Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan to hold military drills near Afghan border -TASS

Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will hold military drills 20 km (12 miles) from the Afghanistan border in Tajikistan from Aug. 5-10, the TASS news agency cited a senior member of Russia's armed forces as saying on Monday.

Taliban fighters have made major advances in Afghanistan as U.S. forces pull out after 20 years of war, a security headache for Moscow which fears refugees may be pushed into its Central Asian backyard and its southern defensive flank may be destabilised.

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