MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow has categorically denied media reports that Russian special services have offered covert financial support for the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
"Such publications are absolutely absurd. However, there is an explanation for them knowing the crying situation in which the supporters of Taliban are today," a high-ranking Russian diplomatic source told Interfax on Monday.
The claim was made in an article published in the Glasgow- based paper 'Scotland on Sunday.'
Quoting "leaders of the fundamentalist group" the newspaper said that "Russian intelligence is now providing covert backing to a resurgent Taliban" fighting "the U.S.-sponsored Afghan government of Hamed Karzai."
The Russian source said "this kind of media reporting from the Taliban can have only one objective: trying to discredit Russia to attract attention and show that it still means something today."
"However, such claims naturally have nothing to do with reality," the source said.