🇰🇿) >> NEW KAZAKH DEFENCE MINISTER More senior defence shake-ups in Central Asia, with Kazakhstan appointing Dauren Kosanov as Minister of Defence. Kosanov being the first DM from the Air Defence Forces since 2007, possibly signals even more funding headed toward that branch.

Looks like Iran is offering the U.S. an off-ramp from this nightmare. Let’s hope Washington is smart enough to take it.

UPCOMING SPACE >> COMPARING DRONE DOCTRINES ACROSS THEATRES 🇺🇦🇷🇺🇮🇷🇰🇬🇦🇲🇷🇼🇸🇩 MONDAY 30th JUNE - 0900 (DC Time) With special guests: - Samuel Bendett (Samuel Bendett) - Tom Mutch (Tom Mutch) - Candace Rondeaux (Candace Rondeaux) x.com/i/spaces/1lPKq…

KICKING OFF IN ONE HOUR >> LIVE SPACE>> COMPARING DRONE DOCTRINES ACROSS THEATRES 🇺🇦🇷🇺🇮🇷🇮🇱🇦🇲🇷🇼🇸🇩) MONDAY 30th JUNE - 0900 (DC Time) With special guests: - Samuel Bendett (Samuel Bendett) - Tom Mutch (Tom Mutch) - Candace Rondeaux (Candace Rondeaux) x.com/i/spaces/1lPKq…

Central Asia is quietly entering into an arms race for drone production, not just to equip their own forces, but also to become exporters in a growing global market. I spoke with Радио Азаттык - Казахстан about what’s driving this current surge, and what comes next. rus.azattyq.org/a/tranzitnyy-h…

AUGUST LIVESTREAM >> WARGAMING: A CHINESE INVASION OF TAIWAN (2025 UPDATE) 🇨🇳🇹🇼🇺🇸 KICKING OFF IN 1 HOUR ⏰⏰ theredlinepodcast.com/discord

In a perfect snapshot of Central Asian politics: this week, as Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan send troops westward to Belarus for CSTO drills, all six CSTO Presidents are instead heading eastward to China for the SCO summit in Tianjin. 🇷🇺🇧🇾 << 🇰🇿🇰🇬🇹🇯 >> 🇨🇳

THIS FRIDAY. Excited to join Davis Center this Friday for their upcoming panel on Gazprom's influence in Central Asia. GAZPROM IN CENTRAL ASIA: BETWEEN GEOPOLITICAL INFLUENCE AND ENERGY TRANSITION ⏰- Friday, Oct 3rd >> 0930 (DC Time) daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/gazprom…

Kicking off in 30 minutes > > Gazprom in Central Asia: Between Geopolitical Influence and Energy Transition daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/gazprom…

Michael Hilliard Edward Lemon Derek Bisaccio and Mike Coffey talk about the Armed Forces of Central Asia project at ASEEES today. The Tajik chapter is already on oxussociety.org and the Uzbek chapter will be published next week

THE ARMED FORCES OF CENTRAL ASIA - CHAPTER IV: UZBEKISTAN 🇺🇿🇺🇿🇺🇿 …is being launched with a RUSI hosted webinar this Thursday (links below) 170+ pages of detailed information covering everything from Uzbekistan’s command structures to its military capabilities and budgets.

THE ARMED FORCES OF CENTRAL ASIA - MILITARY UNITS MAP >> UZBEKISTAN UPDATE 🇺🇿 …is also expanding tomorrow after our RUSI hosted webinar (links below) Adding 1400+ military and security locations from across Uzbekistan. Out now: 🇹🇯 Out tomorrow: 🇺🇿 Coming soon: 🇰🇬🇹🇲🇰🇿

AFOCA - MILITARY UNITS MAP >> 🇹🇯🇺🇿🇰🇬🇹🇲🇰🇿 Mapping every military and security site from across Central Asia. With over 5,500 pinned locations, each country’s pins are being added below in tandem with the public release of its corresponding report. oxussociety.org/viz/military-u…

Read our latest interview with Michael Hilliard , Director of Defense & Security Analysis at the Oxus Society, where he discusses Uzbekistan’s defense doctrine, military modernization, and the country’s balance between regional cooperation and security challenges.

How do experts measure military power? 🪖 Michael Hilliard is the Director of Defence & Security Analysis for the The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs. Join us on Thursday, 5pm CET/11am EST, as we unpack their work mapping the armed forces of Central Asia. discord.gg/bellingcat?eve…

What does “military power” really mean—and how do the logistics of war shape it? We spoke with The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs's Michael Hilliard on mapping Central Asia’s armed forces. Listen on Stage Talks with Bellingcat: rss.com/podcasts/belli…

A new Chinese-funded VKD training facility has just opened north of Dushanbe. 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 The bigger question I have though, is why does the Tajik VKD have diagrams of what appears to be the US-made MQ-1 drone posted on the walls of its new training facility? 🤔

I just spent an hour walking around central Bishkek, and it’s hard not to notice that there are far more posters being put up for this weeks visit by Putin, than there are for this weekend’s national elections. 🇰🇬🇷🇺🇰🇬