Tokayev also named a new prime minister and announced measures to instil public confidence in state institutions.

A total of 7,939 people have been detained in connection with the unrest, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry said. Tokayev said a death toll, including civilian casualties, was being established.

The Russian region of Karelia is part of the larger Northern Europe region of the same name, currently split between Russia and Finland. Despite its vast territory, the population of Karelia is small, around 600,000 people.