What is unfolding in Afghanistan is alarming, yet Moscow had foreseen this course of events, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov said on Monday.
"It is alarming yet predictable. What we’ve forecasted is happening," TASS cited him as saying.
Afghanistan’s security situation deteriorated significantly in April after US President Joe Biden announced that the American armed forces’ operation there was coming to an end. As of July 6, the US completed the withdrawal of its troops by more than 90%. Other NATO countries and their partners have been pulling out their servicemen from the country at the same rate.
Against this background, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) has been stepping up the pace of its offensive in several directions. Currently, several dozen Afghan provinces have fallen under the control of the Taliban who, according to local media outlets, also took over several key border crossings to Tajikistan, Iran and Pakistan. Kabul is planning a massive counterattack against the Taliban.
On February 14, 2003, the Russian Supreme Court declared the Taliban to be a terrorist organization. The extremist organization’s activities are outlawed nationwide.
