Russia Eyes Central Asia as a Safe Haven for Its Defense Industry

With Russian infrastructure being pummeled by Ukrainian drones, the Kremlin is hoping to sustain its war effort in Ukraine going by deepening defense cooperation with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is uncertain, however, whether Astana and Tashkent will go along with Moscow’s wishes. Russia appears to be primarily interested in outsourcing the manufacture of arms, establishing assembly lines and maintenance facilities in the Central Asian nations, thus putting them beyond the reach of Ukrainian drones, according to a report published…