The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Over the past month, Ukrainian forces have carried out a series of strikes on the facilities of Russia's largest online marketplace, Wildberries. As with previous attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, including that of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the consequences are again being felt by citizens and businesses in neighboring...

Caspian Sea

As Two Wars Reach the Caspian, Central Asia’s Middle Corridor Holds

On July 25, two wars met in waters that Central Asian governments had tried to keep apart. Ukraine reported successful long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the targets included vessels involved in carrying military cargo from Iran and a warship. Tehran said an Iranian commercial vessel...

Global Business Services

GBSF 2026 Highlights Uzbekistan’s Push for Global Business Services and AI

More than 450 participants from business and government, representing over 45 countries, gathered in Tashkent on July 24–25 for the Global Business Services Forum 2026. The event centered on Uzbekistan’s effort to become a regional center for global business services and business process outsourcing (BPO), with artificial intelligence (AI) also...

U.S. Tariffs

U.S. Imposes 12.5% Tariff on Kazakhstan Over Third-Country Import Controls

Opinion

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

Caspian Pipeline Consortium

Kazakhstan Resumes CPC Oil Exports After Output More Than Halves

Kazakhstan resumed oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium on July 27 after the consortium restarted accepting crude and loading tankers at its Black Sea terminal near Novorossiysk. The Energy Ministry said the SEAMAJESTY and MILOS tankers were loading crude supplied by Tengizchevroil at two of the terminal’s single-point moorings....

Taliban Troubles, Security Service Strife and the Deportation Divide

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Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

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Opinions

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

Mathieu Lemoine

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Demining Expertise Could Provide Boost to Afghanistan

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Uzbekistan Census – When the Village Reappears in the City

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: The Specter Is Back – A Kazakh Warning to America

Askar Alimzhanov

Opinion: The Amu Darya Stress Test – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Politics of Agricultural Adaptation

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s New Income Growth Plan – Administrative Measures Against Market Realities

Igor Klevtsov

Opinion: Central Asia’s Shift from Silk Road Romance to Infrastructure Finance – What the June Forums Are Building

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

UNDP Opinion: Central Asia – Shared Wildlife, Shared Landscapes, Shared Responsibility

UNDP Representatives in Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Wawiernia, Kyrgyzstan, Alexandra Solovieva, Tajikistan, Sudipto Mukerjee, Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, Uzbekistan, Akiko Fujii.

Opinion: Beyond Multivectorism – What Kyrgyzstan’s UN Security Council Win Really Shows

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Eurasia’s New Corridors Are More Than a Transit Race

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: Silk Seven or the OTS? Central Asia May Not Have to Choose

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: How AI Is Reshaping the Global Image of Nations

Sergey Akhmetov

Business & Economy

Digital Payments

Apple Pay and Google Pay Mobile Wallets Could Launch in Uzbekistan Within Months

Apple Pay and Google Pay could become available in Uzbekistan within the next few months, Jamshid Usmanov, head of the Central Bank’s Payment Systems Development Department, told Spot. Usmanov said the Central Bank began negotiations with Apple and Google after amendments to Uzbekistan’s personal data legislation came into force. The regulator has since been working with commercial banks and the national payment systems Humo and Uzcard to complete the technical integration required to launch the services. “Commercial banks are actively carrying out integration work. There are also issues related to card tokenization that are being addressed,” Usmanov said. The project...

Cross-Border Trade

Turkmenistan Renovates Customs Post on Border with Iran

Fuel prices

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Contain Rising Fuel Prices

e-Commerce

Wildberries Kazakhstan Sellers Count Losses After Ukraine Strikes

Global Business Services

GBSF 2026 Highlights Uzbekistan’s Push for Global Business Services and AI

Marketplace

Kazakhstan Yet to Receive Wildberries Warehouse Request

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration has said it is prepared to consider a request from RWB, the company formed through the merger of online marketplace Wildberries and outdoor advertising operator Russ, to establish additional warehouse capacity in the country. The company’s reported interest comes amid continuing drone attacks on logistics infrastructure in Russia. The ministry said it has not yet received any formal request from Wildberries. Should one be submitted, it would be considered in accordance with Kazakhstan’s legislation and the country’s national interests. “To date, the Ministry of Trade and Integration has not received any official request from...

Foreign Investment

Foreign-Owned Companies in Central Asia: What the Figures Mean

When political leaders or national statistical agencies report an increase foreign-owned companies in Central Asia, the media often draw the wrong conclusion. A rise in the number of foreign-owned businesses is frequently interpreted as evidence of growing investment from the countries where their owners originate. In reality, this is not always the case. In some instances, the increase may simply reflect the registration of additional legal entities. The headline figures are nevertheless striking. According to official statistics, Kazakhstan had 52,693 operating entities with foreign ownership as of July 1, 2026, alongside 8,909 with joint ownership. In Kyrgyzstan, 5,724 operating enterprises...

