According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI), more than 6.43 billion cubic meters of water have flowed from Russia to Kazakhstan via the Zhayyk River in the first six months of this year. Source: mail.kz

The ministry noted that up to 80% of the flow of the transboundary Zhayyk River is formed on Russian territory. In Kazakhstan, the river flows into the Caspian Sea within the Atyrau region.

“The distribution of the river’s water is regulated by the protocol on the joint use and protection of transboundary water bodies, as well as the coordination of water management activities in the Zhayyk River basin dated June 20, 1996. The document specifies the monthly volumes of water delivered by the Russian side to Kazakhstan,” said Nagima Azhigulova, Head of the Department of Water Cooperation with China and Russia at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. It was previously reported that in the first six months of 2025, Kazakhstan received 4.6 billion cubic meters of water from China via the Irtysh River and 5.6 billion cubic meters via the Ili River.