Russia paid Taliban to target US troops in Afghanistan in 2016-2019, investigation reveals

The Russian publication The Insider has released an investigative report alleging that Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency paid the Taliban and other Afghan insurgents for killing US and coalition soldiers. Payments reportedly averaged $200,000 for each US soldier killed. Funds were reportedly funneled through a covert network of Afghan couriers operating under the guise of a gemstone trading company.

Afghan and US intelligence agencies had prior evidence of Russian involvement, but lacked specific details about GRU operatives until now. The Insider collaborated with Der Spiegel to uncover the extended scope of Russian operations in Afghanistan. The US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in 2021, with Taliban quickly taking control of the country.

According to The Insider, these couriers were granted Russian documents and asylum after completing their missions. Investigators also identified specific GRU officers managing the operation, including figures linked to prior high-profile Russian operations, such as the Skripal poisoning in the UK and sabotage attacks in the EU.

The report highlights attacks on US and Afghan forces from 2016 to 2019, including the December 2019 truck bombing at Bagram Airfield and the March 2019 assault on Shorab Camp. These incidents caused significant casualties and damages, furthering Russia’s alleged aim to destabilize US operations.

Former Afghan officials revealed to The Insider that GRU initially supported Taliban efforts through intermediaries like Iran before establishing direct ties. These connections expanded to include payments for attacks, recruitment of Taliban operatives, and arms supplies.

Key figures in the scheme include the Azizi family.

Rahmatullah Azizi, born in 1978, was a prominent figure in the Azizi family and a suspect identified by the Afghan Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) for organizing the reward scheme. Unlike other family members, he escaped arrest by fleeing to Russia before the 2019 operation was exposed.

Azizi and other couriers reportedly received GRU-issued passports and frequently traveled between Russia and Afghanistan. The report also implicates senior GRU officers such as General Ivan Kasyanenko and Colonel Aleksei Arkhipov.

The allegations align with past intelligence leaks, including a 2020 US report on Russia’s covert rewards program for Taliban attacks.

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