On February 27, Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, the Russian Defence Minister, stated in a meeting with senior military officials of the country that Afghanistan is considered the biggest threat to Central Asia, reports The Khaama Press News Agency. Additionally, Shoigu mentioned a 15 per cent increase in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters and a 20% rise in drug production and trafficking through Central Asian republics.