CIS

Voting in Kazakhstan's referendum on a new constitutional draft has concluded, with exit polls indicating overwhelming support for the proposed amendments to the country's fundamental law. According to Deutsche Welle, an exit poll by the Institute of Eurasian Integration shows that 86.7% of voters backed the new version of the constitution. The survey was conducted at 200 polling stations across 17 regions and three major cities, covering approximately 30,000 people.

Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan – Podrobno.uz. A referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Kazakhstan is taking place today, June 5. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the lists of participants include 12,046,617 citizens of the country. The process is organized using digital services, expanded monitoring capabilities, and special conditions for people with disabilities, as CEC representatives announced in a meeting with international journalists.

▪️ Since the morning of March 11, Wednesday, residents of Kokand city in the Fergana Region have been left without gas, while electricity is periodically cut off in many districts. This situation is exacerbated by a cold snap observed that day, with temperatures in the Fergana Valley forecast to drop to -3 degrees Celsius overnight. Although not as severe as previous anomalous cold spells, the gas supply issues have become widespread, affecting daily routines and heating systems.

Russian agricultural supervision authorities (Rosselkhoznadzor) have thwarted an attempt to illegally transport 12 dogs to Uzbekistan at the Russian-Kazakh border. The incident occurred on March 9 at the "Ozynki" checkpoint in the Saratov region, where animals were discovered in a vehicle during an inspection.

An investigation has concluded in Russia's Chelyabinsk region against 15 individuals accused of participating in an organized criminal community and the illegal sale of narcotics. Among those detained are citizens of Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

During the partial mobilization announced by the Russian government in 2022 for its invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Medvedev* (name changed), a 38-year-old from Kemerovo in Siberia, was called up and served as a machine gunner in the Ural Battalion. However, upon reaching the front lines in early 2023, he was struck by the unprofessionalism in his “elite” unit. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Medvedev stated, “I witnessed my squad leader die of an overdose back in the rear area, so you can draw your own conclusions about the quality of recruitment and the contingent in our elite battalion.” He claimed a local worker supplied soldiers with drugs.

Uzbekistan, Tashkent – AN Podrobno.uz. Starting April 14, direct flights will commence from Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Urgench, the administrative center of Uzbekistan's Khorezm Region and a key transport hub for travel to the ancient city of Khiva.

In the city of Kokand, Fergana Region, personnel from the Internal Affairs Directorate and the State Security Service have uncovered another underground educational institution where minors were being taught without authorization.

For the second time in a week, a telephone conversation has taken place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leader of Iran. As the US and Israeli regimes continue their strikes on Iran, Putin is styling himself as an international peacemaker. However, this is not an easy sell, given that the Kremlin leader ordered Russia's full-scale invasion of the independent sovereign nation of Ukraine in 2022.

Uzbekistan's State Security Service (SSS) announced the interception of an attempt to smuggle gold bars into Kyrgyzstan in the Fergana Region. In a joint rapid operation conducted by the SSS Directorate for Fergana Region and customs officials, a Damas vehicle driven by a 30-year-old resident of Fergana District was inspected. The individual had arrived at the "Vodil-avto" border customs post with the intention of crossing into Kyrgyzstan.

The Chinese government is set to allocate over 424 million yuan for the construction of infrastructure for Tajikistan's Border Troops as part of a three-phase project. Exchange letters for the second phase have already been signed. The Tajik side is exempting the construction from taxes and duties, facilitating the cooperation.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on March 10 dismissing Emergency Minister Urmatbek Shamykankov from his post. Shamykankov had been appointed to the position in early February, meaning his tenure lasted less than a month.