Number of victims of the Afghan war 1979 1989. Official data on Soviet losses in Afghanistan

The last Soviet decade was marked by the Afghan War (1979-1989). The course of the war, in short, is not known today to every resident of Russia and other countries. In the 90s, due to rapid reforms and economic crises, the Afghan campaign was almost forced out of public consciousness. But today, when a lot of work has been done by historians and researchers, all ideological clichés have disappeared, good opportunity take an impartial look at the events of those years.

Prerequisites

In Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space, the Afghan War, briefly speaking, is associated with a ten-year period (1979-1989) when the armed forces of the USSR were present in this country. In fact, this was only one part of a long civil conflict. The prerequisites for its emergence appeared in 1973, when the monarchy was overthrown in Afghanistan. The short-lived regime of Muhammad Daoud came to power. It ceased to exist in 1978, when the Saur (April) revolution took place. After her, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) began to rule the country, which proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA).

The organization was Marxist, which made it similar to the Soviet Union. Leftist ideology has become dominant in Afghanistan. Just like in the USSR, they began to build socialism there. However, by 1978 the country already existed in conditions of ongoing chaos. Two revolutions, a civil war - all this destroyed stability in the region.

The socialist government was opposed by various forces, but primarily by radical Islamists. They considered members of the PDPA to be enemies of the entire Afghan people and Islam. Essentially new political regime Jihad was declared. Mujahideen detachments were created to fight the infidels. It was with them that the Soviet army fought, for which the Afghan War soon began. Briefly, the success of the Mujahideen can be explained by their skillful propaganda work in the country. For Islamist agitators, the task was made easier by the fact that the vast majority of the Afghan population (about 90%) was illiterate. In a state outside big cities Tribal orders reigned with extremely patriarchal views of the world. Religion certainly played a significant role in such a society. These were the reasons for the Afghan War. They were briefly described in official Soviet newspapers as providing international assistance to a friendly people neighboring country.

No sooner had the PDPA come to power in Kabul than Islamist-fuelled attacks began in the rest of the country’s provinces. The Afghan leadership began to lose control of the situation. Under these conditions, in March 1979, it first turned to Moscow for help. Subsequently, such messages were repeated several more times. There was nowhere else to wait for help from the Marxist party, surrounded by nationalists and Islamists.

For the first time, the issue of providing assistance to Kabul “comrades” was considered in the Kremlin on March 19, 1979. Then Brezhnev spoke out against armed intervention. However, time passed, and the situation at the borders of the USSR became worse. Gradually, Politburo members and other senior government officials changed their minds. For example, the Minister of Defense believed that the Afghan war, in short, could cause danger to Soviet borders.

In September 1979, another coup took place in Afghanistan. This time the leadership in the ruling PDPA party has changed. He became the head of the party and state. Through the KGB, the Soviet Politburo began to receive reports that he was a CIA agent. These reports further influenced the Kremlin to intervene militarily. At the same time, preparations began for the overthrow of Amin. At the suggestion of Yuri Andropov, it was decided to replace Babrak Karmal, who was loyal to the Soviet Union, in his place. This member of the PDPA was first important person in the Revolutionary Council. During party purges, he was first sent as ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and then declared a traitor and conspirator. Karmal, who was in exile at that moment, remained abroad. At the same time, he moved to the USSR, becoming a figure on whom the Soviet leadership put their bets.

Making a decision to send troops

On December 12, 1979, it became finally clear that the USSR would begin its own Afghan war. After briefly discussing the latest reservations in the documents, the Kremlin approved the operation to overthrow Amin.

Of course, hardly anyone in Moscow then realized how long this military campaign would drag on. But from the very beginning, the decision to send troops had its opponents. Firstly, Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Ogarkov did not want this. Secondly, he did not support the decision of the Politburo. This position of his became an additional and decisive reason for the final break with Leonid Brezhnev and his supporters.

Direct preparations for the transfer of the Soviet army to Afghanistan began the next day, December 13. The Soviet secret services tried to organize an assassination attempt on Hafizzulu Amin, but the first pancake came out badly. The operation hung in the balance. Nevertheless, preparations continued.

Storming of Amin's Palace

The deployment of troops began on December 25. Two days later, Amin, while in his palace, felt ill and lost consciousness. The same thing happened to some of his close associates. The reason for this was poisoning, which was organized by Soviet agents who worked as cooks at the residence. Amin was given medical care, but the security sensed something was wrong.

