Are there russian troops in afghanistan

Russian, Tajik troops hold joint drills near Afghan border. In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Soldiers aim their weapons during joint war games conducted by Russian and Tajik troops at the Momirak firing range about 20 kilometers about 12 miles north of the Afghan border, Tajikistan, Friday, Oct.

Taliban: Bomb hits mosque in Afghanistan, wounds at least Afghanistan war vet helps Afghan refugees resettle in US. Now silent under Taliban, a Kabul cinema awaits its fate. National Security Council from to Like their Western counterparts, Russian security chiefs are trying to judge whether the Taliban will abide by the promises its leaders made in political talks in Doha, Qatar, to stop Afghanistan once again from turning into a sanctuary for al-Qaida and other global jihadist groups.

But with a financial crunch looming for the country — and for the militant group — there are widespread doubts that they will — or can — keep to that promise.

Afghanistan is estimated to be responsible for about 80 percent of global opium and heroin supplies. The Taliban remains proscribed in Russia as a terrorist organization. Its ties with Central Asian jihadists, including Chechen separatists who the Taliban allowed to train in Afghanistan, prompted President Putin in September to acquiesce regarding the U. It became a massive burden on the crumbling Soviet economy. Many of those killed were teenage Soviet army conscripts, and the war drove home a realisation of just how little the Soviet authorities cared about their own people.

The war is widely thought to have hastened the end of the Soviet Union, at least in part, by stirring disillusionment with its rulers. The war ended with an ignominious military withdrawal in February Russia may have given the impression of being prepared for the Taliban's sweep to power, but some experts believe Moscow was taken by surprise as much as everyone else.

Others in Moscow are wary of what Taliban rule might bring. Andrei Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council think tank, believes they will struggle to control the entire country, especially the north, and that could threaten Russia and its neighbours.

He also fears a sharp deterioration in the Afghan economy, which could in turn prompt further instability. Afghanistan: Danger lies on Kabul road to freedom. Facebook moves to protect Afghan users' accounts. Image source, Reuters. Russia's key concerns are regional stability and border security for its Central Asian allies. Warm words for Taliban.

Image source, Getty Images. But Moscow is loath to recognize the implication of that disaster — an imperative to curtail expansionism, from Syria to the Arctic, and get serious about Central Asia. Order from Chaos. A how-to guide for managing the end of the post-Cold War era. Read all the Order from Chaos content ». Related Books. Quirk , Itamar Rabinovich , Douglas A. Order from Chaos A how-to guide for managing the end of the post-Cold War era. Foreign Policy.