The Afghan war is the course of the war. How many Soviet soldiers died in the Afghan war?

The last ten years of the Soviet state were marked by the so-called Afghan War of 1979-1989.

In the turbulent nineties, due to vigorous reforms and economic crises, information about the Afghan war was practically crowded out of the collective consciousness. However, in our time, after the colossal work of historians and researchers, after the removal of all ideological stereotypes, an impartial look at the history of those long-ago years has opened up.

Conditions for conflict

On the territory of our country, as well as on the territory of the entire post-Soviet space, the Afghan war can be associated with one ten-year period of time 1979-1989. This was a period when a limited contingent of Soviet troops was present on the territory of Afghanistan. In reality, it was just one of many moments in a long civil conflict.

The prerequisites for its emergence can be considered 1973, when the monarchy was overthrown in this mountainous country. After which power was seized by a short-lived regime headed by Muhammad Daoud. This regime lasted until the Saur revolution in 1978. Following her, power in the country passed to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, which announced the proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

The organizational structure of the party and state resembled the Marxist one, which naturally brought it closer to the Soviet state. The revolutionaries gave preference to leftist ideology, and of course made it the main one in the entire Afghan state. Following the example of the Soviet Union, they began to build socialism.

Even so, even before 1978, the state already existed in an environment of continuous unrest. The presence of two revolutions and a civil war led to the elimination of stable socio-political life in the entire region.

The socialist-oriented government confronted a wide variety of forces, but radical Islamists played first fiddle. According to Islamists, members of the ruling elite are enemies not only of the entire multinational people of Afghanistan, but also of all Islam. In fact, the new political regime was in a position of declaring a holy war against the “infidels.”

In such conditions, special detachments of Mujahideen warriors were formed. It was these mujahideen that the soldiers of the Soviet army fought against, for whom the Soviet-Afghan War began after some time. In a nutshell, the success of the Mujahideen is explained by the fact that they skillfully carried out propaganda work throughout the country.

The task of the Islamist agitators was made easier by the fact that the vast majority of Afghans, approximately 90% of the country's population, were illiterate. On the territory of the country, immediately upon leaving large cities, a tribal system of relations with extreme patriarchy reigned.

Before the revolutionary government that had come to power had time to properly establish itself in the capital of the state, Kabul, an armed uprising, fueled by Islamist agitators, began in almost all provinces.

In such a sharply complicated situation, in March 1979, the Afghan government received its first appeal to the Soviet leadership with a request for military assistance. Subsequently, such appeals were repeated several times. There was nowhere else to look for support for the Marxists, who were surrounded by nationalists and Islamists.

For the first time, the problem of providing assistance to Kabul “comrades” was considered by the Soviet leadership in March 1979. At that time, General Secretary Brezhnev had to speak out and prohibit armed intervention. However, over time, the operational situation near the Soviet borders deteriorated more and more.

Little by little, the members of the Politburo and other senior government functionaries changed their point of view. In particular, there were statements from Defense Minister Ustinov that the unstable situation on the Soviet-Afghan border could prove dangerous for the Soviet state.

Thus, already in September 1979, regular upheavals occurred on the territory of Afghanistan. Now there has been a change of leadership in the local ruling party. As a result, party and state administration fell into the hands of Hafizullah Amin.

The KGB reported that the new leader had been recruited by CIA agents. The presence of these reports increasingly inclined the Kremlin to military intervention. At the same time, preparations began for the overthrow of the new regime.

The Soviet Union leaned towards a more loyal figure in the Afghan government - Barak Karmal. He was one of the members of the ruling party. Initially, he held important positions in the party leadership and was a member of the Revolutionary Council. When the party purges began, he was sent as ambassador to Czechoslovakia. He was later declared a traitor and conspirator. Karmal, who was then in exile, had to stay abroad. However, he managed to move to the territory of the Soviet Union and become the person who was elected by the Soviet leadership.

How the decision to send troops was made

In December 1979, it became abundantly clear that the Soviet Union might be drawn into its own Soviet-Afghan war. After short discussions and clarification of the last reservations in the documentation, the Kremlin approved a special operation to overthrow the Amin regime.

