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Developments in Afghanistan

Updated at:

All defense ministry planes return to Russia after evacuating people from Afghanistan

The Russian defense ministry evacuated more than 500 people at the instruction of President Vladimir Putin

Il-76MD plane Russian Ministry of Defense Press Office/TASS

Il-76MD plane

© Russian Ministry of Defense Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Two more Russian defense ministry’s Il-76 planes with people evacuated from Afghanistan have landed at Chkalovsky airport near Moscow.

Two first planes landed at Chkalovsky earlier on Thursday, Il-62 and Il-76. There were around 100 people, mostly Russian nationals of the Afghan origin, onboard the Il-76 plane.

One of those evacuated told journalists he had spent five months in Afghanistan. He said he had come to that country to visit his relatives but got stuck "because of the political situation." "It is cold here. And I also have a feeling of security," he shared his impressions after the arrival in Moscow.

Thus, all the four planes the Russian defense ministry sent to Afghanistan to evacuate people have returned home.

The Russian defense ministry evacuated more than 500 people, citizens of Russia, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states and Ukraine, from Afghanistan by four military transport aircraft at the instruction of President Vladimir Putin.

The planes took off from Kabul on Wednesday. They made stopovers in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to drop off citizens of these countries.

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