Izvestia carried the fullest version at 21:49 Moscow time on Tuesday. "We assist in bringing the shape of Tajikistan's armed forces up to the current and prospective conditions of combat operations, and take an active part in forming aviation, unmanned-systems and special-purpose units," Belousov said, in the paper's rendering.
"Today the republic has armed forces capable of defending the country's interests and sovereignty," he added.
The border line came through TASS, as Ritm Evrazii relayed it on Wednesday: "We pay special attention to strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border." The outlet recalled, on its own account, the CSTO programme of November 2024 for that border and the arms and equipment Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan supply to Tajik border troops; the minister's own sentence carried no figure.
On the Russian base in Tajikistan, the 201st, Izvestia paraphrased him on its readiness to counter external threats and on coordination between Moscow and Dushanbe over its use. The paper named no one he met, and did not say whether Rahmon attended the reception.
We pay special attention to strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border.
Wednesday brought the telegrams. Putin wrote that relations between Moscow and Dushanbe develop dynamically in the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance, Avesta reported at 10:28, in a list of 18 leaders that also carried Xi Jinping, Mirziyoyev, Guterres, Trump, Pezeshkian, Aliyev, Lukashenko and Japarov. Avesta gave no channel beyond messages and telegrams, and no reply from Dushanbe.
The anniversary week already had its military page: more than 27,000 troops paraded on Istiqlol Square on Monday, by Khovar's count. The defence minister's sentences add two lines to the week's record: the border to the south, and the drone units the republic is forming with Russian help.