MOCSOW, August 18. /TASS/. Taliban (outlawed in Russia) members have passed their first test on ensuring security in Kabul after coming to power, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov told Channel One on Wednesday.
"They have passed the first test, which concerns their first days in Kabul and Kabul’s security," he pointed out.
Zhirnov emphasized that for the first time since his arrival in the Afghan capital in May 2020, "there have been no gunshots for three days in a row." "When President Ghani was here, there would be four to five blasts every day, including terrorist attacks, mine explosions and all that. But the Taliban came and it has been silent since the first night," the envoy noted.
According to him, after Ghani had fled Kabul on August 15, the city turned into "a total madhouse," there were cases of looting and unrest on the streets. However, it all ended on the same evening, when the Taliban took control of the capital. Still, Zhirnov warned against making hasty conclusions about how the Taliban had changed. "If they prove to the people that they guarantee order and social justice, they will pass the second exam," the ambassador emphasized.
The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on August 15, taking control of the entire city within a few hours. Later, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country. Western nations are now evacuating their citizens and diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan.