External Actors in the Afghan Problem
continues...

It was suspicious of increasing US influence in the area traditionally conceived as Russia’s area of influence but was not in a position to challenge the US.

In addition, it was also concerned with the increasing influence of militant Islamists in Chechnya and Daghestan. Russia became increasingly disenchanted with the Taleban over their support for Chechnya rebellion and for providing a sanctuary for terrorist groups active in Central Asia and in Russia itself. During the Taleban period, United Front obtained arms primarily from Iran and Russia.

The Russian Federation had enabled the transportation of Iranian aid, while providing
considerable direct assistance to the United Front.

The United Front could use new funds to replenish its stocks with arms purchases from Russia. Military assistance to United Front forces crossed the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border with the active collusion of the Russian government, which maintains border forces there and leads the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping forces (201st Division) within the country.

Witnesses have described seeing stores of rocket and artillery rounds awaiting delivery at the border ferry crossing at Dasht-i Qalah, stacked in plain view of the Russian Border Guard troops manning the Tajik side of the crossing. The rocket projectiles were most likely 122mm rockets for BM-21 truck-mounted multiple-rocket launch systems, while the artillery shells were most likely for M-30/D-30 towed howitzers. Some other witnesses claim to have observed BM-21 and BM-21V truck-mounted multiple-rocket launch systems, as well as wooden crates with hand grenades and large-calibre rockets stacked up on the Tajik side of the crossing, partially coered by tarps. On one occasion a witness described seeing a BM-21 being ferried across the river on the barge ferry at Dasht-i-Qalah.

The consistency and lack of subterfuge or concealment of shipments crossing the border implied that the Russian role was not the result of isolated, unit-level agreements or arrangements, but rather the result of a broader government policy. A high-level Russian government commitment to re-supply the United Front is further confirmed by reports that many of the supplies crossing into Afghanistan at Dasht-i Qalah originated from the Russian military base at Kulab, Tajikistan.