Desperate scenes played out at Kabul’s international airport on Monday as thousands rushed to exit Afghanistan after Taliban fighters took control of the capital, with Reuters reporting at least five people were killed as they tried to force their way onto planes.

With land borders now under the control of the militant group, the airport is the last remaining exit point and there are fears that option may close soon. Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of people swarming the tarmac. Afghanistan’s aviation authority asked people not to rush to the airport. That’s even as countries including the U.S. seek to evacuate their diplomats and other nationals.

The panic in Afghanistan’s largest city reflects the Taliban’s rapid territorial advance, returning the fundamentalist group to power two decades after the U.S. military invaded and kicked it out. Criticism is mounting of President Joe Biden, who is following through on his predecessor Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops stationed there.

Taliban leaders are seeking to portray a moderate stance, with a spokesman telling the Associated Press they want to form an “open, inclusive Islamic government.”

At the same time, the group is talking about declaring a new “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” and there are reports it is already curtailing the rights of women. It remains unclear what if any power-sharing arrangements might follow with the remnants of the government of President Ashraf Ghani — who has fled the country — or if the Taliban will simply seek to rule in their own right.

Russia is in no rush to recognize the Taliban regime and “recognition or not will depend on the new authorities’ actions, on how responsibly they will rule the country in the nearest time,” Kremlin special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told Echo of Moscow radio Monday.

Russia’s diplomatic presence in Kabul will be reduced, with some embassy staff relocated or sent on vacation “just not to create too much presence” in Afghanistan, Kabulov said, adding the Taliban posted guards outside the Russian embassy to ensure security.

The Taliban capture of Kabul has put on hold Turkey’s plans to take over security at the country’s main airport under a U.S.-backed mission, two senior Turkish officials said.

The militant group’s takeover of the country makes it unclear whether the airport could stay open as a gateway for remaining diplomatic missions. The Taliban had opposed NATO-member Turkey’s proposal to help secure the airport.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke Monday about what she called the “bitter hours” in Afghanistan. In a closed-door session of her party leadership in Berlin, Merkel made clear that the trigger for the chaos now unfolding in the country was the U.S. decision to withdraw its troops, according to a participant of the meeting.

Merkel added that Germany would need the help of American troops at the airport to support the evacuation of its diplomats and other staff.

Qatar’s foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a press conference in Jordan that Doha is assisting its international partners to ensure a safe exit for their diplomats and employees of other institutions.“Qatar is working hard to help achieve a peaceful transfer of power” and “is working to lay the ground for a comprehensive political solution in Afghanistan,” he said. The country hosted Afghan peace talks earlier this year.