Taliban Delegation Participates in Russia’s Center-2026 Exercises

A Taliban military delegation took part in Russia’s Center-2026 strategic military exercises at Moscow’s invitation.

The official page of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reported the participation.

The Taliban representatives observed the drills and toured an exhibition showcasing Russian military equipment and weapons.

During the visit, the Afghan delegation also met with military representatives from other countries who had arrived for the exercises.

This is the first time that a Taliban military delegation has been invited to attend Russian military exercises as observers since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Center-2026 is a large-scale Russian strategic military exercise during which Russian forces practiced operations in the Central Asian direction and the Caspian region. Moscow invited military contingents and observers from dozens of countries to take part.

Military contingents from Belarus, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Tajikistan participated in the exercises. Kazakhstan and the Republic of the Congo sent operational groups, while representatives of 33 other countries, including Afghanistan, India, North Korea, and Vietnam, attended as observers.

The delegation’s participation reflected the growing political and military ties between Russia and Afghanistan.

A key development in bilateral relations was the signing of a military-technical cooperation agreement. On May 27, 2026, Russia and the Taliban signed the agreement.

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Taliban Defense Minister Moulavi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid signed the agreement. The exact scope of the agreement remains unclear, as the document’s text has not been made public.

However, while explaining the agreement to the media, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said it primarily covers refurbishing military equipment already in the Taliban’s possession. In the future, the two sides could conclude separate defense contracts.

The Russian side also said it was considering the possibility of establishing training centers for Taliban technical personnel responsible for maintaining military equipment.