Taliban and North Korea Hold Military Talks During Russia’s Center-2026 Drills

Representatives of Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and North Korea held talks during Russia’s Center-2026 strategic military exercises, bringing officials from the two governments together on the sidelines of the Russian-hosted drills.

According to Militarnyi on October 7, the meeting took place during the Center-2026 exercises, which ran from September 28 through October 3. Both Afghan and North Korean delegations attended the drills as observers.

The Afghan delegation was led by Nasibullah Madani, commander of the Joint Combat Training Command, who met with North Korean military attaché Ro Ki Chol.

A photograph released by Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry showed Madani and Ro together at a weapons exhibition organized as part of the exercises.

The Afghan delegation also held meetings with military representatives from China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries, according to Afghan outlet Safir TV.

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said the delegation’s meetings covered bilateral relations, exchanges of military experience, professional training, and potential areas of cooperation.

The ministry did not specify which of those issues were discussed directly with the North Korean representative, and no agreements between the Taliban authorities and Pyongyang were announced.

During their visit, Afghan officials also toured an exhibition of military equipment held alongside the exercises, where heavy weapons, drones, long-range missiles, and robotic systems were displayed.

The visit comes as the Taliban authorities expand military contacts with Russia. On May 27, 2026, Moscow and Kabul signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation, according to Militarnyi.

The full text of the agreement has not been made public. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special representative for Afghanistan, previously said cooperation would initially focus on restoring military equipment already operated by the Taliban. Russian officials have also raised the possibility of establishing training centers to support maintenance of the equipment.

Earlier, Russia and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government signed an agreement on military and technical cooperation on May 27, further expanding bilateral ties in the defense and security sectors.

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