First Down And...

US State Department worries, I mean Tony Blinken...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has questioned Kazakhstan's decision to seek Russian military aid to deal with an ongoing wave of violent unrest.

Moscow already reacted to it and stated that Blinken "expressed himself in boorish manner"(in Russian). What did they expect form US "diplomat"? They don't know any better in Foggy Bottom--it is not a bug, it is a feature. 

In related news, however, really important news, former head of Kazakhstan's Committee on National Security Karim Masimov (in Russian) has been detained and has been charged with state treason. This dude is the first big fish which has been netted but not the last one. It seems that the deployment of the Ivanovo VDV Division, 31st Ulyanovsk Guards Assault Brigade and 45th Separate Brigade of Spetznaz, not to mention separate battalion of Naval Infantry (marines) of Russia's Caspian Flotilla which is now in control of Port Aktau, together with other ODKB forces, who are guarding now all crucial Kazakhstan government infrastructure, has dramatically improved legitimate Kazakh government grasp of situation and greatly boosted the morale of Kazakh Armed and Security forces who now are getting it done. ODKB forces also have an open order to use deadly force at their discretion. 

That's Ivanovo.
 

This is 45th Brigade of Spetznaz arriving to Alma-Ata. 

This is how Kazakh armed and security forces are now dealing with "rebels" (in Russian). They also have the right to shoot-to-kill, this is the only way. Very many civilians help them to search for, locate and identify terrorists and that is a great sign. It is also clear now that the violent attempt to overthrow a legitimate government of Kazakhstan has failed and now the most interesting process starts. Tony Blinken, people in London and Ankara have all reasons to feel nervous. I would too if I would be them--so many people will begin to sing now. I am sure people on Lubyanka already have buckets of pop-corn and many are making holes in their uniform jackets (for medals and orders) and on epaulets (for new starts).

So, Kremlin Confirms.

Pashinyan's statement (Armenia is a current chair of ODKB-CSTO) is now repeated on Kremlin's site:

В связи с обращением Президента Республики Казахстан К.-Ж.К.Токаева и ввиду угрозы национальной безопасности и суверенитету Республики Казахстан, вызванной, в том числе, вмешательством извне, Совет коллективной безопасности ОДКБ в соответствии со статьей 4 Договора о коллективной безопасности принял решение направить Коллективные миротворческие силы ОДКБ в Республику Казахстан на ограниченный по времени период с целью стабилизации и нормализации обстановки в этой стране.

Никол Пашинян

Председатель Совета коллективной безопасности ОДКБ,

Премьер-министр Республики Армения

Translation:  In connection with the appeal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.-Zh.K. Tokayev and in view of the threat to national security and the sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan caused, inter alia, by outside interference, the CSTO Collective Security Council, in accordance with Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty, decided to send Collective peacekeeping forces of the CSTO in the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period of time in order to stabilize and normalize the situation in this country. Nikol Pashinyan Chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. 

Rumor has it that the forces will be from Belarus and Russia. If so, Russia has her fast reaction forces build around several paratroop brigades and divisions, and if I would have been an MI-6 agent I would try to get the hell out of there before those forces and intel and signint units attached to them get there, because after that that would be problematic because the whole organization and plot will be outed and many people will be interrogated not in Astana (or Nur-Sultan) but in Moscow and that will change the perspective completely.