What's the story Afghan war 1979-1989?

Afghan War 1979–1989

An armed conflict between the Afghan government and allied Soviet troops, who sought to maintain the pro-communist regime in Afghanistan, on the one hand, and the Muslim Afghan resistance, on the other.

The main cause of the war was foreign interference in the Afghan internal political crisis, which was a consequence of the struggle for power.

The struggle was for complete political control over the territory of Afghanistan. "Limited contingent" Soviet troops in Afghanistan there were 100 thousand military personnel. In total, 546,255 Soviet soldiers and officers took part in the hostilities. 71 warriors became Heroes Soviet Union. The armed forces of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) on the one hand and the armed opposition (Mujahideen, or dushmans) on the other also took part in the conflict. The Mujahideen were supported by US military specialists, a number of European countries-NATO members, as well as Pakistani intelligence services. During 1980–1988 Western aid to the mujahideen amounted to $8.5 billion, half of which was provided by the United States. The war continued from December 25, 1979 to February 15, 1989 (3338 days).

On December 25, 1979, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan began in three directions: Troops landed at the airfields of Kabul, Bagram, and Kandahar. The entry of troops was relatively easy; During the capture of the presidential palace in Kabul, the President of Afghanistan was killed. The Muslim population did not accept the Soviet presence, and an uprising broke out in the northeastern provinces, spreading throughout the country.

The Soviet contingent included: the command of the 40th Army with support and service units, 4 divisions, 5 separate brigades, 4 separate regiments, 4 combat aviation regiments, 3 helicopter regiments, 1 pipeline brigade, 1 logistics brigade and some other units and institutions.

For a number of years, a “limited contingent” controlled the situation in the main cities, while the rebels felt relatively free in rural areas. Changing tactics, Soviet troops tried to deal with the rebels using tanks, helicopters and airplanes, but highly mobile groups of Mujahideen easily avoided attacks.

In accordance with the agreements, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988. On February 15, 1989, Soviet troops completely withdrew from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of the troops of the 40th Army was led by the last commander of the limited contingent, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov. This event did not bring peace, as various mujahideen factions continued to fight for power among themselves.

According to updated official data, irrecoverable losses The personnel of the Soviet army in the Afghan war amounted to 14,427 people, the KGB - 576 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people dead and missing. During the war, there were 49,984 wounded, 312 prisoners, and 18 internees. St. received wounds and concussions. 53 thousand people. A significant number of people who were admitted to hospitals on the territory of the USSR died from the consequences of severe wounds and injuries. These people who died in hospitals were not included in the number of officially announced losses. The exact number of Afghans killed in the war is unknown. Available estimates range from 1 to 2 million people.

The Soviet-Afghan war lasted more than nine years from December 1979 to February 1989. Rebel groups of “Mujahideen” fought against Soviet army and allied Afghan government forces. Between 850,000 and 1.5 million civilians were killed and millions of Afghans fled the country, mostly to Pakistan and Iran.

Even before the arrival of Soviet troops, power in Afghanistan through 1978 coup captured by the communists and installed as president of the country Noor Mohammad Taraki. He undertook a number of radical reforms, which turned out to be extremely unpopular, especially among the rural population committed to national traditions. The Taraki regime brutally suppressed all opposition, arresting many thousands and executing 27,000 political prisoners.

Chronology of the Afghan War. Video

Armed groups began to form throughout the country for the purpose of resistance. By April 1979, many large areas of the country were in rebellion, and in December the government held only the cities under its rule. It itself was torn apart by internal strife. Taraki was killed soon after Hafizullah Amin. In response to requests from the Afghan authorities, the allied Kremlin leadership, led by Brezhnev, first sent secret advisers to the country, and on December 24, 1979, sent the 40th Soviet Army of General Boris Gromov there, declaring that it was doing this in fulfillment of the terms of the 1978 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and good neighborliness with Afghanistan.

Soviet intelligence had information that Amin was making attempts to communicate with Pakistan and China. On December 27, 1979, about 700 Soviet special forces captured the main buildings of Kabul and stormed the Taj Beg presidential palace, during which Amin and his two sons were killed. Amin was replaced by a rival from another Afghan communist faction, Babrak Karmal. He headed the “Revolutionary Council of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan” and requested additional Soviet assistance.

In January 1980, the foreign ministers of the 34 countries of the Islamic Conference approved a resolution demanding the “immediate, urgent and unconditional withdrawal of Soviet troops” from Afghanistan. The UN General Assembly, by a vote of 104 to 18, adopted a resolution protesting Soviet intervention. President of the U.S.A Carter announced a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Afghan fighters began receiving military training in neighboring Pakistan and China - and receiving huge amounts of aid, funded primarily by the United States and the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf. In conducting operations against Soviet forces CIA Pakistan actively helped.

Soviet troops occupied cities and main lines of communication, and the Mujahideen waged guerrilla warfare in small groups. They operated on almost 80% of the country's territory, not subject to the control of the Kabul rulers and the USSR. Soviet troops widely used aircraft for bombing, destroyed villages where the Mujahideen could find refuge, destroyed irrigation ditches, and laid millions of land mines. However, almost the entire contingent introduced into Afghanistan consisted of conscripts who were not trained in complex tactics of fighting partisans in the mountains. Therefore, the war was difficult for the USSR from the very beginning.