Energy Security

Central Asia Rethinks Energy Security After the 2026 Fuel Crisis

The summer of 2026 marked a turning point for energy security in Central Asia. In July, drone strikes temporarily halted crude oil receipts and loadings at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s (CPC) marine terminal in Novorossiysk. Although CPC resumed normal operations on July 27, the incident exposed the vulnerability of one of the region’s principal export routes to external security risks. Russia, which for decades has been Central Asia’s principal supplier of refined petroleum products, has also faced prolonged pressure in its domestic fuel market. Reduced utilization at some refineries and rising domestic demand have created longer-term challenges. Restrictions on gasoline...

Opinion

Kazakhstan’s Mineral Future Still Carries an Oil Risk Premium

In June, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev went to Brussels with a future-facing offer: Kazakhstan could become Europe’s non-Chinese option in critical minerals. Astana presented the country as a base for processing, long-term offtake, and industrial cooperation, rather than another source of ore. A month later, Kazakhstan’s older vulnerability reappeared. Drone attacks near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal at Novorossiysk disrupted loadings and forced production cuts in Kazakhstan. By July 27, loading had resumed, with tankers receiving crude supplied by Tengizchevroil. The interruption was brief, but it exposed a structural problem. Kazakhstan’s future mineral offer still rests on an economy whose main...

Local Politics

Presidential Election

Kyrgyzstan Moves 2027 Presidential Election to January 27

President Sadyr Japarov has signed legislation changing the schedule for Kyrgyzstan's next presidential election. Under the amendments, the vote will be held on 27 January 2027, the fourth Wednesday of January, instead of the fourth Sunday of the month, as provided for under the previous legislation. The amendments also retain the requirement that the Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan's parliament, must schedule the presidential election no later than four months before polling day. Election day will be a paid day off. According to the explanatory note accompanying the legislation, moving the vote from Sunday to a weekday is expected to encourage higher...

Islamic Finance

Uzbekistan Establishes Islamic Finance Council as New Banking Law Takes Effect

Election Funding

Kazakhstan Allocates $73 Million for August Kurultai Elections

Women’s Empowerment

Tajikistan Develops Gender Equality Strategy and Expands Support for Women

Tax Policy

Uzbekistan Bank Data Plan Sparks Privacy and Tax Debate

Transport Policy

Bishkek Proposes Curbs on Private Car Use

Bishkek authorities are proposing a shift in the capital’s transport policy by prioritizing public transport and gradually reducing reliance on private cars. A draft presidential decree prepared by the Bishkek mayor’s office has been released for public consultation. The proposal calls for a long-term transport development program, the creation of an interagency coordination headquarters, upgrades to road infrastructure, new traffic management schemes, and continued investment in the city’s municipal public transport network. Its stated objective is to reduce chronic traffic congestion and improve air quality in the capital. According to the explanatory note accompanying the draft, Bishkek’s road network is...

Public health

Kyrgyzstan Tests Public Health Emergency Response Ahead of World Nomad Games

Kyrgyzstan has carried out large-scale interagency public health emergency exercises as part of preparations for the sixth World Nomad Games, which will take place from August 31 to September 6. Authorities say health security has become one of the key components of planning for what is expected to be the country's largest international event of the year. The two-day simulation exercise was held on July 14-15 in Cholpon-Ata, in the Issyk-Kul region. It brought together representatives of the Ministry of Health, healthcare institutions, the World Health Organization (WHO), other government agencies, and international development partners. Participants rehearsed the response to...

Cardiac Surgery

Kazakhstan Joins World’s Top 30 Countries in Cardiac Surgery Development

Kazakhstan has entered the world’s top 30 countries for cardiac surgery, according to the Ministry of Health, citing the country’s growing use of advanced cardiovascular procedures, including heart transplantation and other high-tech surgical interventions. In 2025, Kazakhstan performed 13,106 open-heart surgeries, a 7.2% increase from the previous year. Coronary artery bypass grafting accounted for the largest share of procedures, at 46.1%. It is the standard surgical treatment for severe coronary artery disease and restores blood flow to the heart by bypassing blocked or narrowed arteries. Operations for acquired and congenital heart defects together accounted for 35.8% of all open-heart procedures....

