MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has described the situation in the Central Asian strategic sector as complicated, given the growing number of fighters in ISIL (banned in Russia) and pro-Western NGOs.
"The situation in the region remains difficult. The biggest threat continues to come from Afghanistan. The number of ISIL fighters has grown 15% over the year," Shoigu said at a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry's board on Tuesday.
Their primary objective is to spread the radical ideology and to conduct subversive activity on the southern borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), he said.
Drug trafficking through Central Asian countries is expected to grow almost 20%, Shoigu said.
"Over a hundred large pro-Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are operating in the region through more than 16,000 representative offices and branches. Amid the special military operation, these NGOs have drastically stepped up their anti-Russian activity seeking to reduce military-technical, economic and cultural cooperation between Central Asian countries and the Russian Federation," he said.
Preemptive measures are being taken in this connection, Shoigu said.