DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the most professional and efficient military force in the Afghan capital at the moment is the Russian special forces, who began arriving lat last week. By Tuesday morning, November 20, their number had expanded to 1200 Russian commandoes in Kabul, one battalion each of Spetsnaz troops attached to the Russian General Command and the 201st Mechanized Rifle. Two more battalions are due by the end of the week, one for Kabul, and one for Bagram Air base, doubling Russian strength in the Afghan capital to 1200. They will serve alongside elements of US Special Forces units and 75 British commandoes. By the end of this week, Russian strength in and around Kabul will rise to 6,400 soldiers, roughly the same number as the British commandos, whose dispatch to Afghanistan has been called off at the insistence of Northern Alliance chiefs.
No mention of the 15,000 Chinese troops DEBKA reported earlier, though....
Interesting that Debka is privy to Russian military plans. It's also interesting that we have seen no mention of this from other press outlets.
And upon further review this sentence is completely squirrely as well - roughly the same number as the British commandos, even though they aren't there? hmmmmm...