RASC News Agency: Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially refuted recent claims that helicopters previously belonging to the Afghanistan’s National Army are being returned to the Taliban. The ministry asserted that reports circulating in certain media outlets are false and constitute deliberate misinformation.
The ministry stressed that Uzbekistan’s official stance on the matter remains unchanged. Akhrar Burkhanov, a spokesperson for the ministry, told local media: “Reports suggesting the transfer of Afghanistan’s military helicopters to the Taliban are entirely unfounded. There has been no change in Uzbekistan’s position.”
Recently, several Taliban-affiliated media outlets claimed that Tashkent intended to hand over helicopters that had been relocated from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s violent takeover of Kabul in August 2021. These aircraft were moved to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan at the same time as other military planes to prevent them from falling into Taliban hands. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 46 aircraft were sent to Uzbekistan and 18 to Tajikistan.
Uzbekistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Ismatullah Irgashov, previously emphasized that these helicopters and planes “belong to the United States” and are being stored in Uzbekistan solely with Washington’s authorization. Jonathan Henick, the U.S. ambassador to Tashkent at the time, had also confirmed that none of these aircraft would be transferred to the Taliban under any circumstances.
Despite these assurances, Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has publicly demanded the return of the helicopters, claiming they could be used for humanitarian missions, including disaster relief in earthquake-affected regions. However, both the United States and the host countries have consistently refused to comply with these demands.
Analysts note that this episode underscores the Taliban’s ongoing attempts to consolidate military power and project an image of legitimacy, despite the international community’s steadfast refusal to recognize or equip the group. These claims also reflect the regime’s broader strategy of misinformation and propaganda, seeking to inflate its perceived capabilities while the group continues to rely on coercion, intimidation, and restrictive governance rather than genuine statecraft.
Regional observers warn that any material support to the Taliban would further destabilize Afghanistan and jeopardize security in Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s denial signals a firm stance against empowering the Taliban militarily and highlights the international community’s recognition that the regime remains a fragile, unaccountable authority whose priorities are dominated by consolidation of control rather than governance, human rights, or regional stability.
