CSTO to supply Tajikistan with weapons to strengthen Afghan border

Russia and other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are expected to begin supplying weapons and military equipment to Tajikistan by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen security along its border with Afghanistan.

CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said the first deliveries from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus were expected to begin in the autumn and continue before the end of the year.

The programme includes both military equipment and armaments intended to reinforce Tajikistan’s border security capabilities, according to remarks reported by Russia’s state news agency TASS on October 21.

Masadykov stressed that the initiative was not directed against Afghanistan and would not pose a threat to the country.

The planned deliveries come as Russia and Uzbekistan are also conducting joint military exercises this week, underscoring continued security cooperation in Central Asia, a region where governments remain concerned about instability along Afghanistan’s borders.

Tajikistan shares a long, mountainous border with Afghanistan and has repeatedly raised concerns about cross-border security threats. Moscow and its regional partners have supported efforts to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities amid wider concerns about security in the region.

The CSTO, a Russia-led security alliance that includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has made border security and regional stability key elements of its cooperation in Central Asia.