The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that 500 Russian mechanized infantry soldiers are conducting drills in Tajikistan's highlands, despite insecurity in neighboring Afghanistan.

The latest round of drills is Moscow's third near the Afghan border this month. A Russian-led security bloc will conduct another drill in Kyrgyzstan, which hosts a Russian military air station, next month.

Russia announced that they are working on increasing the speed and range of their hypersonic missiles as Minister Sergey Shoigu recently revealed.

Shoigu emphasized that the US forces had left a considerable number of high-precision weaponry in Afghanistan, previously detailing that the "Taliban" had seized hundreds of artillery shells, armored vehicles, planes, and helicopters in Afghanistan.

The Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan, Igor Frolov, expressed that Russia is ready to provide any assistance to Tajikistan in the event that it is infiltrated by Afghan extremists.

Moscow warns against freezing Afghan reserves 

In the meantime, according to the Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, Moscow has warned against blocking Afghanistan's gold and foreign exchange assets overseas, and he called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to deliver help to the people. 

Kabulov added that Western powers should not aggravate the fate of Afghans by creating additional hurdles and freezing gold and foreign exchange reserves in US banks. He argued that they should allow passageways to supply the population with aid. 

The result, according to the Special Envoy to Afghanistan, will be a greater increase in the export of opiates and the entry of weapons left by the US in the black market. 

Aid to Afghanistan was suspended by the World Bank after the Taliban seized power in the country, noting that alternative methods were understudy to support the Afghan people.

In response to US pressure, the International Monetary Fund has halted the delivery of $440 million in additional currency reserves to Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover.

Changing the status of "Taliban" too early

On his part, Russian Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that the question of changing the status of the "Taliban" Movement is "premature", adding that "it is very important to see what the Taliban's first steps in governing Afghanistan will be like. The conclusions can be formed afterward."

Peskov had earlier said that before recognizing the "Taliban" as a legitimate government in Afghanistan, Russia must closely monitor what the Taliban's next steps will be in terms of ensuring order and security in the country.