By the mid-1980s, the number of Soviet troops in Afghanistan had increased to 108,800 soldiers. Fighting went all over the country with more energy, however, the material and diplomatic cost of the war for the USSR was very high. In mid-1987 Moscow, where a reformer had now come to power Gorbachev, announced its intention to begin withdrawing troops. Gorbachev openly called Afghanistan a “bleeding wound.”

On April 14, 1988, in Geneva, the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the participation of the United States and the USSR as guarantors, signed the “Agreements to resolve the situation in the Republic of Afghanistan.” They determined the schedule for the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent - it ran from May 15, 1988 to February 15, 1989.

The Mujahideen did not take part in the Geneva Accords and rejected most of their terms. As a result, after the withdrawal of Soviet troops Civil War in Afghanistan continued. New pro-Soviet leader Najibullah barely held back the onslaught of the Mujahideen. His government split, many of its members entered into relations with the opposition. In March 1992, Najibullah was no longer supported by General Abdul Rashid Dostum and his Uzbek police. A month later, the Mujahideen took Kabul. Najibullah hid in the UN mission building in the capital until 1996, and then was captured by the Taliban and hanged.

The Afghan war is considered part Cold War. In Western media it is sometimes called “Soviet Vietnam” or “Bear Trap”, because this war became one of the most important reasons for the fall of the USSR. It is believed that about 15 thousand Soviet soldiers died during it, and 35 thousand were wounded. After the war, Afghanistan lay in ruins. Grain production there fell to 3.5% of pre-war levels.

On December 25, 1979, the introduction of a limited contingent of Soviet troops into the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan began.

This undeclared war, which lasted 9 years, 1 month and 19 days, remains an unknown war to this day, despite the numerous published books of memoirs of participants, the events of the war described in great detail, veteran websites, etc. If you compare how much is known about the three-year Patriotic War 1812 and the four-year Great Patriotic War, then we can say that we know almost nothing about the Afghan War. The image of a ten-year “march across the river” in the minds of people, filmmakers and journalists is not cleared up at all, and, 33 years later, the same cliches about a “senseless bloody war”, about “mountains of corpses” and “rivers of blood”, about numerous, veterans who went crazy from these “rivers of blood” and then became drunkards or became bandits.

Some young people, seeing the abbreviation OKSVA, think that this stupid tattoo artist made a mistake in the word “Moscow”. I was 16 years old when this strange war began, and a year later I graduated from school and either entered college or entered the army. And my comrades and I really didn’t want to end up in this same OKSV in Afghanistan, from where the first zinc coffins had already begun to arrive! Although some crazy people rushed there themselves...

And that's how it all began...

The decision to send Soviet troops into Afghanistan was made on December 12, 1979 at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and formalized by a secret resolution of the CPSU Central Committee. The official purpose of the entry was to prevent the threat of foreign military intervention. As a formal basis, the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee used repeated requests from the Afghan leadership for the deployment of Soviet troops.

This conflict involved the armed forces of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) on the one hand and the armed opposition (Mujahideen, or dushmans) on the other. The struggle was for complete political control over the territory of Afghanistan. During the conflict, the dushmans were supported by military specialists from the United States, a number of European NATO member countries, as well as Pakistani intelligence services.

December 25, 1979 at 15-00, the entry of Soviet troops into the DRA began in three directions: Kushka - Shindand - Kandahar, Termez - Kunduz - Kabul, Khorog - Fayzabad. The troops landed at the airfields of Kabul, Bagram, and Kandahar. On December 27, the KGB special forces “Zenith”, “Grom” and the “Muslim battalion” of the GRU special forces stormed the Taj Beg Palace. During the battle, Afghan President Amin was killed. On the night of December 28, the 108th Motorized Rifle Division entered Kabul, taking control of all the most important facilities in the capital.

The Soviet contingent included: the command of the 40th Army with support and service units, divisions - 4, separate brigades - 5, separate regiments - 4, combat aviation regiments - 4, helicopter regiments - 3, pipeline brigade - 1, material support brigade - 1. And also, units of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Ministry of Defense, units and divisions of the GRU General Staff, the Office of the Chief Military Advisor. In addition to formations and units of the Soviet Army, there were separate units of border troops, the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR in Afghanistan.

On December 29, Pravda publishes the “Address of the Government of Afghanistan”: “The Government of the DRA, taking into account the expanding interference and provocations of the external enemies of Afghanistan in order to protect the gains of the April Revolution, territorial integrity, national independence and maintaining peace and security, based on the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness of December 5, 1978, appealed to the USSR with an urgent request for urgent political, moral, economic assistance, including military assistance, with which the DRA government had previously repeatedly appealed to the government of the Soviet Union “The government of the Soviet Union satisfied the request of the Afghan side.”