Urban Development

Urbanization: Only One in Four Tajik Residents Lives in a City

While its regional neighbors are increasingly undergoing urbanization, Tajikistan remains a predominantly rural country and the gap with the rest of Central Asia on this indicator is one of the most notable in the post-Soviet space. The Lowest Rate in the Region As of mid-2026, Tajikistan’s urban population stands at 27.98%, in other words, only slightly more than one in four residents of the country lives in a city. For comparison with the rest of the region: in Kazakhstan, the urban population is around 59%; in Turkmenistan, around 52%; in Uzbekistan, around 50%; and in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, roughly 38%. Against...

International Affairs

Black Sea Tanker Attacks

Breaking: CPC Halts Oil Loadings Again After Two More Tankers Attacked Near Novorossiysk

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has stopped oil loading at its Black Sea terminal near Novorossiysk after two more tankers were attacked early on July 30. The suspension came only three days after Kazakhstan resumed exports through the route following a week-long disruption. The Marshall Islands-flagged NISSOS SIFNOS was attacked at 1:48 a.m. Moscow time while loading Tengizchevroil crude at single-point mooring SPM-3, CPC said. A drone hit the cargo deck near the manifolds used to receive oil. The strike caused a fire, which the crew extinguished with help from three CPC support vessels. CPC said no employees or contractors were...

Caspian Sea

As Two Wars Reach the Caspian, Central Asia’s Middle Corridor Holds

Middle East Crisis

Turkmenistan Condemns Strike on Iranian Ship in Caspian Sea

Russia's War in Ukraine

Why Tokayev Urged Putin to Freeze the War in Ukraine

EU Sanctions

EU Sanctions Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Firms in Latest Russia Package

U.S.-Kazakhstan Relations

Rubio and Kosherbayev Discuss CPC Ahead of Tokayev’s U.S. Visit

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev on 29 July. The discussion focused on the situation surrounding the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, energy cooperation, critical minerals, trade and investment ties, and current international issues. According to the U.S. Department of State, Rubio and Kosherbayev discussed the importance of energy security, including the “reliable and uninterrupted” export of Kazakhstan-origin oil through the CPC system. Rubio also thanked Kazakhstan for supporting President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives and expressed interest in deepening bilateral economic cooperation. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two ministers discussed...

U.S. Tariffs

U.S. Imposes 12.5% Tariff on Kazakhstan Over Third-Country Import Controls

Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian economy included in a new U.S. tariff action covering 60 trading partners. An additional tariff of 12.5% has been imposed on a range of Kazakh goods, excluding products listed in the annexes to the final decision. The rate applies to goods entered for consumption in the United States from July 24, 2026. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration said about 95% of the country’s exports to the United States would remain outside the measure because of the exemptions. It also said the new tariff replaces an expired temporary 10% surcharge and will not be...

Bilateral Relations

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Council of Regional Leaders Holds First Meeting

The first meeting of the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Council of Regional Leaders was held in the Caspian city of Aktau on July 24, involving Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, according to the Kazakh government. The new platform for regional cooperation is aimed at facilitating trade and investment, as well as strengthening transport links and cross-border partnerships. “We attach special importance to the comprehensive development of our strategic partnership with our brotherly Uzbekistan,” Bektenov said, describing the establishment of the Council of Regional Leaders as a "logical" step in the two countries' relationship. Bektenov noted that direct...

Russia's War in Ukraine

Tokayev Calls for Ukraine War Freeze as Black Sea and Caspian Risks Grow

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for Russia and Ukraine to freeze the war and return to negotiations, delivering one of his clearest public appeals for an end to the conflict while seated beside Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Perhaps this conflict should already be frozen and we should return to the Istanbul Formula 2.0, since significant results were achieved there," Tokayev said during talks in Omsk on July 25. He said major powers, including Russia, should provide security guarantees before the sides moved towards a lasting peace. Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in...

Life & Culture

Future Games

Future Games 2026 Begin in Astana, Kazakhstan

The third edition of the Future Games has opened in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, bringing traditional sport and esports together through digital technology. The opening ceremony was attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Rustam Minnikhanov, head of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan. The competition runs from July 29 to August 9 and features more than 800 athletes from more than 50 countries competing for a prize fund of $4.75 million across eight disciplines. They include phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital martial arts, a phygital shooter, phygital dance, and tournaments in...