At seven o'clock in the evening, not far from the palace, a Soviet sabotage group stalled in its car, which stopped near the hatch that led to the distribution center of all Kabul communications. The mine was safely lowered there, and a few minutes later there was an explosion. Kabul was left without electricity.

Thus began the Afghan War (1979-1989). Briefly assessing the situation, the commander of the operation, Colonel Boyarintsev, ordered the assault on Amin’s palace. The Afghan leader himself, having learned about the attack by unknown military men, demanded from his entourage to ask for help from Soviet Union(formally, the authorities of the two countries continued to remain friendly to each other). When Amin was informed that USSR special forces were at his gate, he did not believe it. It is not known exactly under what circumstances the head of the PDPA died. Most eyewitnesses later claimed that Amin committed suicide even before Soviet soldiers appeared in his apartment.

One way or another, the operation was successfully carried out. Not only the palace was captured, but the whole of Kabul. On the night of December 28, Karmal arrived in the capital and was declared head of state. The USSR forces lost 20 people (among them were paratroopers and special forces). The commander of the assault, Grigory Boyarintsev, also died. In 1980, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Chronology of the conflict

According to the nature of the battles and strategic objectives, Short story The Afghan War (1979-1989) can be divided into four periods. In the winter of 1979-1980. commissioning took place Soviet troops to country. Military personnel were sent to garrisons and important infrastructure facilities.

The second period (1980-1985) was the most active. Fighting were carried out throughout the country. They were offensive in nature. The Mujahideen were destroyed and the army of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was improved.

The third period (1985-1987) is characterized by Soviet aviation and artillery operations. Activities using ground troops were carried out less and less, until they finally came to naught.

The fourth period (1987-1989) was the last. Soviet troops were preparing to withdraw. At the same time, the civil war in the country continued. The Islamists were never completely defeated. The withdrawal of troops was caused by the economic crisis in the USSR and a change in political course.

Continuation of the war

When the Soviet Union first sent its troops into Afghanistan, the country's leadership argued its decision by saying that it was only providing assistance, in accordance with numerous requests from the Afghan government. Following fresh developments, the UN Security Council was convened at the end of 1979. An anti-Soviet resolution prepared by the United States was presented at it. The document was not supported.

The American side, although it did not actually take part in the conflict, actively financed the Mujahideen. The Islamists had weapons purchased from the West. Thus, in fact, a cold confrontation between the two political systems received a new front, which became the Afghan war. The progress of the war was briefly covered in all world media.

The CIA organized several training and education camps in neighboring Pakistan, in which Afghan Mujahideen (dushmans) were trained. The Islamists, in addition to American funding, received money from the drug trade. In the 80s, this country became the world leader in the production of heroin and opium. Often the goal Soviet operations It was precisely the destruction of these industries.

The causes of the Afghan War (1979-1989), in short, sent a huge mass of the population into confrontation, who had never before held a weapon in their hands. Recruitment into the ranks of dushmans was led by a wide network of agents throughout the country. The advantage of the Mujahideen was that they did not have a specific center. Throughout the armed conflict it was a collection of numerous heterogeneous groups. They were controlled by field commanders, but there was no “leader” among them.

The low effectiveness of guerrilla operations was fully demonstrated by the Afghan War (1979-1989). Brief summaries of many Soviet offensives were mentioned in the media. Many raids were nullified by the enemy's effective propaganda work among the local population. For the Afghan majority (especially in deep provinces with a patriarchal structure), Soviet military personnel have always been occupiers. The common people did not feel any sympathy for the socialist ideology.

"Politics of National Reconciliation"

In 1987, the implementation of the “policy of national reconciliation” began. At its plenum, the PDPA renounced its monopoly on power. A law appeared that allowed opponents of the government to create their own parties. The country has a new Constitution and new president Muhammad Najibullah. All these measures were taken to end the war through compromise and concessions.

At the same time, the Soviet leadership, led by Mikhail Gorbachev, set a course to reduce its own weapons, which meant the withdrawal of troops from the neighboring country. The Afghan war (1979-1989), in short, could not be waged in conditions economic crisis which began in the USSR. Besides, I was already on my last breath cold war. The USSR and the USA began to agree among themselves by signing numerous documents on disarmament and ending the escalation of the conflict between the two political systems.

