Ukrainian military transport aircraft Il-76MD of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took off from Kabul airport (Afghanistan) on Saturday.

"As of 10:00 on August 21, the Il-76MD of the Air Force is at the Islamabad airfield (Pakistan)," the Facebook page of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

It is said that the number of evacuated citizens and the time of return to Ukraine is being specified.

The aircraft of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is in the Middle East with a mission to evacuate citizens of Ukraine and foreigners from Afghanistan, where the situation has worsened due to the Taliban coming to power.

Reportedly, more than 150 Ukrainians, their family members and other foreigners reported a desire to be evacuated from Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, two plans are being worked out: the evacuation of citizens by plane, which is already at the Kabul airport, and the evacuation by the plane of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, which departed on August 18 from Kyiv.

On August 15, a Ukrainian private plane took out 79 people from Afghanistan: eight citizens of Ukraine, as well as citizens of the Netherlands, Croatia, Belarus, and Afghanistan.