Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 16, 2021 A senior Russian official says the country’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and embassy personnel. Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov told the radio station Ekho Moskvy on August 16 that Zhirnov will
RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi August 11, 2021 Russia completed joint military exercises with troops from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on August 10 as the Taliban gain control of much of northern Afghanistan bordering Moscow’s Central Asian allies. The war games began last week, involving about 2,500 Russian, Tajik, and Uzbek troops at a training ground in Tajikistan
Abubakar Siddique Radio Azadi July 13, 2021 The lightning speed with which the Taliban has overrun large swathes of rural territories in Afghanistan’s north has shocked locals and surprised foreign observers with some worrying whether the internationally recognized government in Kabul can weather the storm. But the speed of the Taliban’s advances has everyone asking
Jeff Seldin VOA News July 9, 2021 WASHINGTON – With U.S. and coalition combat troops all but gone from Afghanistan, Western officials are preparing to face down terrorist threats with the promise of “over-the-horizon” capabilities that may be ill-suited to the danger that groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State currently pose. U.S. officials, both
Bloomberg: If you’re not going anywhere no matter what happens, or what price you’re forced to pay, you can outlast superpowers – The story of two superpower invasions of Afghanistan is all about the similarities that end up erasing the undeniable differences. Click here to read more (external link).
By Radio Azadi July 9, 2021 Taliban representatives visited Moscow on July 8 seeking to provide assurances that recent gains across Afghanistan do not pose a threat to Russia or Central Asian states. Taliban fighters have captured large swaths of territory in northern Afghanistan as government forces collapse with the U.S. troop exit from the country.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 5, 2021 Tajikistan will reinforce its border with an additional 20,000 troops in response to a Taliban offensive capturing large swaths of territory in northern Afghanistan as U.S. troops exit the country. Underscoring the rapid collapse of Afghan security forces, more than 1,000 Afghan troops fled into Tajikistan overnight, Tajik
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 3, 2021 The Pentagon says the turnover of Bagram Airfield to Afghan security forces was a “key milestone” in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, but insisted the U.S. military still has the authority to protect Afghan forces. The comments from Defense Department spokesman John Kirby on July 2
Tolo News: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said that Daesh militants are building up their forces in northern Afghanistan as US and NATO troops are leaving the country, calling it a worry for Moscow. Quoted in a report by Reuters, Lavrov said Daesh was actively gaining territory in Afghanistan amid the withdrawal and