The Bug Pit
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have steadily begun to build military ties, suggesting that Tashkent's thaw in relations with its Central Asian neighbors may even extend to such a sensitive area as military cooperation with its regional rival.
Armenia has decided that if fighting again breaks out with Azerbaijan, it will attempt to take the offensive and seize more Azerbaijani territory. That's the scoop from a new report from the International Crisis Group.
Russia and several of its allies, including Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, are conducting joint military exercises this week in Tajikistan. These sorts of exercises have become routine in recent years, but there is an intriguing difference this time.
Yerevan Hands Over to Russia Soldier Convicted of Murdering Six Armenians
A Russian soldier convicted of murdering six members of an Armenian family will be transferred to Russia to carry out his life sentence, demonstrating the influence Moscow continues to enjoy in its much smaller Caucasian ally.
Workers at Russia's military base in Armenia have gone on strike, claiming they haven't been paid since February.
The protest, on May 3, involved about 100 workers at a Russian company that services the apartments of Russian contract soldiers at the 102nd Military base in Gyumri, Armenia's second city, the Armenian service of RFE/RL reported.
After a delay of more than a year, the Russia-led post-Soviet security bloc has appointed a new secretary general, a former senior Armenian military official. But whether this will tilt the organization towards Yerevan's interests remains to be seen.
The United States missile strikes on Syria have gladdened pro-Western hearts among in the Caucasus, where they have been seen as a sign that the new Trump administration is willing to act tough against Russia.
Iran's navy has made its first formal visit to Kazakhstan as Tehran continues to slowly build military ties with its Caspian neighbors.
Kazakhstan has shut down another Russian military testing site, as it steadily removes Moscow's Soviet-legacy military footprint.
On April 5, President Nursultan Nazarbayev ratified an agreement to take over the Emba missile testing site, in the Aktobe region of western Kazakhstan, from Russia.