It is clear that at that moment it is unlikely that anyone in Moscow understood how long this military operation would last. However, even then, there were people who opposed the decision to send troops. These were the Chief of the General Staff Ogarkov and the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers Kosygin. For the latter, this conviction became another and decisive pretext for an irrevocable severance of relations with General Secretary Brezhnev and his entourage.

They preferred to begin the final preparatory measures for the direct transfer of Soviet troops to the territory of Afghanistan over the next day, namely December 13. The Soviet special services attempted to organize an assassination attempt on the Afghan leader, but as it turned out, this had no effect on Hafizullah Amin. The success of the special operation was in jeopardy. Despite everything, preparatory measures for the special operation continued.

How the palace of Hafizullah Amin was stormed

They decided to send in troops at the end of December, and this happened on the 25th. A couple of days later, while in the palace, the Afghan leader Amin felt ill and fainted. The same situation happened with some of his close associates. The reason for this was a general poisoning organized by Soviet agents who took over the residence as cooks. Not knowing the true causes of the illness and not trusting anyone, Amin turned to Soviet doctors. Arriving from the Soviet embassy in Kabul, they immediately began providing medical assistance, however, the president’s bodyguards became worried.

In the evening, at about seven o'clock, near the presidential palace, a car stalled near a Soviet sabotage group. However, it stalled in a good place. This happened near the communication well. This well was connected to the distribution center of all Kabul communications. The object was quickly mined, and after some time there was a deafening explosion that was heard even in Kabul. As a result of the sabotage, the capital was left without power supply.

This explosion was the signal for the beginning of the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989). Quickly assessing the situation, the commander of the special operation, Colonel Boyarintsev, gave the order to begin the assault on the presidential palace. When the Afghan leader was informed of an attack by unknown armed men, he ordered his associates to request help from the Soviet embassy.

From a formal point of view, both states remained on friendly terms. When Amin learned from the report that his palace was being stormed by Soviet special forces, he refused to believe it. There is no reliable information about the circumstances of Amin’s death. Many eyewitnesses later claimed that he could have lost his life by suicide. And even before the moment when Soviet special forces burst into his apartment.

Be that as it may, the special operation was carried out successfully. They captured not only the presidential residence, but the entire capital, and on the night of December 28, Karmal was brought to Kabul, who was declared president. On the Soviet side, as a result of the assault, 20 people (representatives of paratroopers and special forces), including the commander of the assault, Grigory Boyarintsev, were killed. In 1980, he was posthumously nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Chronicle of the Afghan War

Based on the nature of combat operations and strategic objectives, the brief history of the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) can be divided into four main periods.

The first period was the winter of 1979-1980. The beginning of the entry of Soviet troops into the country. Military personnel were sent to capture garrisons and important infrastructure facilities.

The second period (1980-1985) is the most active. The fighting spread throughout the country. They were of an offensive nature. The Mujahideen were being eliminated and the local army was being improved.

The third period (1985-1987) - military operations were carried out mainly by Soviet aviation and artillery. Ground forces were practically not involved.

The fourth period (1987-1989) is the last. The Soviet troops were preparing for their withdrawal. No one has ever stopped the civil war in the country. The Islamists were also unable to be defeated. The withdrawal of troops was planned due to the economic crisis in the USSR, as well as due to a change in political course.

The war continues

State leaders argued for the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan by the fact that they were only providing assistance to the friendly Afghan people, and at the request of their government. Following the introduction of Soviet troops into the DRA, the UN Security Council was quickly convened. An anti-Soviet resolution prepared by the United States was presented there. However, the resolution was not supported.

The American government, although not directly involved in the conflict, was actively financing the Mujahideen. The Islamists possessed weapons purchased from Western countries. As a result, the actual cold war between the two political systems acquired the opening of a new front, which turned out to be Afghan territory. The conduct of hostilities was at times covered by all the world media, which told the whole truth about the Afghan war.

American intelligence agencies, in particular the CIA, organized several training camps in neighboring Pakistan. They trained Afghan mujahideen, also called dushmans. Islamic fundamentalists, in addition to generous American financial flows, were supported by money from drug trafficking. Actually, in the 80s, Afghanistan led the world market for the production of opium and heroin. Often, Soviet soldiers of the Afghan War liquidated precisely such industries in their special operations.