Soviet troops in Afghanistan guarded roads and objects of Soviet-Afghan economic cooperation (gas fields, power plants, a nitrogen fertilizer plant in Mazar-i-Sharif, etc.). Ensured the functioning of airfields in major cities. Contributed to the strengthening of government bodies in 21 provincial centers. They carried convoys with military and national economic cargo for their own needs and in the interests of the DRA.

The presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their combat activities are conventionally divided into four stages.

1st stage: December 1979 - February 1980 Entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, placing them in garrisons, organizing the protection of deployment points and various objects.

2nd stage: March 1980 - April 1985 Conducting active combat operations, including large-scale ones, together with Afghan formations and units. Work to reorganize and strengthen the armed forces of the DRA.

3rd stage: May 1985 - December 1986 The transition from active combat operations primarily to supporting the actions of Afghan troops with Soviet aviation, artillery and engineer units. Special forces units fought to suppress the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. The withdrawal of six Soviet regiments to their homeland took place.

4th stage: January 1987 - February 1989 Participation of Soviet troops in the Afghan leadership's policy of national reconciliation. Continued support for the combat activities of Afghan troops. Preparing Soviet troops for the return to their homeland and implementing their complete withdrawal.

On April 14, 1988, with the mediation of the UN in Switzerland, the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the Geneva Agreements on a political settlement of the situation in the DRA. The Soviet Union pledged to withdraw its contingent within 9 months, starting on May 15; The United States and Pakistan, for their part, had to stop supporting the Mujahideen.

In accordance with the agreements, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988.

February 15, 1989 Soviet troops were completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of the troops of the 40th Army was led by the last commander of the limited contingent, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov.

Losses: According to updated data, in total in the war the Soviet Army lost 14 thousand 427 people, the KGB - 576 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people dead and missing. More than 53 thousand people were wounded, shell-shocked, injured. The exact number of Afghans killed in the war is unknown. Available estimates range from 1 to 2 million people.

Materials from the sites: http://soldatru.ru and http://ria.ru and photos from open Internet sources were used.

USSR War in Afghanistan 1979-1989

Completed by: Bukov G.E.

Introduction

Afghan war 1979-1989 - an armed conflict between the Afghan government and allied forces of the USSR, who sought to maintain the pro-communist regime in Afghanistan, on the one hand, and the Muslim Afghan resistance, on the other.

Of course, this period is not the most positive in the history of the USSR, but I wanted to open a small curtain in this war, namely, the reasons and main tasks for the USSR to eliminate the military conflict in Afghanistan.

1. Reason for hostilities

The main reason for the war was foreign interference in the Afghan internal political crisis, which was a consequence of the struggle for power between the Afghan government and numerous armed groups of the Afghan Mujahideen (“dushmans”), who enjoy political and financial support from leading NATO states and the Islamic world, on the other hand.

The internal political crisis in Afghanistan was the “April Revolution” - the events in Afghanistan on April 27, 1978, which resulted in the establishment of a Marxist pro-Soviet government in the country.

As a result of the April Revolution, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), whose leader was in 1978, came to power. Nur Mohammad Taraki (killed by order of Hafizullah Amin), and then Hafizullah Amin until December 1979, who proclaimed the country the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA).

Attempts by the country's leadership to carry out new reforms that would overcome Afghanistan's lagging behind have encountered resistance from the Islamic opposition. In 1978, even before the introduction of Soviet troops, a civil war began in Afghanistan.

Lacking strong popular support, the new government brutally suppressed internal opposition. Unrest in the country and infighting between supporters of the Khalq and Parcham (the PDPA was divided into these two parts), taking into account geopolitical considerations (preventing the strengthening of US influence in Central Asia and protecting the Central Asian republics) pushed the Soviet leadership to introduce .troops to Afghanistan under the pretext of providing international assistance. The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan began on the basis of a resolution of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, without a formal decision regarding this by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan

In March 1979, during the uprising in the city of Herat, the Afghan leadership made its first request for direct Soviet military intervention. But the CPSU Central Committee Commission on Afghanistan reported to the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee about the obvious negative consequences of direct Soviet intervention, and the request was rejected.

However, the Herat rebellion forced the reinforcement of Soviet troops at the Soviet-Afghan border and, by order of Defense Minister D.F. Ustinov, preparations began for a possible landing of the 105th Guards Airborne Division into Afghanistan. The number of Soviet advisers (including military) in Afghanistan was sharply increased: from 409 people in January to 4,500 by the end of June 1979.

The impetus for the USSR's intervention was US assistance to the Mujahideen. According to the official version of history, CIA assistance to the mujahideen began during 1980, that is, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan on December 24, 1979. But the reality, kept secret until today, is different: in fact, President Carter signed the first directive on secret assistance to opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul on July 3, 1979.

December 1979 began the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in three directions: Kushka - Shindand - Kandahar, Termez - Kunduz - Kabul, Khorog - Faizabad.

