Three Russian military transport aircraft departed for Afghanistan to evacuate citizens and deliver humanitarian aid.
On Russian President Vladimir Putin's order, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu organized the third evacuation by air from Afghanistan of "more than 380 citizens of the Russian Federation, the CSTO member states (Kyrgyzstan) and Afghan students studying in Russian universities," Sputnik reported.
"Russian Defense Minister, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, to conduct the evacuation, formed an air group of 3 military transport aircraft, which quickly departed the Chkalovsky airfield for Kabul. The first plane... with humanitarian aid landed at the airport of Kabul of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," the ministry said.
Every Russian military transport aircraft also carries humanitarian cargo from Russia for the population of Afghanistan.
The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, causing the US-backed government to step down. Later in September, the outfit announced the composition of the new interim government of Afghanistan.
The country is currently battered by the deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crisis following the Taliban takeover. The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people.
As the economic crisis is looming on the Taliban-ruled country, the US has also frozen nearly USD 9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation.
In response, the Taliban have been urging the international community to unfreeze the assets.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has called for unblocking and unfreezing of assets of Afghans in western banks, to curb the humanitarian crisis.
"It is necessary to help the Afghan people, at least the money must be unblocked, the Afghan money, which is in accounts with Western banks, primarily in the United States, must be unblocked and people must be allowed to solve at least elementary things," Sputnik quoted Putin as saying at the VTB Investment Forum "Russia Calling!" on Tuesday.
( With inputs from ANI )
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