On May 29, 2024, Ruslan Mukambetov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of Kyrgyzstan, confirmed that his country will soon receive the S-300 air defense system from Russia. Mukambetov also mentioned that negotiations are ongoing for the procurement of additional air defense systems, with the delivery of the S-300 system expected in the coming months.
Kyrgyzstan’s current air defense capabilities primarily consist of Soviet-era systems, including the 9K32 Strela-2 and 9K35 Strela-10 short-range surface-to-air missile systems, the ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, and the S-60 and S-75M3 Dvina anti-aircraft guns. The country also operates the S-125 Neva/Pechora missile system, which has been in service for decades.
In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has started modernizing its air defense infrastructure. This includes acquiring the Pechora-2BM air defense missile system from Belarus in 2023 and various drones from Turkey, such as the Bayraktar TB2, Akıncı, Aksungur, and Anka UAVs. Additionally, Kyrgyzstan is negotiating with Russia to acquire systems like the S-300 and potentially the S-400 in the future, aiming to integrate into a regional air defense network with Russia and neighboring countries.