The directive did not provide for the participation of Soviet troops in hostilities on the territory of Afghanistan; the procedure for the use of weapons, even for the purposes of self-defense, was not determined. True, already on December 27, D. F. Ustinov’s order appeared to suppress the resistance of the rebels in cases of attack. It was assumed that Soviet troops would become garrisons and take protection of important industrial and other facilities, thereby freeing up parts of the Afghan army for active action against opposition forces, as well as against possible external interference. The border with Afghanistan was ordered to be crossed at 15:00 Moscow time (17:00 Kabul time) on December 27, 1979. But on the morning of December 25, the 4th battalion of the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade crossed the pontoon bridge across the border river Amu Darya, which was tasked with capturing the high-mountainous Salang pass on the Termez-Kabul road to ensure the unhindered passage of Soviet troops. On the same day, the transfer of units of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division to the airfields of Kabul and Bagram began. The first to land at the Kabul airfield were the paratroopers of the 350th Guards Parachute Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel G.I. Shpaka.

The troops landed at the airfields of Kabul, Bagram, and Kandahar. Sending in troops is not easy; Afghan President Hafizullah Amin was killed during the capture of the presidential palace in Kabul. The Muslim population did not accept the Soviet presence, and an uprising broke out in the northeastern provinces, spreading throughout the country.

Operation STORM-333

The general plan for the operation in Kabul, carried out on December 27, was developed by the dishonest efforts of representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the KGB of the USSR, led by Major Y. Semenov. The plan of the operation, codenamed "Baikal-79", provided for the capture of the most important objects in the Afghan capital: the Taj Beg Palace, the buildings of the PDPA Central Committee, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Communications of the DRA, the General Staff, the headquarters air force and the headquarters of the Central Army Corps, military counterintelligence (KAM), a prison for political prisoners in Puli-Charkhi, a radio and television center, post and telegraph, headquarters of the Air Force and Air Defense... At the same time, it was planned to blockade the military units and formations of the DRA Armed Forces located in the Afghan capital with paratroopers of motorized rifle troops arriving in Kabul. In total, 17 objects had to be captured. The appropriate forces and means were assigned to each object, and the procedure for interaction and control was determined.

In fact, at the beginning of the operation in Kabul there were special units of the KGB of the USSR (“Thunder” - a little more than 30 people, “Zenit” - 150 people, a company of border guards - 50 people), as well as quite significant forces from the USSR Ministry of Defense: air force airborne division, 154th special forces detachment of the GRU General Staff (“Muslim” battalion), units of the 345th separate parachute regiment, military advisers (in total more than 10 thousand people). They all fulfilled their tasks and worked towards the final result of the operation.

The most difficult and important object to capture was the Taj Beg Palace where the residence of H. Amin was located and he himself was located. Of all the officers and soldiers who took part in the assault on the Taj Beg Palace, almost no one knew the full plan of the operation and did not have control over the overall situation, and each acted in his own narrow area, in fact, in the role of a simple fighter.

Therefore, for most of them, the events in Kabul focused only on their objective, and for many fighters the operation still remains a mystery. For most of them, it was a “baptism of fire” - the first real battle in life. Hence the overflow of emotions in memories, the “thickening” of colors. Finding themselves in an extreme situation, each of them showed what they were worth and what they had achieved. The vast majority completed the combat mission with honor , showing heroism and courage. Many officers and soldiers were wounded, some died.

On the evening of December 25, General Drozdov, based on the results of reconnaissance of objects, held a meeting with the commanders of reconnaissance and sabotage groups of the KGB of the USSR, and determined the place of each in the capture of Taj Beg. Everyone was ready, the situation was missing only the plan of the palace.

“Grom” and “Zenith” officers M. Romanov, Y. Semenov, V. Fedoseev and E. Mazaev conducted reconnaissance of the area and reconnaissance of firing points located nearby. Not far from the palace, on a high-rise building, there was a restaurant (casino), where senior officers of the Afghan army usually gathered. Under the pretext of needing to book places for our officers to celebrate the New Year, the special forces visited there too. From there, the Taj Beck was clearly visible; all the approaches to it and the location of the storage posts were clearly visible. True, this initiative almost ended tragically for them.

By the beginning of Operation Storm-333, special forces from the KGB groups of the USSR thoroughly knew the object of capture of Haj Beg: the most convenient routes of approach; guard mode services; the total number of Amin's security and bodyguards; location of machine gun nests, armored vehicles and tanks; the internal structure of the palace labyrinth rooms; placement of radiotelephone communication equipment.

The signals for the start of the general operation “Baikal-79” should have been a powerful explosion in the center of Kabul. Special group of the KGB of the USSR "Zenith" led by B.A. Pleshkunov was supposed to blow up the so-called “well” - essentially a neutral secret communication center with the most important military and civilian facilities of the DRA.

Assault ladders, equipment, weapons and ammunition were being prepared. Under the leadership of the deputy battalion commander for technical matters, Senior Lieutenant Eduard Ibragimov, Glaznoye's military equipment was carefully checked and prepared - secrecy and secrecy.

The Taj Beg Palace was located on a high, steep hill overgrown with trees and bushes, all approaches to it were mined. There was only one road leading here, guarded around the clock. The palace itself was also a difficult-to-reach structure. Its thick walls are able to withstand artillery attacks. If we add to this that the area around was shelled by tanks and heavy machine guns, then it becomes clear that it was very difficult to take possession of it.