Mikhail Gorbachev first announced the upcoming withdrawal of Soviet troops in December 1987, while on an official visit to the United States. Soon after this, the Soviet, American and Afghan delegations sat down at the negotiating table in Geneva, Switzerland. On April 14, 1988, following the results of their work, program documents were signed. Thus the history of the Afghan War came to an end. Briefly, we can say that according to the Geneva agreements, the Soviet leadership promised to withdraw its troops, and the American leadership promised to stop funding opponents of the PDPA.

Half of the USSR military contingent left the country in August 1988. In the summer, important garrisons were left in Kandahar, Gradez, Faizabad, Kundduz and other cities and settlements. The last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan on February 15, 1989 was Lieutenant General Boris Gromov. The whole world saw footage of how the military crossed and crossed the Friendship Bridge across the border river Amu Darya.

Losses

Many events Soviet years were subjected to a one-sided communist assessment. Among them was the history of the Afghan war. Dry reports briefly appeared in newspapers, and television talked about the continued successes of internationalist soldiers. However, until the start of Perestroika and the announcement of the policy of glasnost, the USSR authorities tried to keep silent about the true scale of their irretrievable losses. Zinc coffins containing conscripts and privates returned to the Soviet Union semi-secretly. The soldiers were buried without publicity, and on the monuments for a long time there was no mention of the place or cause of death. A stable image of “cargo 200” appeared among the people.

Only in 1989, the newspaper Pravda published real data on losses - 13,835 people. By the end of the 20th century, this figure reached 15 thousand, since many military personnel died in their homeland for several years due to injuries and illnesses. These were the real consequences of the Afghan war. Briefly mentioning her losses only further intensified her conflict with society. By the end of the 80s, the demand to withdraw troops from the neighboring country became one of the main slogans of Perestroika. Even earlier (under Brezhnev) dissidents advocated this. For example, in 1980, the famous academician Andrei Sakharov was sent into exile in Gorky for his criticism of the “solution to the Afghan issue.”

Results

What are the results of the Afghan war? In short, Soviet intervention extended the life of the PDPA exactly for the period for which USSR troops remained in the country. After their withdrawal, the regime suffered agony. Mujahideen groups quickly restored own control over Afghanistan. Islamists even appeared at the borders of the USSR. Soviet border guards had to endure enemy shelling after the troops left the country.

The status quo was broken. In April 1992, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was finally liquidated by Islamists. Complete chaos began in the country. It was divided by numerous factions. The war of all against all continued there until the invasion of NATO troops in beginning of XXI century. In the 90s, the Taliban movement appeared in the country, which became one of the leading forces of modern world terrorism.

In the mass post-Soviet consciousness, the Afghan war became one of the most important symbols of the 80s. Briefly for school, today they talk about it in history textbooks for grades 9 and 11. Numerous works of art are dedicated to the war - songs, films, books. Assessments of its results vary, although at the end of the USSR the majority of the population, according to sociological surveys, advocated the withdrawal of troops and an end to the senseless war.

Source: The classification has been removed. Losses of the armed forces of the USSR in wars, combat operations and military conflicts: Stat. research / Ed. Ph.D. Colonel General G. F. Krivoshein \M.: Voenizdat, 1993

Number of troop personnel and their losses
The length of stay of military personnel as part of the limited contingent of Soviet troops (LCSV) in Afghanistan was set at no more than 2 years ≈ for officers and 1.5 years for sergeants and soldiers.
Total for the period from December 25, 1979 to February 15, 1989 years passed in the troops stationed on the territory of the DRA military service 620,000 people.
of them:
in parts Soviet army 525,000 people.
SA workers and employees 21000 people.
in border and other units of the KGB of the USSR 90,000 people.
in the formations of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs 5000 people.

Annual list of SA troops amounted to 80 - 104 thousand military personnel And 5-7 thousand workers and employees.

Total irretrievable loss of life(killed, died from wounds and illnesses, died in disasters, as a result of incidents and accidents) 14453 people.
Including:
Soviet army 13833 people.
KGB 572 people.
Ministry of Internal Affairs 28 people.
Goskino, Gosteleradio, Ministry of Construction, etc. 20 people.

