Russia Offers Support to Taliban in Fight Against ISIS-K

Russia has announced its willingness to assist the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan in combatting the Islamic State’s regional affiliate, ISIS-K, further underscoring Moscow’s growing diplomatic and security partnership with Kabul.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that Russia considers ISIS-K a “common enemy” and is prepared to provide support to the Afghan authorities through relevant agencies. Kabulov also praised Kabul’s efforts in suppressing the group over the past three years.

For Russia, ISIS-K is seen as a possible proxy group carrying out attacks on behalf of Western interests.

ISIS-K, also known as Islamic State-Khorasan, claimed responsibility for several high-profile attacks in recent years, including the March 22, 2024, massacre at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, which left 145 people dead. Russia has claimed they have evidence that Ukrainian intelligence services, along with their allies in the West were behind organizing the attacks. The attackers were apprehended near the Russia-Ukraine border while attempting to flee. Russian officials later claimed that Ukrainian forces had deliberately opened a corridor to facilitate their escape.

ISIS-K also carried out a suicide bombing outside the Russian Embassy in Kabul in September 2022, killing at least eight people.

Russia’s increasing engagement with the Taliban may be driven by a mix of counterterrorism priorities and geopolitical rivalry. Last month, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin accused Western intelligence agencies of attempting to foment instability in Afghanistan by supporting anti-Taliban elements, suggesting that Moscow views Afghanistan as another arena of Western interference on the Russian periphery.

Following the removal of the Taliban from Russia’s list of banned organizations in April, Moscow has moved swiftly to normalize relations with Kabul. The Kremlin has announced plans to accept a Taliban-appointed ambassador and is expected to finalize energy agreements during the upcoming Kazan Forum, which will also host a Russia-Afghanistan Business Forum.

The Afghan delegation to the forum will be led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and one of the group's founding members. Baradar, who played a key role in Taliban-U.S. negotiations in 2019–2020.