At about six o'clock in the evening, Kolesnik was called by Colonel General Magomedov and said, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the time of the assault has been postponed, we must begin as soon as possible,” and the operation began earlier than the set time. Literally fifteen to twenty minutes later, the capture group led by Captain M. Sakhatov left in the direction of the height where the tanks were buried. Among them were two officers each from "Grom" and "Zenith", as well as the chief of reconnaissance of the battalion, Senior Lieutenant A. Dzhamolov. The tanks were guarded by sentries, and their crews were in a barracks located at a distance of 150-200 meters from them.

When the car of M. Sakhatov’s group approached the location of the third battalion, shooting was suddenly heard there, which suddenly intensified. Colonel Kolesnik immediately issued the command “Fire!” for the soldiers and officers of the “Muslim” battalion and special groups of the KGB of the USSR. and “Forward!” Red rockets flew into the air. It was 19.15 on the clock. The signal “Storm-333” was sent over the radio networks.

The first to attack the palace, at the command of senior lieutenant Vasily Prout, were two ZSU-23-4 Shilki self-propelled anti-aircraft guns that opened fire at direct fire, bringing down a sea of ​​shells on it. Two other installations hit the infantry battalion, supporting a company of paratroopers. AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers began firing at the location of the tank battalion, preventing the crews from approaching the vehicles.

Units of the “Muslim” battalion began moving to their destination areas. The 3rd company of Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Sharipov was supposed to advance to the Taj Beg Palace; several subgroups of special forces officers from “Grom” were placed on its five infantry fighting vehicles along with the soldiers. Major Y. Semenov with the “Zenit” group on four armored personnel carriers of the platoon The 1st company of Lieutenant Rustam Tursunkulov was supposed to advance to the western part of the hill. Then, rush up the pedestrian stairs to the end of the Taj Beck, and at the facade of the building both groups had to connect and act together. But at the last moment everything got mixed up. As soon as the first armored personnel carrier passed the turn and approached the stairs leading to the end of the Taj Beg, heavy machine guns fired from the building. The armored personnel carrier where Boris Suvorov's subgroup was located was immediately hit and caught fire. The personnel immediately began to parachute, some were injured. The subgroup commander himself was hit in the groin by a ghoul, just below his body armor. It was not possible to save him - he bled to death. Jumping out of the armored personnel carriers, the Zenit fighters and the soldiers of Tursunkulov’s platoon were forced to lie down and shoot at the windows of the palace, and with the help of assault ladders they began to climb up the mountain.

At this time, the Thunder subgroups also began to advance towards Taj Beg.

When the group's machine gunner jumped out onto the platform in front of the Taj Beg, they came under heavy fire from heavy machine guns. It seemed like they were shooting from everywhere. The "Grom" employees rushed to the palace building, and the soldiers of Sharipov's company lay down and began to cover them with fire from machine guns and machine guns, and also repel the attack of the Afghan soldiers located in the guardhouse. Their actions were led by the platoon commander, Lieutenant Abdullaev. Something unimaginable was happening. A picture of hell. “Shilkas” shoot “beautifully”. Everything was mixed up. But everyone acted in one impulse, there was not a single one who tried to evade or sit in cover to wait out the assault. The number of assault groups was melting before our eyes. With incredible efforts, the special forces managed to overcome the resistance of the Afghans and break through to the palace building. The fighters of the “Muslim” battalion provided them with great help in this. All groups and fighters mixed up, and everyone was already acting at their own discretion. There was no single team. The only goal was to run faster to the walls of the palace, somehow hide behind them and complete the task. The special forces were in a foreign country, in a foreign uniform, without documents, without any identification marks, except for white armbands, there was nothing. The density of fire was such that the triplexes on all infantry fighting vehicles were broken, the bulwarks were pierced on every square centimeter, that is, they looked like a colander. The special forces were saved only by the fact that they were all wearing bulletproof vests, although almost all of them were wounded. The soldiers from the “Muslim” battalion were without body armor, since at Koslesnik’s command they handed over their body armor to the fighters of the assault groups. Of the thirty "Zenith" and twenty-two fighters from "Thunder", no more than twenty-five people managed to break through to Taj Beg, and many of them were wounded. These forces were clearly not enough to guarantee the elimination of Amin. According to Alexander Ivashchenko, who was next to Colonel Boyarinov during the battle, when they broke into the palace and met stubborn resistance from the guards, they realized that they could not complete the task with small forces. By the time the special forces entered the palace, the Shilki should have ceased fire, but contact with them was lost. Colonel V. Kolesnik sent a messenger, and “The Shilkas transferred the fire to other objects. Infantry fighting vehicles left the area in front of the palace and blocked the only road. Another company and a platoon of AGS-17 grenade launchers and ATGMs fired at the tank battalion, then the soldiers captured the tanks, simultaneously disarming the tankers. A special group of the “Muslim” battalion took possession of the anti-aircraft regiment’s weapons and captured its personnel. In the palace, the officers and soldiers of Amin's personal guard, his bodyguards (about 100-150 people) resisted steadfastly, without surrendering. What ruined them was that they were all armed mainly with MG-5 submachine guns, and they did not penetrate our body armor.

