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Ukraine

Turkmenistan Citizen Fighting for Russia in Ukraine Surrenders to Ukrainian Drone

Maksat Meredov, a citizen of Turkmenistan who had been fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, surrendered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by signaling a drone with a white flag. The drone operator guided him toward Ukrainian positions. According to the drone operator from the Ukrainian Pomsta (“Revenge”) brigade, military personnel were conducting reconnaissance using a thermal imager when they detected Meredov. After tracking his movements to a hiding place, the area was targeted and destroyed. Meredov then emerged, waving a white object. Recognizing it as a surrender gesture, Ukrainian forces ceased fire. The drone activated its flashing lights and maneuvered to indicate the direction Meredov should follow. Footage showed him cold and exhausted, stopping frequently and attempting to eat snow. In response, Ukrainian troops dropped water, a note, and later a hot water bottle to him via drone. During a filmed interrogation, the captive identified himself as Maksat Dovletmuradovich Meredov, born on March 24, 1980, and a citizen of Turkmenistan. “I recently came to Russia to earn money for myself and my family. The contract was signed on November 14, 2025,” Meredov stated. The video also displayed his documents. According to his passport, Meredov was born in the village of Akmeidan in Karakum district, Mary province, one of the most disadvantaged regions of Turkmenistan, known for persistent water shortages. After the rerouting of the Karakum Canal, reports indicated that some settlements in the region experienced flooding and livestock deaths, while others faced dried irrigation channels, forcing residents to drink from puddles. A Russian-issued document confirmed his identity and showed that Meredov arrived in Russia in June 2025 for work in the Krasnoyarsk territory before moving to the Vladimir region. He later signed a one-year contract with military unit 11097, based in the city of Voronezh. Similar incidents involving Turkmen nationals have been reported. In 2024, a mercenary from the town of Turkmenbashi fought in Ukraine for six months. His family used his earnings to purchase an apartment but later had to sell the property to pay a bribe to close a criminal case against him.

Caspian Pipeline Consortium

Kazakhstan Opens Criminal Probe Over Calls to Attack CPC Oil Pipeline

Kazakhstan has opened a criminal investigation into public statements that authorities say encouraged attacks on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the main export route for the country’s crude oil, after months of disruption at the system’s Black Sea terminal turned a foreign security risk into a domestic legal and political issue. Prosecutor General Berik Asylov confirmed the case in a written reply to a parliamentary inquiry on January 6. "On December 17, 2025, the Astana City Police Department launched a pre-trial investigation under Part 1 of Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (incitement of social, national, tribal, racial, class, or religious discord) into negative public comments regarding damage to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium," the Prosecutor General stated. The authorities have yet to name suspects, publish the posts under review, or announce any arrests. The file remains at the evidence-gathering stage, and prosecutors have left open whether any charges will ultimately be filed under Article 174, or reclassified under other provisions once investigators assess the intent and impact. The probe follows a request by Mazhilis deputy, Aidos Sarym, who said that some social media commentary crossed from opinion into encouragement of harm to strategic infrastructure, endorsed attacks on the CPC, and urged further strikes on critical sites. The political sensitivity is rooted in the 1,500-kilometer pipeline’s central role in Kazakhstan’s economy. CPC carries crude from western Kazakhstan to a marine terminal near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where the oil is loaded onto tankers for delivery to global markets. The pipeline is owned by a consortium that includes Kazakhstan, Russia, and several international energy companies. The system dominates Kazakhstan’s oil export economy. More than 80% of the country’s crude oil exports move through the CPC route, which also carries more than 1% of global oil supplies, making it a pressure point for both markets and state revenue when operations are disrupted. The investigation follows a period of repeated disruption at the Novorossiysk terminal in late 2025, after a naval drone strike damaged one of the offshore loading points used to transfer oil from the pipeline to tankers. The damage forced operators to suspend loadings and move vessels away while inspections and repairs were carried out, sharply reducing export capacity. The CPC relies on single-point moorings positioned at sea to load crude onto tankers, a critical constraint on the entire system; when one goes offline, capacity drops quickly. The pipeline cannot store large volumes, forcing upstream producers to cut or slow output. By late December, the impact was visible in Kazakhstan’s production figures. Oil output fell by about 6% during the month after the late November strike constrained exports. Production at the Tengiz oilfield, the country’s largest, dropped by roughly 10%. Exports of CPC Blend crude fell to about 1.08 million barrels per day in December, the lowest level in more than a year, as the terminal operated with only one functioning mooring while others remained offline due to damage and maintenance. Operational pressures continued as...

War in Ukraine

Tensions Between Kazakhstan and Ukraine Rise After Oil Infrastructure Attack

Escalating Ukrainian attacks on the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea have caused significant damage to energy infrastucture there, drawing a sharp rebuke from Kazakhstan, which relies heavily on the facility for the transhipment of oil from Kazakh fields to international markets. In response, Ukraine said it was not targeting Kazakhstan but trying to undercut “full-scale Russian aggression” as part of a campaign that has stirred concern about global oil prices and supply. An attack by “unmanned boats” on Saturday damaged a mooring device at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s marine terminal on Saturday, leading to the suspension of loading operations and other activities, the consortium said. While there were no casualties among its workers nor any immediate indication that oil entered Black Sea waters, some pipelines were closed and the normal resumption of oil shipments at Novorossiysk appeared to be in question because of security concerns. “Shipments at the terminal will be carried out in accordance with established rules upon cancellation of threats from unmanned surface vessels and drones,” said the consortium, which includes energy companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States and several Western European countries. Kazakhstan has tried to project neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine, maintaining close trade and diplomatic ties with Moscow while also, on occasion, speaking in support of Ukrainian sovereignty. But Ukraine’s latest attack on Novorossiysk, aimed at weakening Russia by targeting its oil facilities nationwide, drew an uncharacteristically blunt protest from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This incident marks the third act of aggression against an exclusively civilian facility whose operation is safeguarded by norms of international law. As a responsible participant of the global energy market, Kazakhstan consistently advocates for maintaining the stability and uninterrupted supply of energy resources,” the ministry said. It also said: “We view what has occurred as an action harming the bilateral relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and we expect the Ukrainian side to take effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also weighed in, describing the Ukrainian attack as “terrorist” and noting that “our friends in the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs” had already protested. Ukraine said it had taken into account Kazakhstan’s concerns about the pipeline consortium’s infrastructure. “We emphasize that no actions by the Ukrainian side are directed against the Republic of Kazakhstan or other third parties – all efforts of Ukraine are focused on cutting off the full-scale Russian aggression within the framework of the right to self-defense guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ukrainian statement also noted that Kazakhstan had not condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians, residential buildings and energy systems, including nuclear power plant substations. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a statement about the attack, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium said it had not been subjected to sanctions and played a significant role in “safeguarding the interests of the company's Western shareholders.”...

CSTO

CSTO Signs New Security Roadmap in Bishkek Amid Armenia Boycott and Putin Ukraine Remarks

