Russia has agreed to repair Soviet-era military equipment held by Afghanistan’s Taliban government as the opening phase of a military-technical cooperation agreement signed May 27 at a security forum in the Moscow region.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, told RIA Novosti that Afghan authorities are “primarily interested in the repair and restoration of various Russian-made military equipment.” Kabulov described the agreement as a framework document allowing separate supply contracts, a structure that could eventually include new weapons deliveries to Kabul.
The Taliban’s legacy Soviet arsenal includes dozens of T-55 and T-62 tanks, BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, three An-26 transport aircraft, and multiple artillery systems, according to The Military Balance.
The equipment dates to the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan before its 1989 withdrawal. Russia formally recognized the Taliban government in 2025, becoming the first country to remove the group from its domestic terrorist list.
Returning from Moscow, Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob told reporters at Kabul airport that Pakistan would “soon no longer dare” to attack Afghan territory following the deal. Pakistani officials declared an “open war” against the Taliban in February 2026, citing the group’s alleged protection of militants behind cross-border attacks. Yaqoob stressed the agreement was not a defense pact.
Analysts assess the scope of the partnership as limited. Ruslan Suleymanov, a Central Asia expert, told The Insider the deal is “symbolic,” and that a military alliance comparable to Russia’s arrangement with North Korea “will definitely not happen.”
Yuriy Lyamin of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies said the Taliban’s immediate interests include spare parts, ammunition, low-cost drones, and air defense systems.
