Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on Tuesday on the Taliban and Pakistan to end their military confrontation and resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means, as concern mounted over recent Pakistani strikes that have left dozens of civilians dead.
In a statement, the ministry said it was “concerned about the continuation of the military confrontation between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” adding that civilians had borne the heaviest toll in the exchanges.
The ministry described Pakistan’s airstrikes on the provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar on the night of June 29 as “the latest tragic incident,” though it stopped short of explicitly condemning the attacks.
Citing UN figures, it said the strikes killed 28 people, including a number of children, and wounded approximately 50 others.
Pakistan has said the strikes targeted hideouts belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, and that 25 militants were killed. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan put the death toll at 28 civilians, with 49 others wounded.
It was not Russia’s first call for de-escalation. Moscow has previously urged both sides to end their tensions and resolve their disputes through dialogue, and the Foreign Ministry has said it stands ready to mediate between the Taliban and Pakistan.
The statement’s timing drew notice in Moscow. Andrei Serenko, the director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary Afghanistan in Moscow, said in a chat with Amu TV that Russia’s Foreign Ministry had a pattern of responding slowly to sensitive developments. He had anticipated the statement would come on Tuesday, he said.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated sharply in recent months, driven by disputes over border security, cross-border militancy, and mutual accusations of harboring armed groups hostile to the other side.
The Taliban have condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and said Islamabad has targeted residential areas.
