Donor Monitoring Visit to ITF Weapons and Ammunition Management Activities in the Kyrgyz Republic
From 12 to 17 April 2026, ITF Enhancing Human Security and representatives of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA), together with representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, conducted a donor monitoring visit to ITF’s Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) activities in the Kyrgyz Republic. The visit was carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic and included ITF staff from Headquarters and the ITF Bishkek office.
The visit began with ITF providing a comprehensive briefing to the PM/WRA delegation on the current status and progress of ongoing projects. This included an overview of implemented activities, operational developments, and results achieved to date. In order to ensure consistent monitoring and evidence-based reporting across all locations, ITF applies an in-house developed structured digital system for field data collection and inspection management, supporting systematic inspections of ammunition storage facilities across the country. The tool enables real-time recording of site conditions, identification of required measures, and tracking of compliance and improvements over time. In the Kyrgyz Republic, ITF also complements this approach with the use of drone technology to increase efficiency, improve site assessment accuracy, and support safer field operations.
During the week, the whole delegation travelled to military storage sites in Balykchy and Osh, where they reviewed ongoing activities focused on improving ammunition storage infrastructure, strengthening physical security and stockpile management measures, supporting inventory processes, and safely demilitarizing obsolete weapons and ammunition. These activities help reduce risks linked to unstable or poorly secured stockpiles, prevent diversion, and strengthen national capacities to safely manage conventional weapons and ammunition.
Particular attention was given to infrastructure upgrades at storage facilities, including measures designed to improve safety standards, operational oversight, and long-term management capacity. The delegation also reviewed progress in inventory procedures aimed at increasing transparency, traceability, and control over existing stockpiles. In parallel, demilitarization activities continue to support the safe disposal of obsolete or
unsafe weapons and ammunition that no longer meet operational requirements and could otherwise pose safety and security risks.
The monitoring visit concluded on 17 May with a meeting at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Bishkek with Colonel Azizbek Baibalaev, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic. The meeting provided an opportunity to review project progress, discuss operational priorities, and reaffirm the importance of continued cooperation in support of regional security and stability.
Through practical cooperation and targeted assistance, the partnership between the Kyrgyz Republic, the United States, and ITF contributes to safer ammunition management practices and helps address risks that can affect both local communities and wider regional security. Strengthening accountable stockpile management and reducing the threat of diversion supports broader international efforts to counter instability, protect critical infrastructure, and reinforce a safer and more secure environment for regional cooperation and economic development.
Despite the important progress achieved through ongoing cooperation, substantial work remains to be done across the Kyrgyz Republic. The visit provided a direct overview of the scale of remaining requirements at storage facilities, including aging infrastructure, legacy stockpiles, and sites still requiring further modernization and technical support. These observations reaffirmed the importance of continued international engagement and sustained donor support to help address existing risks and advance long-term safety, security, and operational capacity across the country.
ITF expresses its sincere appreciation to the U.S. Department of State for its continued partnership in advancing effective security assistance, and to the Ministry of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic for its strong cooperation and commitment throughout the implementation of the project.