Putin plans to “snatch US weapons left behind in the evacuation of Afghanistan and confiscated by the Taliban,” a Kremlin insider claims

VLADIMIR Putin plans to seize weapons seized by the Taliban during the US evacuation of Afghanistan, so-called Kremlin insiders claim.

The Russian tyrant is reportedly in the middle of negotiations with the terrorist group over recognizing the Taliban government.

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In return, Putin wants US equipment captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan to be handed over, according to Telegram channel General SVR, which claims to have been fed information by a Kremlin insider.

US troops were scrambling to withdraw from Afghanistan in August 2021 as the Taliban swept across the war-torn nation within weeks.

Simultaneously with the capture of regions, militants plundered stocks of western artillery.

It is believed that Taliban fighters may have stolen as many as half a million US weapons and as many as 50,000 vehicles.

The US spent an estimated £62 billion on arms and equipment to arm the Afghan army as it shored up the government after the Taliban were toppled in 2001.

US documents show a staggering number of weapons, vehicles and military equipment were handed over to Kabul – only for Afghan forces to be swept away by the tide of the Taliban advance.

It is estimated that 22,174 Humvees, 634 M1117 armored personnel carriers, 115 Maxx Pros trucks and 549,118 machine guns, assault rifles and pistols were handed over by the US.

About 33 Black Hawk helicopters, 23 Super Tucano fighter jets and 4 C-130 transport planes were also transferred to the Afghan Air Force.

Other support equipment was also handed over, including about 16,035 pairs of night vision goggles, 162,043 radio sets and about 8,000 trucks.

Much of this equipment may have been removed by the US, may have been out of service, and may have been destroyed.

But the numbers offer a glimpse of the staggering size of Afghanistan’s arsenal – the remains of which the militants have picked clean.

So-called Kremlin insiders are now claiming that Putin has his eye on Western weapons and wants them to arm his troops in Ukraine.

The broadcaster General SVR claims: “Putin is monitoring the negotiations with the Taliban for the recognition of the Taliban government.

“In return, the Russian leadership offers a large exchange of weapons and military equipment.

“Putin reported that the Taliban possess arms and equipment, including those seized after taking power in Afghanistan, which are in short supply for the Russian army on the front lines.

“People who are privy to the details of the negotiations say that the Taliban are extremely surprised by such proposals, but they are seriously discussing them.”

It comes as a Russian warship reportedly armed with “unstoppable” hypersonic missiles is sailing towards the US coast in a show of force.

The guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov was closely monitored by the NATO Navy on its maiden voyage, armed with Zircon weapons armed at 6,670 mph.

An unconfirmed report by the Russian Telegram channel states that it was “detected on radar in neutral waters of the Atlantic — within an effective range of the salvo launch from the US coast.”

The nuclear-capable Mach-9 missiles have a reported range of 625 miles.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the latest report.

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