Russia steps in: Moscow moves to broker peace as Pakistan, Afghanistan enter all-out war
Moscow: Russia called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to immediately halt cross-border hostilities on Friday as the Kremlin offered to mediate an escalating conflict that Islamabad has now formally characterised as "open war."
The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement reported by the RIA news agency, urged both nations to cease military strikes and return to diplomatic negotiations. The appeal follows a dramatic surge in violence that saw Pakistani warplanes target the Afghan capital of Kabul and other provinces in a massive retaliatory strike dubbed "Operation Ghazab Lil Haq."
The diplomatic intervention from Moscow arrived as the long-simmering border dispute reached a breaking point Friday morning. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif declared that the country had run out of "patience" following repeated cross-border attacks and stated on social media that it is now an open war between the two nations.
Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defence announced on Friday that its air force conducted "successful" strikes on multiple Pakistani military sites in response to cross-border attacks, escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
In a post on X, the Ministry confirmed that air operations targeted army camps near Faizabad, Nowshera, Jamrud, Abbottabad, and other locations. The Afghan Defence Ministry reported that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, some of whom had their bodies taken into Afghanistan, and several others were captured alive. They also stated that eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 were wounded in the conflict. Furthermore, the ministry claimed to have destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases, with the fighting concluding around midnight, approximately four hours after it began on Thursday.
Islamabad’s military operation involved precision airstrikes on what it described as Taliban defence targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Security sources in Pakistan claimed the strikes killed more than 130 fighters and destroyed multiple ammunition depots and headquarters. However, the conflict took a significant turn as the Afghan Ministry of Defence claimed its forces launched a daring counter-offensive, asserting that Afghan aircraft and artillery had successfully targeted multiple Pakistani military installations. The ministry claimed that these strikes reached as far as the outskirts of Islamabad, marking an unprecedented expansion of the theatre of war.
Russia, which has sought to maintain pragmatic security ties with the Taliban administration since 2021, positioned itself as a neutral arbiter in the growing regional crisis. The Foreign Ministry stated through RIA that Moscow would consider providing mediation services if requested by both parties, emphasising that regional stability remains a primary concern for the international community.
The outbreak of high-intensity fighting has drawn urgent reactions from other regional powers. China expressed deep concern and called for an immediate ceasefire and maximum restraint, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered to facilitate dialogue between the neighbours during the holy month of Ramadan.
The current conflict has effectively shattered a fragile, Qatar-mediated ceasefire that had been in place since late 2025. With both nations deploying heavy artillery and air power, the formal declaration of war marks the most significant military confrontation in the region in years.