Tajikistan to receive CSTO-backed military supplies for Tajik-Afghan border

Tajikistan is slated to begin receiving military hardware and weaponry this autumn, backed by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), to bolster its frontier with Afghanistan, according to CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov. Russia will spearhead the provision of this equipment as part of an intergovernmental initiative endorsed by CSTO members, Afghanistan International reported.

CSTO members have finalized a catalog of both lethal and non-lethal arms and gear that Tajikistan requires. Masadykov emphasized the critical need to reinforce the border, noting that a significant security breach there could impact other CSTO nations and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. He highlighted Russia's primary role in supplying the equipment, underscoring its willingness to aid Tajikistan and other CSTO members despite its own challenging situation.

During a recent trip to Tajikistan at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon, Masadykov, accompanied by the commander of Tajikistan's border forces, surveyed over 700 kilometers of the approximately 1,300-kilometer Tajik-Afghan border. He observed that Tajik border personnel were striving to secure the region but were hampered by inadequate resources.

The CSTO Collective Security Council is nearing approval of a five-year strategy to fortify the Tajik-Afghan border in November 2024, with implementation set to commence in 2025. These anticipated deliveries follow a series of security incidents along the border. Since November 2025, assaults originating from Afghan territory have resulted in fatalities and injuries among civilians, including Chinese citizens, as well as Tajik border guards. Tajik authorities have reported confiscating weapons and narcotics from assailants and neutralizing some of those involved.

Security anxieties have also intensified in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, which shares a border with Tajikistan. Recent confrontations have pitted Taliban forces against various armed factions opposed to the Taliban, particularly in the districts of Zebak, Yaftal, and Nusay.

Furthermore, regional extremist organizations continue to pose a threat to Central Asian nations. Islamic State Khorasan Province maintains a presence in Afghanistan, and governments in the region have consistently issued warnings about dangers from armed groups operating there.

Nevertheless, Masadykov, in his interview with TASS, did not directly connect the planned shipments of weapons and equipment to the recent clashes in Badakhshan.