The Shilkas again shifted their fire, starting to hit the Taj-Bek, the area in front of it. A fire started on the second floor of the palace, which had a severe impact on the defending guards. As the special forces advanced to the second floor, the shooting and explosions intensified. The soldiers from Amin's guard, who mistook the special forces for their own rebel unit, heard Russian speech and surrendered to them. Lights were burning everywhere in the palace. All attempts by Nikolai Shvachko to turn it off ended in vain. The power supply was autonomous. Somewhere in the depths of the building, perhaps in the basement, electric generators were working, but there was no time to look for them. Some fighters shot at the light bulbs in order to somehow take cover, because they were in full view of the palace defenders. By the end of the assault, only a few anti-aircraft devices remained intact, but they were burning. The battle in the palace did not last long (43 minutes). Having received information about Amin’s death, the company commander, Senior Lieutenant V. Sharipov, also began to call Colonel V. Kolesnik on the radio to report on the completion of the task, but there was no communication. He finally managed to contact the battalion chief of staff, Ashurov, and allegorically reported that Amin had been killed. The chief of staff reported this to the battalion commander, Major Khalbaev and Colonel Kolesnik. Major Khalbaev reported on the seizure of the palace and the liquidation of Amin to Lieutenant General N.N. Guskov, and he - to the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal of the Soviet Union N.V. Ogarkov. After Assadul Sarvari, who arrived at the palace (he did not participate in the assault), was convinced and confirmed that Amin was really dead, the corpse of the head of state and leader of the PDPA was wrapped in a carpet... The main task was completed. Success in this operation was ensured not so much by force as by surprise, audacity and swiftness of pressure. Immediately after the capture of Taj-Bek, Drozdov reported to Ivanov on the completion of the task, and then handed over the radio station to Evald Kozlov and ordered the results of the battle to be reported to the leadership. When Kozlov, who had not yet recovered from the battle, began to report to General Ivanov, he interrupted him with the question “What’s wrong?” Oak ? Ewald began to select words to speak veiledly about Amin’s death, but Ivanov again asked: “Is he killed?” Kozlov replied: “Yes, killed.” And the general immediately interrupted the connection. It was necessary to urgently report Yu.V. to Moscow. Andropov about the completion of the main task, and the group of Captain M. Sakhatov arrived at the palace building with two tanks captured from the Afghans. He reported to Kolesnik about the completion of the combat mission and said: when we drove past the third battalion of the security brigade, we saw that an alarm had been declared there. Afghan soldiers received ammunition. The battalion commander and two other officers stood next to the road along which the special forces were passing. The decision came quickly. Jumping out of the car, they captured the Afghan battalion commander and both officers, throwing them into the car, and drove on. Some soldiers who managed to get cartridges opened fire on them. Then the entire battalion rushed in pursuit - to free their commander. Then the special forces dismounted and began firing machine guns and machine guns at the fleeing infantry. The soldiers of Kurban Amangeldyev's company, which was supporting the actions of Sakhatov's group, also opened fire. During the night, special forces guarded the palace because they feared that the divisions stationed in Kabul and a tank brigade would storm it. But this did not happen. Soviet military advisers working in parts of the Afghan army and airborne troops deployed to the capital did not allow them to do this. In addition, the security services paralyzed the control of Afghan forces in advance. Some units of the Afghan security brigade continued to resist. In particular, we had to fight with the remnants of the third battalion for another day, after which the Afghans went into the mountains. Probably, some of their compatriots also suffered from their own: in the dark, the personnel of the “Muslim” battalion and the special group of the KGB of the USSR recognized each other by white armbands, the password “Misha - Yasha” and obscenities. But everyone was dressed in Afghan uniform, and they had to shoot and throw grenades from a decent distance. So try to keep track here in the darkness and confusion - who has a bandage on their sleeve and who doesn’t?! Moreover, when the captured Afghans began to be taken out, they also had white armbands on their sleeves. After the battle, the losses were counted. In total, five people died in the special groups of the KGB of the USSR during the storming of the palace. Almost everyone was wounded, but those who could hold weapons in their hands continued to fight. In the “Muslim” battalion and the 9th parachute company, 14 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded. Moreover, 23 people who were wounded remained in service. The battalion medic took the seriously wounded soldiers in an infantry fighting vehicle, first to the first aid station, and then to various medical institutions deployed at that time in Kabul. In the evening the seriously wounded were transported to the Soviet embassy, ​​and in the morning next day They were sent by plane to Tashkent. On the same day, December 27, the airborne units of the 103rd division and units of the 345th regiment, as well as the forces assigned to them from the border guards, the KGB groups of the USSR "Zenit" and "Grom" reached the location of military units and formations , important administrative and special facilities in the capital and established their control over them. The capture of these key objects took place in an organized manner, with minimal losses.

