Russia-led alliance to send peacekeepers to Kazakhstan

The moves comes after Kazakhsthan’s President asked for help to control protests.

A Russia-led military alliance said Thursday, January 5, 2022, that it will dispatch peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan after the in controlling protests that escalated into violence, including the seizure and setting afire of government buildings.

Protesters in Kazakhstan's largest city stormed the presidential residence and Wednesday and set both on fire, according to news reports, as demonstrations sparked by a rise in fuel prices escalated sharply in the Central Asian nation.

Police reportedly fired on some protesters at the residence in Almaty before fleeing. They have clashed repeatedly with demonstrators in recent days, deploying water cannons in the freezing weather, and firing tear gas and concussion grenades.