The minister said the CSTO countries should be prepared to deal with the threat of drug smugglers and terrorists in Afghanistan infiltrating Russia through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The joint drills conducted by troops from the three countries on Tuesday aimed at responding to the aggravated situation in the region and repel terrorist threats from neighboring Afghanistan. In a statement on Thursday, Shoygu had said Russia will use its military bases in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in case of direct aggression from Afghanistan. Last week, the country's Chief of General Staff said Russia increased arms deliveries to Central Asian countries in response to such a threat. On Tuesday, the Taliban entered Farah in western Afghanistan, making it the ninth provincial center to be partly or fully captured by the insurgents.

Source: The Nation August 11, 2021 08:37 UTC