Uzbekistan has firmly denied rumors that it’s handing over Afghan military helicopters and aircraft to anyone, calling the reports completely false. A spokesperson from the Uzbek Foreign Ministry made this clear to local media, stressing that Tashkent’s position hasn’t budged an inch.
“These reports don’t match reality. Our stance remains the same—this is just fake news,” said Akhror Burkhanov, the ministry’s spokesperson, as reported by Tolo News.
The buzz started with earlier stories claiming Uzbekistan agreed to return the helicopters and planes to Afghanistan or possibly the US. But experts are setting the record straight. Military analyst Hamidullah pointed out that these assets came directly from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan after the previous government’s fall in 2021—not from the US. “If America has any claims, they should talk to us. Uzbekistan can’t just give away Afghanistan’s helicopters on its own,” he explained.
For the past four years, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been pushing hard for the return of these military aircraft. A whopping 46 Afghan helicopters and planes ended up in Uzbekistan, with some equipment also moved to neighboring Tajikistan—though what happened there is still a mystery.
Just a day ago, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi raised the issue again during a meeting at his ministry. “We need these helicopters back for rescue operations and proper management. Countries holding them should return them to the Afghan government,” he urged, according to Tolo News.
The denial has sparked concern among some observers. Political analyst Janat Faheem Chikri called it disappointing and a blow to good neighborly ties. “We really thought Uzbekistan would send them back,” he said.
As tensions simmer in the region, this back-and-forth highlights ongoing disputes over Afghan military assets left behind after the chaotic 2021 withdrawal. Will Uzbekistan budge? For now, it seems unlikely.
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