Among the dead and dead:
military advisors (all ranks) 190 people.
generals 4 people.
officers 2129 people.
warrant officers 632 people.
soldiers and sergeants 11549 people.
SA workers and employees 139 people.

Missing and captured: 417 people.
The following were released: 119 people.
Of them:
returned to their homeland 97 people.
are in other countries 22 people.

Sanitary losses made up 469685 people.
Including:
wounded, shell-shocked, injured 53753 people.
got sick 415932 people.

Among them:
officers and warrant officers 10287 people.
sergeants and soldiers 447498 people.
workers and employees 11905 people.

From 11654 people., discharged from the army due to wounds, injuries and serious illnesses and became disabled: 10751 people.

Including:
first group 672 people.
second group 4216 people.
third group 5863 people.

Losses of equipment and weapons amounted to:
aircraft 118
helicopters 333
tanks 147
BMP, BMD, armored personnel carrier 1314
guns and mortars 433
radio stations and command and staff vehicles 1138
engineering machines 510
flatbed vehicles and fuel tankers 11369

Brief information about the awardees and national composition dead
Source: Lyakhovsky A.A., Zabrodin V.M. Secrets Afghan war. M.: Planet, 1991.

Awarded medals and orders of the USSR 200153 people, of them 10955 people ≈ posthumous.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded 71 people, of them 25 ≈ posthumous.

Among the awarded ≈ 110 thousand soldiers and sergeants,
near 20 thousand warrant officers,
more 65 thousand officers and generals,
more 2.5 thousand SA employees, including ≈ 1350 women

During the 110 months of war in Afghanistan, people died:
Russians - 6888 people.
Ukrainians - 2376 people.
Belarusians - 613 people.
Uzbeks - 1066 people.
Kazakhs - 362 people.
Turkmens - 263 people.
Tajiks - 236 people.
Kyrgyz - 102 people.
Georgians - 81 people.
Azerbaijanis - 195 people.
Armenians - 95 people.
Moldovans - 194 people.
Lithuanians - 57 people.
Latvians - 23 people.
Estonians - 15 people.
Abkhazians - 6 people.
Balkars - 9 people.
Bashkirs - 98 people.
Buryats - 4 people.
Jews - 7 people.
Ingush - 12 people.
Kabardians - 25 people.
Kalmyks - 22 people.
Karakalpaks - 5 people.
Karelians - 6 people.
Komi - 16 people.
Mari - 49 people.
Mordva - 66 people.
Nationalities of Dagestan - 101 people.
Ossetians - 30 people.
Tatars - 442 people.
Tuvans - 4 people.
Udmurts - 22 people.
Chechens - 35 people.
Chuvash - 125 people.
Yakuts - 1 person.
Other peoples and nationalities - 168 people.

Irreversible losses of the Soviet Union in the Afghan War. Data from the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense

On May 15, 1988, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began. The operation was led by the last commander of the limited contingent, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov. Soviet troops have been in the country since December 25, 1979; they acted on the side of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

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. The Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee used repeated requests from the leadership of Afghanistan as a formal basis.

A limited contingent of Soviet troops (OKSV) was directly drawn into the flaring up in Afghanistan civil war and became an active participant.

The armed forces of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) took part in the conflict 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 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.

The Soviet contingent included: the command of the 40th Army with support and service units, four divisions, five separate brigades, four separate regiments, four combat aviation regiments, three helicopter regiments, one pipeline brigade, one brigade material support and some other units and institutions.

The presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their combat activity conditionally 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 mainly to supporting the actions of Afghan troops by Soviet aviation, artillery and sapper units. Special forces units fought to stop the delivery of weapons and ammunition from abroad. The withdrawal of 6 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 a 9-month period, 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. 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.

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. The Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee used repeated requests from the leadership of Afghanistan as a formal basis.

The limited contingent (OKSV) was directly drawn into the civil war that was flaring up in Afghanistan and became its active participant.

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 The entry of Soviet troops into the DRA began in three directions: Kushka Shindand Kandahar, Termez Kunduz Kabul, Khorog Faizabad. The troops landed at the airfields of Kabul, Bagram, and Kandahar.

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

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 sapper 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.

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 around 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 the territory of Afghanistan began 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.

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 sides 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 mujahideen units numbering from 200 to 400 people who had been 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 not only saved lives 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 Soviet of 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 charges 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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