The official representative of the political office of the Taliban Muhammad Naim said on 23 September that Deputy Prime Minister for the new administration of Afghanistan Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar met with a representative of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia. The information was also disseminated by several Telegram channels.

"At the meeting, issues related to both countries, regional security and the situation in Afghanistan were discussed," the message said.

It turned out that Aleksey Maksimov had met with the Taliban. In August-September, it was reported that he was invited to Tskhinvali from Moscow and was appointed as representative of the (de-facto) South Ossetian Foreign Intelligence Service in Russia. Users of social networks and the media wrote about "dubious facts in his biography." This includes the possibility that he may have given himself non-existent military services and awards.

Official sources in Tskhinvali have not yet reported on the meeting of Alexei Maksimov with a Taliban representative.

In August, de-facto South Ossetian MP David Sanakoev did not rule out Taliban political recognition of South Ossetia.

"The issue of recognition of the Taliban by the State of Alania is not yet on the agenda, although nothing can be ruled out. Everything will depend on how sane and pragmatic the new Afghan leadership will show itself," Sanakoev wrote.