The Russian military said Thursday, November 18 it has resumed evacuating citizens of Russia and regional allies, including Armenia, from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, The Moscow Times reports.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it has deployed three military aircraft to send 36 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the local population, according to a statement carried by the RBC news website.
The returning planes will transport 380 Russian, Belarusian, Kyrgyz, Armenian, Ukrainian and Afghan nationals to Russia.
“Military medics were sent with the necessary medical equipment to help these people,” the Defense Ministry was quoted as saying.
Russia has signaled it is not yet ready to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government, despite expressing cautious optimism about the extremist group since its August 15 seizure of power in Kabul.
