and migration officials have intervened to resolve wage disputes affecting dozens of Uzbek citizens working in Russia’s Tyumen region, according to a report by Dunyo Information Agency. Representatives of Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Yekaterinburg, together with officials from the Migration Agency, traveled to the city of Tobolsk, where they met with more than 100 Uzbek citizens working temporarily for local companies. The delegation organized an on-site reception, providing legal and consular assistance and clarifying issues related to passport processing and compliance with migration laws. During the meetings, officials also warned workers about the risks of engaging with illegal or extremist groups and reminded them that joining private military companies could lead to criminal liability. A key issue raised during the visit was delayed wage payments. Authorities found that a subcontractor had failed to pay salaries for February and March to 26 Uzbek workers. Following negotiations involving the main contractor and the employer, the companies acknowledged the debt and agreed to settle it. As a result, approximately 2 million rubles (about $24,945) in wages have been accrued and are expected to be transferred to the workers’ bank accounts in the coming days. In addition, the employers committed to repaying outstanding wages to around 80 other Uzbek citizens who had previously left the company without receiving full payment. Officials also inspected living and working conditions and held discussions with employers aimed at preventing similar cases in the future. According to Dunyo, Uzbekistan’s government considers the protection of its citizens abroad and ensuring fair pay for their work a priority. Such outreach visits and rapid interventions are seen as an important tool for strengthening legal protections for Uzbek migrant workers in Russia and addressing their concerns directly on the ground. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Russia expressed its readiness to facilitate the transfer of more than 3,000 Uzbek prisoners to serve their sentences in Uzbekistan, although the process remains constrained by legal limitations.

Death in custody

Convicted Crocus City Hall attack Defendant Found Dead in Moscow Detention Center

A man sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the deadly attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow has died in pretrial detention. Russian authorities said the death is being treated as a suicide. The development was reported by RBC, citing the Federal Penitentiary Service. In a statement reported by RBC, officials said the incident occurred at the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center in Moscow. Medical staff attempted resuscitation, but the efforts were unsuccessful. Authorities added that an internal review has been launched, with results expected in due course. Due to personal data protection laws, officials initially withheld the identity of the deceased. However, RBC later reported, citing a lawyer representing victims, that the individual was Yakubjoni Davlatkhon Yusufzoda, a citizen of Tajikistan who had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment earlier in March. The case is linked to the high-profile Crocus City Hall attack in March 2024, which resulted in multiple casualties and drew widespread international attention. According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Yusufzoda was accused of assisting those involved in the attack, including facilitating financial transfers before and after the incident. He was detained in late March 2024 during a law enforcement operation and later charged under terrorism-related provisions of the Russian Criminal Code. RBC also reported that another defendant in the same case, Jabrail Aushev, had previously attempted self-harm but was prevented by detention center staff. Authorities said reports of a new incident involving Aushev on the same day were inaccurate. Earlier in March, the Western District Military Court sentenced several individuals identified as direct perpetrators of the attack to life imprisonment, along with others described by investigators as accomplices. Both the defense and victims’ representatives have since appealed the verdict, arguing that the sentences were, respectively, too severe and too lenient.

prisoner transfer

Russia Ready to Transfer Over 3,000 Uzbek Prisoners

Russia is prepared to facilitate the transfer of more than 3,000 Uzbek citizens convicted on its territory to serve their sentences in Uzbekistan, but the process remains stalled due to legal obstacles, Kommersant reported, citing Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova. Speaking at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Human Rights Commission, Moskalkova said Russia is willing to support the transfer mechanism. However, she noted that Uzbekistan cannot currently accept the prisoners because it has not ratified the 1998 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. “Russia is ready to assist, but the country of citizenship cannot accept them due to the lack of ratification of the convention,” she said, according to RIA Novosti. The agreement allows individuals convicted in one participating country to serve their sentences in their home country. It is intended to support rehabilitation and improve humanitarian conditions by allowing individuals to remain closer to their families and social environment. Russia ratified the convention in 1998, and it is also in force in several countries in the region, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia. For Uzbek nationals, however, Uzbekistan’s absence from the treaty has prevented similar transfers. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, in 2025, 191 Uzbek citizens applied for asylum in Russia, highlighting shifting migration patterns and increasing pressure on legal and humanitarian systems in the region.