index

Russian embassy official says President Ghani left with cars, helicopter full of cash

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Dylan Lassiter

Yesterday, the Russian embassy in Kabul claimed that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country with four cars and a helicopter, all brimming with cash, according to a report from Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti. Reuters, alongside others, have since published the same claims.

Yesterday, the Russian embassy in Kabul claimed that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country with four cars and a helicopter, all brimming with cash, according to a report from Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

The report quoted Russian embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying, “The collapse of the regime … is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac.”

President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, also spoke on President Ghani’s departure from the country.

Kabulov told Moscvow’s Ekho Moskvy radio station, “I hope the government that has fled did not take all the money from the state budget. It will be the bedrock of the budget if something is left.”

Adding to the sentiment, Kabulov described Ghani’s flight from Kabul as “disgraceful,” and that Ghani “deserves to be brought to justice and held accountable by the Afghan people.”

Kabulov is also said to have stated that the seizure in Kabul was unexpected, and that Russia alongside many others overrated the power of the Afghan Armed Forces.

These reports have not been verified independently, but are bolstered by claims from a variety of Russian personnel on the ground in Kabul, as well as the breadth by which they’ve been reported on.

You may also like

Blog

A Pentagon AI chatbot has drawn attention after labeling a hypothetical follow-up airstrike on survivors at sea as illegal, as the Defense Department rolls out its new GenAI platform to military personnel.
Syria has arrested five suspects after a deadly ambush near Palmyra killed three Americans, as the US vows strong retaliation while investigations continue into possible ISIL links.
A Georgia woman is recovering from severe burns after being attacked with a corrosive chemical during an evening walk in Savannah’s Forsyth Park, as police and the FBI search for those with information.
A Marine recruiter risked his life by jumping onto Manhattan subway tracks to rescue a fallen man just moments before an oncoming train arrived.
An elderly man fined for spitting out a windblown leaf in Skegness has sparked wider calls for greater discretion and proportionality in litter enforcement practices.

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers