Photo from the Russian Defense Ministry
Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed a military cooperation plan for 2027 on October 15, a day after Russian lawmakers approved measures to simplify arms deliveries to Bishkek.
Defense ministers Andrei Belousov and Ruslan Mukambetov signed the agreement in Cholpon-Ata, on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, ahead of a meeting of defense ministers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The plan’s contents have not been made public.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the two sides discussed military personnel training, military-technical cooperation, and the operation of the joint Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan.
Russia’s military presence in Kyrgyzstan consists of four facilities, including Kant Air Base, around 20 kilometers from Bishkek, which Russian forces have used since 2003. It is part of the forces of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The other facilities are a Russian Navy communications station in Chaldovar, a seismic monitoring station in Mailuu-Suu, and a naval weapons testing base near Karakol on Lake Issyk-Kul.
Belousov inspected the Issyk-Kul facility on October 14. The base tests anti-submarine weapons and systems designed to protect ships and submarines from torpedo attacks.
The joint military base operates under bilateral agreements. Its current structure took shape after Russia’s military facilities in Kyrgyzstan were brought together under an agreement signed in 2012, which entered into force in 2017.
On October 14, Russia’s State Duma ratified a protocol simplifying military-technical cooperation with Kyrgyzstan. Signed in November 2025, the protocol allows military equipment to be supplied under contracts between authorized organizations without additional import and export licenses. It also simplifies procedures for spare parts, repairs, and maintenance.
The changes could speed up deliveries to the Kyrgyz military, although no new contracts have been announced.
In 2025, Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed a strategic military partnership program covering 2026–2030. The two defense ministries have now agreed on their work for the coming year.
Kyrgyzstan also maintains military ties with other countries. In February 2026, representatives of U.S. Central Command, the U.S. Air Force, and the Montana National Guard discussed joint training plans for fiscal year 2027 with Kyrgyz military officials.
Sergey Kwan