Russia and Afghanistan formalised a military-technical cooperation agreement in late May 2026, a landmark deal that sees Moscow commit to bolstering the Taliban government's air-defence capabilities following a series of Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, in late 2025 and early 2026. For the Taliban, the partnership fills a critical security gap left by strained ties with China and Iran, while also opening northern trade corridors through Central Asia to offset disrupted southern routes through Pakistan. For Russia, the deal converts last year's formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban into tangible strategic gains, expands its arms-export market amid the ongoing Ukraine war, and deepens its footprint in Central and South Asia — though analysts warn it risks complicating Moscow's parallel outreach to Pakistan and may trigger a competitive response from China, which has its own significant diplomatic and economic stakes in Afghanistan.