Russiagate Unveiled: Secret Payments to the Taliban for U.S. Troops’ Lives

Title: Unveiling the Shadowy Afghan Networks: A $30M US-Taliban Bounty Scheme

In a disturbing revelation, former Afghan government officials and National Security Directorate personnel have disclosed to journalists that terrorist attacks and assaults on US and coalition forces from 2016 to 2019 were allegedly facilitated by a bounty system involving Russian intelligence. A recent publication details that Russia‘s military intelligence agency, the GRU, paid Taliban fighters around $30 million for killing NATO coalition soldiers.

The payment structure was reportedly straightforward and lucrative: $200,000 for each coalition soldier killed. The operations were coordinated through a network of Afghan couriers, overseen by a former Kunduz contrabandist named Rahmatulla Azizi. According to investigative journalists, Azizi now resides in Moscow and holds a Russian passport issued under the name Rahim Ahmadov.

A striking detail emerged when comparing Azizi’s passport number with that of a GRU agent named Anatoliy Chepiga, who was involved in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, UK. Remarkably, only two digits differed between their passport numbers.

The GRU’s operations were masked as a legitimate business, with couriers posing as employees of a gemstone trading company. Upon completing their assignments, the couriers would receive Russian documents and sanctuary in Russia. The report by The Insider highlights that the alleged masterminds behind these operations were high-ranking officials from the 29155 GRU unit, notorious for its involvement in the Skripal poisoning and subversive activities in Europe.

The overall coordination of the bounty program was allegedly overseen by Lieutenant General Ivan Kasyanenko, the former deputy commander of the 29155 GRU unit. Pulkinvedi Aleksey Arhipov, who traveled under the alias of Aleksey Titorov, also played a significant role in maintaining ties with Taliban elements.

As the fallout from these revelations continues, it has emerged that some Afghan operatives involved in these networks have fled to Europe, presenting themselves as refugees. At least two individuals have sought asylum in Germany, with mixed results. The German news outlet Der Spiegel reports that their asylum claims were denied, but they remain in the country.

The exposure of this intricate and dangerous web of connections raises crucial questions about the extent of Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan and its potential implications for regional stability. As the international community grapples with the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover, the shadows of these covert operations loom large over the future of the war-torn nation.