Video appears to show Taliban operating Black Hawk helicopter

A video circulating on social media appears to show a U.S.-made UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter taxiing at the Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan.

“Reportedly a #Taliban captured #Afghanistan Air Force UH-60 Blackhawk at Kandahar. Important to note it is only shown taxiing not flying,” Joseph Dempsey, a research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on Twitter Wednesday, accompanied by a video.

Reportedly a #Taliban captured #Afghanistan Air Force UH-60 Blackhawk at Kandahar. Important to note it is only shown taxiing not flying. pic.twitter.com/xMYX8QJiwa

— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) August 25, 2021

It is unclear who was operating the helicopter, and the roughly one-minute video did not show the helicopter leaving the ground.

The news comes after Biden administration national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last week that the Taliban had seized a “fair amount” of U.S. weaponry after it took over the country earlier this month. – READ MORE