Progress of the war

The Soviet command hoped to entrust the suppression of the uprising to Kabul troops, which, however, were greatly weakened by mass desertion and were unable to cope with this task. For a number of years, a “limited contingent” controlled the situation in the main cities, while the rebels felt relatively free in the countryside. Changing tactics, Soviet troops tried to deal with the rebels using tanks, helicopters and airplanes, but highly mobile groups of Mujahideen easily avoided attacks. The bombing of populated areas and the destruction of crops also did not produce results, but by 1982, about 4 million Afghans had fled to Pakistan and Iran. Supplies of weapons from other countries allowed the partisans to hold out until 1989, when the new Soviet leadership withdrew troops from Afghanistan.

The stay of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their combat activities are conventionally divided into four stages: stage: December 1979 - February 1980. Entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, placing them in garrisons, organizing the protection of deployment points and various objects. stage: March 1980 - April 1985. Conducting active combat operations, including large-scale ones, together with Afghan formations and units. Work on the reorganization and strengthening of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. stage: May 1985 - December 1986. The transition from active combat operations primarily to supporting the actions of Afghan troops with Soviet aviation, artillery and engineer units. Special forces units fought to suppress the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. The withdrawal of 6 Soviet regiments to their homeland took place. Stage: January 1987 - February 1989. Participation of Soviet troops in the Afghan leadership's policy of national reconciliation. Continued support for the combat activities of Afghan troops. Preparing Soviet troops for the return to their homeland and implementing their complete withdrawal.

afghanistan war soviet contingent

5. Withdrawal of Soviet wars from Afghanistan

Changes in foreign policy Soviet leadership during the period of “perestroika” contributed to a political settlement of the situation. The situation in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of Soviet troops. Western forecasts that the Kabul regime would fall immediately after the end of the Soviet military presence due to its complete unviability, and that a coalition government of Mujahideen groups would lead the country to peace after the expulsion of the “communist plague” turned out to be unfounded. On April 14, 1988, with the mediation of the UN in Switzerland, the USSR, USA, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed the Geneva Agreements on a phased peaceful solution to the Afghan problem. The Soviet government pledged to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989. The United States and Pakistan, for their part, had to stop supporting the Mujahideen.

In accordance with the agreements, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988. On February 15, 1989, Soviet troops completely withdrew from Afghanistan. The withdrawal of the troops of the 40th Army was led by the last commander of the limited contingent, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov. This event did not bring peace, as various mujahideen factions continued to fight for power among themselves.

According to updated official data, the irretrievable losses of Soviet army personnel in the Afghan War amounted to 14,427 people, the KGB - 576 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people dead and missing. During the war, there were 49,984 wounded, 312 prisoners, and 18 internees. St. received wounds and concussions. 53 thousand people. A significant number of people who were admitted to hospitals on the territory of the USSR died from the consequences of severe wounds and injuries. These people who died in hospitals were not included in the number of officially announced losses. The exact number of Afghans killed in the war is unknown. Available estimates range from 1 to 2 million people.

Consequences of the war

After the withdrawal of the Soviet army from the territory of Afghanistan, the pro-Soviet regime of Najibullah (1986-1992) lasted another 3 years and, having lost Russian support, was overthrown in April 1992 by a coalition of mujahideen field commanders. During the war years in Afghanistan, the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda appeared and groups of Islamic radicals grew stronger.

Political implications:

In general, Soviet troops did not experience any particular difficulties in conducting military operations in Afghanistan - the main problem was that military victories were not supported by the political and economic actions of the ruling regime. Assessing the consequences of the Afghan war, it can be noted that the benefits from the intervention turned out to be negligible in comparison with the damage caused to the national interests of the USSR and Russia. The intervention of Soviet troops in Afghanistan caused sharp condemnation by most of the international community (including the USA, China, member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, including Pakistan and Iran, and even some socialist countries), weakened the influence of the USSR on the Non-Aligned Movement, and marked the end of the “era of détente.” "The 1970s led to increased economic and technological pressure on the USSR from the West and even, to some extent, aggravated the crisis in the USSR itself.

The war in Afghanistan led to numerous casualties, wasted enormous material resources, destabilized the situation in Central Asia, contributed to the strengthening of Islam in politics, the intensification of Islamic fundamentalism and international terrorism. In fact, this war was one of the factors in the defeat of the Soviet Union in the Cold War. If we talk about a lesson, then the Afghan people really taught us a lesson of courage and valor in the struggle for their age-old traditions, culture, religion, and Motherland. And all valor should be glorified and admired even in the enemy. The main conclusion drawn from the Afghan war is that fundamentally political problems cannot be solved by military means.

Information sources

1. ru.wikipedia.org - article “Afghan War 1979-1989” on Wikipedia;

History.org.ua - article “Afghan War 1979-1989” in the Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine (Ukrainian);

Mirslovarei.com - article “Afghan War” in the Historical Dictionary on the “World of Dictionaries” website;

Rian.ru - “War in Afghanistan 1979-1989.” (RIAN reference);

Rian.ru - “The statistics of losses of the Soviet Army in Afghanistan do not include those who died from wounds in hospitals in the USSR” (RIAN report).