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) reaffirmed its commitment to regional security and political coordination during its annual summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on November 27. Leaders from five of the bloc’s six members - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan - attended the event and signed off on a series of military, security, and strategic cooperation agreements. Armenia, the sixth CSTO member, boycotted the summit for the second year running, continuing its protest against the alliance’s refusal to intervene during Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan, and marking another low in Armenia’s engagement with the CSTO after months of public grievances against the bloc. Despite Yerevan’s absence, the other members adopted a wide-ranging joint declaration reaffirming the alliance’s collective defense commitments and outlining new initiatives to modernize its security framework. Notably, Armenia did not oppose the adoption of the summit documents in its absence. The CSTO, founded in 2002 and led by Russia, has a charter that guarantees mutual defense among members, though the bloc has often struggled to act decisively during regional crises. Still, it remains the only formal security alliance connecting Russia with post-Soviet Central Asian republics. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov hosted the summit, marking the end of his country’s chairmanship. Japarov handed over the role to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced that Russia will lead the CSTO in 2026 under the motto “Collective Security in a Multipolar World: Common Goal—Shared Responsibility.” The bloc also appointed Kyrgyzstan’s Taalatbek Masadykov as the next Secretary General. The former deputy head of Kyrgyzstan’s Security Council will begin his three-year term on January 1, 2026. In remarks during the summit, Putin also addressed global concerns about the war in Ukraine, stating that a 28-point peace plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump could serve as a “basis for future agreements.” He added that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe, seeking to dispel fears of escalation while reaffirming Moscow’s security agenda. The summit ended with the adoption of a large number of documents. Among them were a strategy to combat drug trafficking and plans to improve border security, peacekeeping readiness, and anti-terrorism efforts. Russia used the summit to offer CSTO members a rearmament initiative. Putin proposed supplying allies with modern Russian-made weapons that had “proven their effectiveness” in recent conflicts. The offer included expanded cooperation in joint production and training. Military exercises will continue under the newly adopted five-year cooperation plan. In 2025, the CSTO held drills in Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Tajikistan under the banner “Indestructible Brotherhood.” The plan outlines regular future training, integration of air defense units, and enhancements to peacekeeping logistics. The alliance also adopted an Anti-Drug Strategy for 2026–2030 and signed a joint resolution to intensify Operation “Kanal,” which targets drug routes through Central Asia. The CSTO committed to upgrading its counterterrorism strategy and enhancing cyber defense capabilities, with Russia proposing broader coordination on information security and biosecurity. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, meanwhile, used the summit to urge partners to accelerate border security aid along Tajikistan’s porous southern frontier...

Forced Labor

Nineteen Uzbek Citizens Repatriated from Ukraine After Forced Labor Exploitation

Nineteen Uzbek nationals who were found in exploitative labor conditions in Ukraine’s Kyiv region have been safely repatriated to Uzbekistan, according to the Dunyo news agency. Ukrainian media had previously reported that the group was subjected to forced labor at a greenhouse facility in the region. In response, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Kyiv, working in coordination with Ukraine’s National Police and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Ukraine and Moldova, launched an urgent operation to secure their release and safe return. Dunyo reports that the embassy took swift and comprehensive measures to safeguard the victims’ rights, address documentation issues, and facilitate their departure. Following negotiations, all 19 individuals were officially recognized as victims under Ukrainian law, allowing them to avoid legal penalties or administrative charges. On October 28, with financial and logistical support from the IOM, the group was transported by road from Kyiv to Chișinău, Moldova. While in the Moldovan capital, they were provided with food, shelter, and essential services. On November 2 the group flew from Chișinău to Istanbul, arriving in Urgench in Uzbekistan on November 3, accompanied by IOM representatives. The operation was hailed as part of Uzbekistan’s broader commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of its citizens abroad. The Uzbek Embassy in Ukraine continues to monitor the status of its nationals in the country and respond promptly to any reported violations.

Politics

Uzbekistan and Ukraine Pledge to Strengthen Ties During UN Assembly Meeting

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Saidov announced via his official Telegram channel. According to Saidov, the ministers discussed a broad range of issues, including trade, investment, education, cultural exchange, and multilateral cooperation within international organizations. “Our meeting reaffirmed the mutual commitment of Uzbekistan and Ukraine to deepen dialogue, strengthen partnership, and explore new opportunities that will benefit our peoples,” Saidov wrote. Sybiha also confirmed the outcome of the talks on X, stating: “I was sincerely glad to meet with Bakhtiyor Saidov at UNGA. We agreed to resume political dialogue and enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Ukraine is committed to developing relations with Uzbekistan and strengthening ties with Central Asia.” The meeting took place amid recent reports in Ukrainian media that 13 Uzbek citizens had been subjected to forced labor at a greenhouse in the Kyiv region. Following these reports, officials from Uzbekistan’s embassy in Ukraine visited the site and later confirmed that the case was under full consular control. In response, the embassy issued official notes to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office, demanding legal protection for the affected citizens. The embassy stated that a criminal case had been opened, suspects were facing trial, and measures were being taken to repatriate the workers. It emphasized that consular and legal support was ongoing, and that the rights and interests of Uzbek nationals remained a top priority.