Film Festival

How Kyrgyzstan Used the SCO Film Festival to Raise Its International Profile

UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO Adds Mangystau Rock Mosques to World Heritage List

FIFA World Cup

Uzbekistan’s Shomurodov Shortlisted for World Cup Goal Award

Tourism

Japarov Says Tourist Flow to Kyrgyzstan Has Reached 13 Million as Central Asia’s Travel Boom Accelerates

Football

Dastan Satpayev Scores on Chelsea Debut

Kazakhstan international Dastan Satpayev has opened his account for Premier League club Chelsea, scoring in his first appearance for the London side, albeit in a pre-season friendly. Satpayev made his first appearance for Chelsea on July 28 at the age of 17, just weeks before his 18th birthday, after which he will become eligible to complete his move under FIFA regulations governing the international transfer of minors. Chelsea agreed to sign the Kazakhstan forward last year but postponed completion of the transfer until he reached the required age. Having joined the club for its pre-season preparations earlier this month, Satpayev...

Opinion

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

When people think of Uzbekistan’s architectural heritage, the images are familiar: the turquoise domes of Samarkand, the madrasas of Bukhara, Khiva’s walled city, and the monuments of Shakhrisabz. But Uzbekistan’s history did not stop with the Silk Road. At its 48th session in July, UNESCO inscribed “Tashkent Modernist Architecture. Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia” on the World Heritage List. The new site brings together ten buildings and urban complexes constructed between the 1960s and the early 1990s, during the period in which Tashkent was dramatically rebuilt following the 1966 earthquake. The inscription deserves to be celebrated. More importantly, it expands the...

TCA Interviews

From Instagram to Hollywood: How Kazakhstan’s Yerlan Tanay Became a Sought-After Colorist

Kazakhstani colorist Yerlan Tanay has built an international career in post-production, working with major companies including The Mill and Company 3. Now based in Los Angeles and working freelance, he has experienced both the opportunities and instability of Hollywood’s highly competitive market. His long-term goal is to move further into feature films. Tanay career changed after he began sharing his work on Instagram, where he was approached about joining The Mill. In this interview with The Times of Central Asia, he explains how that move opened the door to Hollywood and what he learned inside leading post-production studios. TCA: You...

Korean Culture

K-Pop in Central Asia: Why Korean Pop Culture Has Captured a Generation

On weekend afternoons in Almaty, Tashkent, or Bishkek, groups of teenagers practice synchronized dance routines in parks, shopping centers, and university courtyards, their clothes echoing the polished style of Korean idols. BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, NewJeans, aespa, SEVENTEEN, and many other groups fill their playlists and social media feeds. Some are filming dance covers for TikTok, others are preparing for local competitions, while many simply gather with friends who share the same enthusiasm. K-pop in Central Asia has become much more than a foreign music genre. It forms part of the broader Korean Wave, or Hallyu, encompassing television dramas, films,...

Justice

Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border

Kyrgyzstan Uncovers Suspected Smuggling Tunnel on Uzbek Border

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have uncovered an underground tunnel on the border with Uzbekistan that is believed to have been built for smuggling goods, 24.kg reported, citing the Batken Regional Department of Internal Affairs. According to the police, officers from the department responsible for combating extremism and illegal migration received information that an underground passage was being constructed to move goods illegally across the border. During an inspection of an abandoned house on Mamazhanov Street in the village of Chechelik, Kadamjay District, investigators discovered a tunnel leading toward neighboring Uzbekistan. According to the regional police department, the tunnel is approximately 12...

Religion

Tajikistan Hijab Ban Denied by Authorities Amid Confusion

Press Freedom

Tajikistan Frees Two Journalists as Press Freedom Concerns Persist

Rule of Law

Former Tajik Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Detained in Case of 23-Year-Old Woman’s Death

Internet Restrictions

A Signal from Uzbekistan: How Turkmen Border Villages Reach the Outside World

Gulnara Karimova

Swiss Court Fines Lombard Odier $3.7 Million in Karimova Money-Laundering Case

Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court has fined Geneva-based private bank Lombard Odier 3 million Swiss francs, or about $3.68 million, after finding that it failed to take adequate organizational measures to prevent money laundering in a case linked to Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan’s late President Islam Karimov. The court also dismissed criminal proceedings against Karimova without ruling on the allegations against her. The ruling was delivered on July 27 in Bellinzona, following a trial that began in April. Swiss prosecutors had accused Karimova of accepting bribes and leading a criminal organization known as “The Office,” which allegedly channeled...

amnesty

Kazakhstan Amnesty Clears $48 Million in Unpaid Fines

Kazakhstan has written off unpaid administrative fines for more than 680,000 people under the country’s first administrative amnesty, Prosecutor General Berik Asylov said. The amnesty was applied to 681,700 people in 1.3 million administrative cases in less than a month, according to Asylov. The canceled fines were worth 22.8 billion tenge, or approximately $48 million. Asylov published the figures in a post on X. The measure formed part of an amnesty signed on July 1, the day Kazakhstan’s new Constitution took effect. It extended an amnesty to selected administrative offenses for the first time, alongside provisions covering criminal cases. It...

