U.S. military refuelling plane crashes in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz and U.S. officials on Friday announced an American military refueling plane took off and crashed in Kyrgyzstan on Friday.

An official in Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry, Bolot Sharshenaliev said at least three people were on board however another official earlier said that there were five people.

The C-130 American refuelling plane fell in the northern Chuy province at around 2:55 pm local time (0855 GMT), the emergency ministry said. There was no immediate word on any casualties.

Kyrgyzstan hosts a U.S. base that is used for flying troops into and out of Afghanistan and for KC-135 tanker planes that refuel warplanes in flight.

The emergency situations minister Kubatbek Boronov quoted by AFP said, “The plane definitely belongs to the US transit centre. On board were three crew members. Their fate is unknown.”

“I cannot exclude that the three American pilots could have died, being burnt up alive in the explosion,” he said, adding that the search operation would continue at least until nightfall.

The Manas airbase is key to US military operations in Afghanistan, used to ferry troops into the country, refuel warplanes and evacuate wounded soldiers.

Kyrgyzstan Revises Agreements on Russian Military Bases

Kyrgyzstan hosts a Russian airbase in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek

The Kyrgyz parliament has started hearings on the revision of agreements determining the status and maintenance of Russian military facilities located on the territory of the Central Asian state.

Moscow and Bishkek signed in August a new deal, which extends the presence of Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan for another 15 years. Their status is currently regulated by five intergovernmental agreements.

“Russia has proposed to combine all previous agreements in one to facilitate the regulation process,” Kyrgyz Deputy Defense Minister Zamir Suyerkulov told lawmakers at a parliamentary session on Monday.

“The new status agreement should come into force in 2017,” he said.

Kyrgyzstan hosts a Russian airbase in Kant, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the capital, Bishkek, a naval communications center in the village of Chaldovar in the Chui region, a naval testing site near the city of Karakol, 380 km (240 miles) from Bishkek, and a radioseismic laboratory in Mailuu-Sai, which is part of the unified automated system designed to detect the testing and use of nuclear weapons around the world, as well as earthquakes.

The Kant airbase works in the interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - a regional security body.

Russia pays $4.5 million annually to use these military installations.

Kyrgyzstan to Raise Rental Fees for Russian Military Bases

Kyrgyzstan plans to raise rental fees Russia has to pay for three of its military bases in the Central Asian country, Kyrgyz Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Taalaibek Omuraliyev said on Wednesday.

“We intend to ask Russia to increase payments with account for inflation from 2014, when the lease term for the bases ends,” Omuraliyev said, adding that he did not mean the Kant base.

Kyrgyzstan currently hosts four Russian military bases. The Kant airbase works in the interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - a regional security body.