Russia completes small arms deliveries to Afghanistan

(RIA Novosti)  Russia has completed deliveries of small arms and ammunition to Afghanistan under a military assistance program.
The last of nine Il-76 cargo planes landed on Friday in Kabul carrying weaponry and ammunition for the Afghan police forces to assist the legitimate government in the fight against crime, drug-trafficking and Taliban militants.
Russia has delivered a total of 20,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and over 2.5 million rounds for these rifles. The weaponry will be distributed among police units in and around the capital, Kabul.
Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Andrei Avetisyan earlier said that the delivery of small arms donations to Afghanistan will help strengthen security and the rule of law in the Central Asian country.
Soviet-era Kalashnikov assault rifles and machine guns are already widely used by the Afghan police force.
Other Russian contributions to the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan include the supply of Mi-17 helicopters and crews to train Afghan pilots, possible Russian assistance in training Afghan national security forces, increased cooperation on counter-narcotics and border security, and improved transit and supply routes for NATO forces.