The upheaval in Kyrgyzstan raises questions about the future of an important U.S. air base that operates there in support of the NATO mission in nearby Afghanistan.
U.S. officials said late Wednesday that flights into Manas Air Base, outside Bishkek, had been suspended and that some troops and equipment scheduled to transit from Manas to Afghanistan were likely to be delayed or be rerouted.
The installation provides a partial alternative to road shipments of supplies across Pakistan into Afghanistan. There are frequent U.S. flights between Manas and Bagram Air Base, the major U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
Russia also has military installations in Kyrgyzstan, which is one of the former Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union.
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