Russia TV: Belarus military plane Kazakhstan-bound

Russia's state TV broadcast RU-RTR showed on Thursday a Belarusian military plane being sent to Kazakhstan amid widespread protests in the country.

In footage from Belarussian state broadcaster VOEN TV, which cannot be independently verified by The Associated Press, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said the military contingent was sent to the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan "in order to take part in settlement of the crisis situation able to lead to the violation of the constitutional order, the loss of the sovereignty and independence".

Russian State TV also showed  Russian peacekeepers arriving in Kazakhstan.

Security forces killed dozens of protesters and 12 police died during extraordinarily violent demonstrations in Kazakhstan that saw government buildings stormed and set ablaze.

Despite the severe response by authorities, protesters took the streets again in the country's largest city, Almaty, a day after breaking into the presidential residence and the mayor's office there.

Police were out in force again, including in the capital of Nur-Sultan, which was reportedly quiet.

Although the demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel, their size and rapid spread suggest they reflect wider discontent in the country that has been under the rule of the same party since independence.

The size and duties of the force have not been specified. Russia has already begun sending forces, according to the CSTO, which also includes Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The protests appear to have no identifiable leader or demands. Much of the anger displayed in recent days was directed not at Tokayev, but at Nursultan Nazarbayev, the country's first president who continued to wield enormous influence after his 2019 resignation.