KABUL, November 18. /TASS/. The Russian embassy is resolving an entire set of tasks it faces jointly with Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, at the same time the Russian side is fully cognizant of the UN sanctions in effect against the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov told journalists on Thursday.

"We are tackling the entire set of tasks the embassy has together with the Afghan Foreign Ministry, including those related to the protection of Russian citizens’ interests in Afghanistan. Certainly, we are fully taking into account the UN sanctions in effect against the Taliban," he affirmed.

After the Biden administration had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces.

On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. On September 6, the Taliban declared a complete victory in Afghanistan and on September 7 formed an interim government which hasn’t yet been officially recognized by any country.