NEW DELHI, April 28. /TASS/. Russia is taking steps to boost the combat readiness of forces stationed at its military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan amid attempts by the US to restore its military footprint in Central Asia, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday.

He noted the efforts of the US and its allies to restore their military presence in the region under the guise of assisting in the fight against terrorism. "We view [Washington’s] requests to deploy military infrastructure to countries in the region as a direct threat to stability in the SCO space," Shoigu said at a meeting of SCO defense ministers in New Delhi.

"For our part, we are beefing up the combat readiness of [forces stationed at] Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as of other response forces in the event of potential threats," he said.

That said, the Russian defense minister noted that, "NATO countries, following their 20-year presence on Afghan soil and their hasty departure [from the country], bear the greatest responsibility for the situation unfolding there." "They should bear the burden of the main financial expenditures for post-conflict recovery efforts," Shoigu said.