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Four Defense Ministry planes depart from Kabul to Russia, carrying Russian, CSTO citizens

The Ministry also said that each plane carries military medics for provision of medical aid, a stockpile of medical equipment and drugs, as well as water, blankets and individual food rations

MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. /TASS/. Four Russian Defense Ministry transport planes took off from Afghanistan’s Kabul and are currently headed to Russia, the Ministry told journalists Wednesday, adding that the planes carry Russian citizens, citizens of CSTO member states and citizens of other countries.

"Four Russian Defense Ministry transport plan took aboard citizens of the Russian Federation, CSTO member states (Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), as well as Uzbekistan and Ukraine, and took off from the airport of Kabul of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. They are currently en route to the Russian Federation," the Ministry said.

The Ministry also said that each plane carries military medics for provision of medical aid, a stockpile of medical equipment and drugs, as well as water, blankets and individual food rations.

On August 15, Taliban (outlawed in Russia) militants entered the capital city of Kabul without fighting and took complete control over the city in a matter of hours. The President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani announced that he was leaving the country in order to prevent bloodshed. Vice-President Amrullah Saleh claimed that in the absence of the president he becomes acting president in accordance with the Constitution. He urged the republic to continue fighting the Taliban. Meanwhile, Western states are in the process of evacuating their citizens and embassy employees from the republic.

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