Lavrov warns ISIS seeks to destabilize Kabul, expand into Central Asia

ISIS threat to Afghanistan and region

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Friday that a regional branch of ISIS (Daesh) is working to destabilize the Taliban government in Kabul while planning to expand "terrorist activity" into Central Asia and Russia. Speaking at a joint security conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Lavrov said the terror group aims to use Afghanistan as a staging ground for cross-border operations.

He told delegates that militant training camps and strongholds remain active in Afghan border regions adjacent to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. "Terrorist and extremist groups" maintain significant capabilities in these areas, he noted, adding that fighters were attempting to smuggle weapons and drugs through Central Asia into Russia.

Infiltration tactics and border risks

Lavrov alleged that ISIS operatives were seeking entry into Central Asian republics by posing as refugees or tourists, representing a sophisticated effort to bypass standard security screening. The foreign minister called for enhanced intelligence sharing and operational coordination between Moscow and its Central Asian partners to counter these infiltration attempts. He emphasized that regional organizations must develop unified protocols to address the dual threats of terrorism and narcotics trafficking emanating from Afghan territory.

Moscow's stance on Taliban engagement

Despite the security warnings, Lavrov defended Russia's policy of engaging with Afghanistan's current authorities, arguing that isolation would exacerbate regional instability. "We proceed from the premise that the government—the Taliban movement—is a reality that must be reckoned with," he said. "An increasing number of countries around the world are already demonstrating this understanding."

He stated that Moscow supports integrating Afghanistan into regional economic frameworks and providing humanitarian assistance, viewing economic development as complementary to security objectives. Russia maintains that cooperation with Taliban authorities on border security serves the interests of all Central Asian states.

NATO expansion criticized

Lavrov used the platform to criticize NATO's growing security footprint, accusing the alliance of attempting to impose its influence far beyond its traditional geographic scope. "NATO is not about Eurasia," Lavrov said, insisting that the continent required a security architecture developed by regional powers rather than external military blocs. He reiterated Russia's support for a Greater Eurasian Partnership and a new continental security framework involving Eurasian countries and multilateral organizations.