Russian Defense Ministry to evacuate 500 people from Afghanistan

Russia is set to evacuate more than 500 people from Afghanistan on the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Ministry informed on Wednesday.

The four military transport aircraft will airlift over 500 Russian citizens as well as citizens of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (Belarus Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) and Ukraine, TASS news agency reported.

As many as four plans have formed a group and are awaiting further instructions in Ulyanovsk, the ministry said.

On Monday, leaders of the CSTO member countries had gathered for the special session of the bloc held via video conference. The key focus of the session was the situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the security of the countries participating in the organization.

The Taliban entered Kabul last week, causing the civilian government to collapse. As a result, many countries have started evacuating their citizens and diplomatic personnel from the beleaguered nation due to the precarious security situation, and some have pledged to take in a number of Afghan asylum seekers.

Earlier today, Ghulam Mohammad Jalal, who heads the Russian Center for Afghan Diasporas said that Moscow has authorised the arrival of Afghans, including those holding Russian citizenship or residence permit, and students.

"We have received an answer regarding some categories: ... first, people of Afghan origin who have Russian citizenship, second, students who studied in Russia but are currently staying in Afghanistan, third, people who worked for some commercial bodies and have a Russian labour permit and a corresponding visa, fourth, persons who have a residence permit," Jalal said.

Representatives of these four categories will leave for Russia as soon as the Kabul airport opens, Jalal added, noting that their number reaches "one thousand or slightly more."

( With inputs from ANI )