Domestic Violence

After Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s Domestic Violence Laws Face an Enforcement Test

The release of Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, a cousin of former Kazakhstan Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, following an amnesty has renewed public attention to one of the country’s most pressing social problems: domestic violence. The trial of Bishimbayev and Baizhanov attracted widespread attention in Kazakhstan and abroad. Bishimbayev was convicted of torturing and murdering his common-law wife. The proceedings were broadcast online and closely followed by journalists and the public. Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Baizhanov received a four-year sentence for concealing the crime. Amid the public outcry, Kazakhstan adopted legislation strengthening penalties for domestic violence. The legislation...

Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan Police Robot Dog Raises Privacy Questions

Kazakhstan’s police used a mobile facial-recognition robot to scan crowds during Metallurgist Day celebrations in Karaganda Region, saying the machine helped identify four people sought over legal or administrative violations. The deployment extends the country’s rapidly expanding surveillance network beyond fixed cameras, allowing police databases to be accessed through a platform that can move through crowded public spaces. The four-legged robot was used during celebrations held on July 17-18 in the industrial cities of Balkhash and Temirtau, which attracted more than 115,000 visitors. More than 1,000 police officers were also deployed to maintain public order, according to the Karaganda police....

Environment

Public Health

Kazakhstan and China Launch One Health Research Center in Almaty

Kazakhstan and China have opened a joint research center in Almaty focused on infectious diseases and biosafety. The Center for One Health Research opened on July 27 at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, known as KazNARU. It was created under Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During the opening ceremony, four institutions signed a memorandum covering joint research and academic exchanges. The signatories were Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences, KazNARU, Zhejiang University, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The center will support research into microbiology, veterinary medicine,...

Climate Change

Kyrgyzstan Records 348 Mudflows in Six Months, Highest Total in Decades

Groundwater Management

Kazakhstan Hydrogeologists Complete Six-Month USGS Groundwater Training

TCA Interviews

Saving The Caspian Seal: An Interview with Assel Baimukanova

Plastic Recycling

From Waste to Design: How UpKel Is Rethinking Plastic Recycling in Kyrgyzstan

Rogun Dam

Italy Commits $150 Million to Tajikistans Rogun Hydropower Plant

The World Bank Group and Italy’s state-controlled development bank, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), have signed a co-financing agreement to support construction of Tajikistan’s Rogun Hydropower Plant, CDP and the World Bank’s office in Tajikistan said. The signing ceremony took place at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Finance in Dushanbe. Under the agreement, the Italian Climate Fund will provide $150 million for the project. The funds will be managed by CDP on behalf of Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. CDP said the financing would support construction work on the right bank of the Rogun Dam. The Rogun Hydropower Plant is...

World Bank

World Bank Approves $20 Million Project to Boost Cross-Border Water Cooperation in Central Asia

The World Bank has announced a $20 million grant to strengthen transboundary water cooperation in Central Asia. The project is intended to improve management of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins as climate change, ageing infrastructure, and rising demand increase pressure on shared water resources. The funding, approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, will support the Central Asia Water Efficiency Cooperation Project (CAWEC). It will be implemented by the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS). EC IFAS’s current procurement notice identifies Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as the participating...

Extreme Heat

Extreme Heat Buckles Roads and Strains Power Grids Across Central Asia

Extreme heat across Central Asia in mid-July has buckled concrete highways, pushed electricity demand to record levels, and increased pressure on power grids and ambulance services. Kazakhstan reported road deformation and repeated failures in Almaty, Uzbekistan set consumption and generation records, Kyrgyzstan introduced temporary cuts to protect equipment, and residents in Tajikistan reported local disruptions. Temperatures above 40°C are common in parts of the region, but prolonged heat can strain several systems at once. Demand for cooling rises, road surfaces reach damaging temperatures, and health risks increase. The World Bank says much of Central Asia’s infrastructure was built in the...

Heatwave

Kazakhstan Wildfires: Heatwave Tests Reforms Three Years After Semey Ormany

Between July 5 and 11, Kazakhstan’s state forest fund recorded 43 wildfires as an intense heatwave pushed much of the country into conditions of high and extreme fire danger. The Ministry of Ecology said all of the fires were contained before they could develop into large-scale disasters. For Kazakhstan, however, the significance of those figures extends beyond a single week. Three years after the deadly Semey Ormany wildfire exposed serious shortcomings in the country’s emergency response system, each fire season has become a test of whether the reforms introduced since 2023 are keeping pace with increasingly severe weather conditions. How...