KABUL – Russia has recorded flights of unidentified helicopters deliveringweapons to the Taliban and Daesh militants in Afghanistan, Russian ForeignMinistry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

“We again draw attention to flights by “unidentified” helicopters innorthern Afghanistan to deliver arms and ammunition to local ISIS (Daesh)militants and the Taliban cooperating with this terrorist group.Specifically, Afghan media and local residents claim that these flightshave been recorded in the Sar-e-Pul Province,” the Russian diplomat said,TOLO News has reported.

“We note that this is happening in the direct vicinity of Central Asianstates’ borders and many ISIS (Daesh) militants in Afghanistan hail fromthese countries. There is no reaction to these events either from Afghansecurity, defense and law-enforcement agencies or the command of theUS/NATO contingent deployed there.

The Russian diplomat said they want to know who is behind these flights.

“It is legitimate to ask, who is behind these flights? Who is arming theterrorists and secretly creating their bases near the southern borders ofthe CIS? Why is this happening if NATO command is effectively in control ofAfghanistan’s airspace?” she asked.

Russia has made these claims many times. In February, Russia’s Ambassadorto Afghanistan Alexander Mantytsky, quoted by TASS news agency, said Moscowhas not received any information from Western partners on the origin ofhelicopters that could be involved in transporting terrorists toAfghanistan.

“Unfortunately, neither official Kabul nor our Western partners have beenable to give any accurate and credible information on the origin and thegoals of unidentified helicopters flying over the territory of the IRA (theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan) and possibly involved in transportingterrorists of the IS [Daesh] and the equipment they need,” the Russianambassador said in February.