Alexander Lyakhovsky - Tragedy and valor of Afghanistan

Psi.ece.jhu.edu - secret documents of the Politburo and the CPSU Central Committee related to the entry of Soviet troops and their stay in Afghanistan;

Ruswar.com - archive of war photographs and video chronicles;

Fergananews.com - “The full truth about the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan has not yet been revealed” (B. Yamshanov).

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When Soviet troops entered Afghanistan in December 1979 to support the friendly communist regime, no one could have imagined that the war would stretch out for ten long years and ultimately “drive” the last nail “in the coffin” of the USSR. Today, some are trying to present this war as the villainy of the “Kremlin elders” or the result of a worldwide conspiracy. However, we will try to rely only on the facts.

According to modern data, the losses of the Soviet Army in the Afghan war amounted to 14,427 people killed and missing. In addition, 180 advisers and 584 specialists from other departments were killed. More than 53 thousand people were shell-shocked, wounded or injured.

Cargo "200"

The exact number of Afghans killed in the war is unknown. The most common figure is 1 million dead; Available estimates range from 670 thousand civilians to 2 million in total. According to Harvard professor M. Kramer, an American researcher of the Afghan war: “During the nine years of war, more than 2.7 million Afghans (mostly civilians) were killed or maimed, and several million more became refugees, many of whom fled the country.” . There appears to be no clear division of victims into government soldiers, mujahideen and civilians.

The terrible consequences of war

For the courage and heroism shown during the war in Afghanistan, more than 200 thousand military personnel were awarded orders and medals (11 thousand were awarded posthumously), 86 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (28 posthumously). Among the awarded – 110 thousand soldiers and sergeants, about 20 thousand warrant officers, more than 65 thousand officers and generals, more than 2.5 thousand SA employees, including – 1350 women.

A group of Soviet military personnel awarded government awards

During the entire period of hostilities, 417 military personnel were in Afghan captivity, 130 of whom were released during the war and were able to return to their homeland. As of January 1, 1999, 287 people remained among those who had not returned from captivity and had not been found.

Captured Soviet soldier

During nine years of war P The losses of equipment and weapons amounted to: airplaneecomrade - 118 (in the Air Force– 107); helicopters - 333 (in the Air Force – 324); tanks - 147; BMP, armored personnel carrier, BMD, BRDM – 1314; guns and mortars - 433; radio stations and KShM – 1138; engineering vehicles – 510; flatbed vehicles and tank trucks – 11,369.

Burnt Soviet tank

The government in Kabul was dependent throughout the war on the USSR, which provided it with about $40 billion in military aid between 1978 and the early 1990s. Meanwhile, the rebels established contacts with Pakistan and the United States, and also received widespread support from from Saudi Arabia, China and a number of other states, which together provided the Mujahideen with weapons and other military equipment worth about $10 billion.

Afghan Mujahideen

On January 7, 1988, in Afghanistan, at an altitude of 3234 m above the road to the city of Khost in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone, a fierce battle took place. This was one of the most famous military clashes between units of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and the armed formations of the Afghan Mujahideen. Based on these events, the film “The Ninth Company” was shot in the Russian Federation in 2005. The height of 3234 m was defended by the 9th parachute company of the 345th Guards separate parachute regiment with a total number of 39 people, supported by regimental artillery. Soviet fighters were attacked by units of Mujahideen numbering from 200 to 400 people who were trained in Pakistan. The battle lasted 12 hours. The Mujahideen never managed to capture the heights. After suffering heavy losses, they retreated. In the ninth company, six paratroopers were killed, 28 were injured, nine of them – heavy. All paratroopers for this battle were awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Red Star. Junior Sergeant V.A. Aleksandrov and Private A.A. Melnikov were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Still from the film “9th Company”

The most famous battle of Soviet border guards during the war in Afghanistan took place on November 22, 1985 near the village of Afrij in the Zardevsky gorge of the Darai-Kalat mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan. A combat group of border guards from the Panfilov outpost of a motorized maneuver group (21 people) was ambushed as a result of an incorrect crossing of the river. During the battle, 19 border guards were killed. These were the most numerous losses of border guards in the Afghan war. According to some reports, the number of Mujahideen participating in the ambush was 150 people.

Border guards after the battle

There is a well-established opinion in the post-Soviet period that the USSR was defeated and expelled from Afghanistan. It is not true. When Soviet troops left Afghanistan in 1989, they did so as a result of a well-planned operation. Moreover, the operation was carried out in several directions at once: diplomatic, economic and military. This made it possible not only to save the lives of Soviet soldiers, but also to preserve the Afghan government. Communist Afghanistan held out even after the fall of the USSR in 1991 and only then, with the loss of support from the USSR and increasing attempts from the Mujahideen and Pakistan, did the DRA begin to slide towards defeat in 1992.

Withdrawal of Soviet troops, February 1989

In November 1989 The Supreme Council The USSR declared an amnesty for all crimes committed by Soviet military personnel in Afghanistan. According to the military prosecutor's office, from December 1979 to February 1989, 4,307 people were brought to criminal responsibility as part of the 40th Army in the DRA; at the time the decision of the USSR Armed Forces on amnesty came into force, more than 420 former soldiers were in prison - internationalists.

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