Uzbekistan has significantly updated its border security system by creating a new unit equipped with Turkish Bayraktar drones. This statement was made by the Chairman of the State Security Service (SSS) Bahodir Kurbonov during a Security Council meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He noted that the rearmament has affected not only the air forces but also the land borders: currently, more than 42% of the state border's length is covered by video surveillance systems, and the length of fiber optic communication lines exceeds 1,100 kilometers. Additionally, the border troops are almost fully equipped with modern weapons and armored vehicles, and the level of provision with electro-optical devices has reached 78%.
In addition to strengthening ground control, the SSS has also reorganized the security system in the aviation sector. All international airports in the country are now under the protection of the agency, for which the "Lochin" brigade has been modernized, receiving about one hundred new units of special equipment. After the successful implementation of new security measures at the capital's Tashkent airport, this practice will be extended to all airports in the republic by 2026. As a result of the measures taken, the statistics of violations at the border have decreased by one and a half times, and the effectiveness of seizing smuggled goods has increased by 20%.
The report also emphasized the fight against key threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. In 2025, the special services prevented 11 attempts to organize terrorist acts both within the country and beyond its borders. However, the situation with illegal drug trafficking is deteriorating: the volume of seized narcotic substances increased from 1.7 to 3.6 tons, and the number of discovered underground laboratories has doubled. Special attention is being paid to synthetic drugs and psychotropic substances, the volumes of confiscation of which are measured in hundreds of kilograms.
Internal security is also being strengthened through the fight against corruption. In 2025, anti-corruption measures led to the dismissal of 1,083 civil servants, of which 661 were prosecuted for bribery and abuse of power. Thus, the comprehensive modernization of Uzbekistan's law enforcement agencies is aimed at creating a reliable barrier against internal and external threats.
