Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his country Sunday to prevent an influx of refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, saying militants could enter under the guise of seeking asylum.

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He estimated that “hundreds, even hundreds of thousands, or maybe even millions” of people might want to flee Afghanistan.

Several former Soviet republics in Central Asia share a border both with Afghanistan and Russia, allowing “militants under the guise of refugees” to reach the country, the Russian president said.

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