One of the main tasks of the Armenian peacekeeping unit in Almaty has been to prevent the local water pipeline from being poisoned, Major Hayrapet Mkrtchyan, the commander of the republic’s peacekeeping unit, told reporters on Wednesday, January 12, according to TASS.

"One of the key tasks at the Druzhba pipeline was to prevent water poisoning," he said. According to the serviceman, the water pipeline is a strategic facility and there was a theoretical threat of its contamination.

Peacekeepers from Armenia are not only protecting the Druzhba water pipeline, but are also ensuring the safety of one of the largest bakeries in town.

Almost immediately after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asked for help, the CSTO decided to deploy a peacekeeping contingent in Kazakhstan, with Armenia sending 100 troops to Kazakhstan as part of the contingent.