Daniel Wolfram
During war games in Russia, the Taliban met up with representatives from North Korea.
Representatives from Afghanistan’s Taliban met secretly with North Korean officials during Russia’s recent Center-2026 maneuvers.
Nasibullah Madani, commander of the Taliban’s Joint Combat Training Command, led the Afghan delegation during the visit.
There, he sat down for discussions with North Korean military attaché Ro Ki Chol.
Photos reveal meeting
A photograph released by Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry later confirmed the encounter. It showed both leaders standing together at a weapons exhibition.
Madani kept busy throughout the trip. According to Afghan news outlet Safir TV, his team also held meetings with military delegates from China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Taliban officials said these chats focused on sharing practical military experience and exploring training opportunities. Yet the Defense Ministry stayed quiet on what was discussed with North Korea.
Closer ties with Russia
Afghan delegates also toured an extensive equipment display alongside the exercises. They inspected heavy artillery, long-range missiles, combat drones, and advanced robotic devices.
The encounter fits into a broader pattern of growing military contacts. Militarnyi reported that Russia and the Taliban signed a bilateral military cooperation deal back in May.
The details have stayed secret. However, Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov indicated that initial work will focus on fixing older equipment, with plans to set up local repair training centers.