As a result of the Soviet invasion (1979-1989), confrontation began among the majority of the country's population, which had never before held weapons in their hands. Recruitment into the Dushman detachments was carried out by a very wide network of agents spread throughout the country. The advantage of the Mujahideen was that they did not have any single center of resistance. Throughout the Soviet-Afghan War these were numerous heterogeneous groups. They were led by field commanders, but no “leaders” stood out among them.

Many raids did not produce the desired results due to the effective work of local propagandists with the local population. The Afghan majority (especially the provincial patriarchal one) did not accept the Soviet military personnel; they were ordinary occupiers for them.

"Politics of National Reconciliation"

Since 1987, they began to implement the so-called “policy of national reconciliation”. The ruling party decided to give up its monopoly on power. A law was passed allowing “oppositionists” to form their own parties. The country adopted a new Constitution and also elected a new president, Mohammed Najibullah. It was assumed that such events were supposed to end the confrontation through compromises.

Along with this, the Soviet leadership in the person of Mikhail Gorbachev set a course to reduce its weapons. These plans also included the withdrawal of troops from the neighboring state. The Soviet-Afghan war could not be waged in a situation when an economic crisis began in the USSR. Moreover, the Cold War was also coming to an end. The Soviet Union and the United States began negotiating and signing many documents related to disarmament and ending the Cold War.

The first time General Secretary Gorbachev announced the upcoming withdrawal of troops was in December 1987, when he officially visited the United States. Following this, the Soviet, American and Afghan delegations managed to sit down at the negotiating table on neutral territory in Switzerland. As a result, the corresponding documents were signed. Thus ended the story of another war. Based on the Geneva agreements, the Soviet leadership promised to withdraw its troops, and the American leadership promised to stop funding the Mujahideen.

Most of the limited Soviet military contingent has left the country since August 1988. Then they began to leave military garrisons from some cities and settlements. The last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan on February 15, 1989 was General Gromov. Footage of how Soviet soldiers of the Afghan War crossed the Friendship Bridge across the Amu Darya River flew all over the world.

Echoes of the Afghan War: losses

Many events of the Soviet era were assessed one-sidedly taking into account party ideology, the same applies to the Soviet-Afghan War. Sometimes dry reports appeared in the press, and heroes of the Afghan War were shown on central television. However, before Perestroika and glasnost, the Soviet leadership remained silent about the true scale of combat losses. While the soldiers of the Afghan war in zinc coffins returned home in semi-secrecy. Their funerals took place behind the scenes, and the monuments to the Afghan War were without mention of the places and causes of death.

Beginning in 1989, the newspaper Pravda published what it claimed was reliable data on losses of nearly 14,000 Soviet troops. By the end of the 20th century, this number reached 15,000, since the wounded Soviet soldier of the Afghan War was already dying at home due to injuries or illnesses. These were the true consequences of the Soviet-Afghan War.

Some mentions of combat losses from the Soviet leadership further intensified conflict situations with the public. And at the end of the 80s, demands for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan were almost the main slogan of that era. During the stagnant years, this was demanded by the dissident movement. In particular, academician Andrei Sakharov was exiled to Gorky for criticizing the “Afghan issue”.

Consequences of the Afghan War: results

What were the consequences of the Afghan conflict? The Soviet invasion extended the existence of the ruling party exactly as long as a limited contingent of troops remained in the country. With their withdrawal, the ruling regime came to an end. Numerous Mujahideen detachments quickly managed to regain control over the territory of all of Afghanistan. Some Islamist groups began to appear near the Soviet borders, and border guards were often under fire from them even after the end of hostilities.

Since April 1992, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan no longer existed; it was completely liquidated by Islamists. The country was in complete chaos. It was divided by numerous factions. The war against everyone there lasted until the invasion of NATO troops after the New York terrorist attacks in 2001. In the 90s, the Taliban movement emerged in the country, which managed to achieve a leading role in modern world terrorism.

In the minds of post-Soviet people, the Afghan war has become one of the symbols of the passing Soviet era. Songs, films, and books were dedicated to the theme of this war. Nowadays, in schools it is mentioned in history textbooks for high school students. It is assessed differently, although almost everyone in the USSR was against it. The echo of the Afghan war still haunts many of its participants.

The causes of the war in Afghanistan are still controversial among historians and politicians. This war itself, what caused it, as well as its consequences are assessed differently. The very topic of the Afghan war for many years was a painful phenomenon in the life of our society, because it led to great human losses and disappointment in the power of the USSR. After the collapse of the Union and the publication of official lists of those killed, the topic of this war became an argument in the hands of liberals who sought to denigrate the USSR and prove that our country was a real “evil empire” in those years.
However, today assessments of this war are changing.
Let's consider the main reasons for this military conflict.

Historical reasons for the war in Afghanistan

The territory of Afghanistan has been a site of conflict between the interests of Russia and Britain since the 19th century.
The fact is that, pursuing a fairly active policy of expansion, Britain, being the most extensive state in the world in terms of territory in the 19th century, sought to encircle Russia along its borders in order to weaken its influence in Eurasia. However, neither a century and a half ago, nor 40 years ago, our country wanted its interests in this region to be infringed.
Back in the 19th century, Britain organized 2 Afghan-British wars, essentially subjugating this region to its influence. However, in the next century, when the USSR had already appeared, Soviet Russia made several attempts, which ended successfully, to drive the British out of the territory of this state entity.
All this laid the foundation for future confrontations between Russians and Anglo-Saxons over this region. At the same time, the Afghans themselves lived in terrible poverty and illiteracy (which reached 95% of the population). The order in their country was similar to the feudal system.

Geopolitical reasons for the war in Afghanistan

In the middle of the 20th century, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, two major powers emerged on the planet - the USA - the heirs of the Anglo-Saxons and the USSR - the heir of the Russian Empire. As a result of different ideas about the essence of economic and ideological development, these two states entered into a war called the Cold War. This type of war, new in the history of mankind, assumed that military operations were being conducted not on enemy territory, but on the territories of other states.
Tough confrontation in all areas led to the fact that the USSR and the USA began to compete for influence in certain countries and states.
Afghanistan was very turbulent throughout the second half of the 20th century; US proxies organized revolutions in this state, called “colored” in modern political language, which contributed to the plunge of this region into chaos.
The Afghan government repeatedly turned to the leadership of the USSR with a request for military assistance, but Brezhnev and his people did not seek to introduce military force into this region. Finally, when the chaos in the country reached its limit, in 1979 the Central Committee decided to send in Soviet troops.
Many decades later, one of the ideologists of the Cold War in the United States, Z. Brzezinski, in an interview with a French publication, admitted that his state used all its strength to ensure that the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan took place, since it believed that this would weaken the USSR and enable the United States to defeat its enemy .

Economic reasons for the war in Afghanistan

In addition to geopolitical ones, there were also economic reasons for this war. The fact is that the territory of Afghanistan is an access to the entire Caspian region, rich in oil reserves. Accordingly, if the USSR could create a government friendly to it in Afghanistan, then it would be able to expand its economic power in this region several times.
In addition, we should not forget that due to instability in the Afghan region, the threat of smuggling of narcotic drugs to the USSR increased. True, drug addiction as such was a rare phenomenon in the Union, but in the countries of Western Europe at that time it was already claiming many human lives. The flow of drugs came from Afghanistan.

As you know, the USSR was not successful in this war. There were many reasons for this. Military analysts of the USSR did not properly evaluate the activities of Islamic nationalists, who received powerful support from NATO countries, and, first of all, from the United States. All this led to a protracted war that lasted 10 years. The result was a significant weakening of the authority of the Soviet Union on the world stage.

April Revolution

In April 1978, a coup took place in Afghanistan, later called. Afghan communists came to power - the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Events developed spontaneously. The impetus for the unrest was the April 17 assassination of a prominent PDPA figure, Mir Akbar Khaibar. Thousands of people took to the streets, demanding punishment for the killers and the resignation of the government. To stop the unrest, President Mohammed Daoud ordered the arrest of all PDPA leaders. The response to this was a military coup on April 27, during which Daoud was killed. The officers who overthrew him released the leaders of the PDPA from prison and transferred power to them. One of the leaders of the party, Hafizullah Amin, speaking from the armor of a tank immediately after the coup, with an impressive gesture showed the crowd his not yet removed

Thus, unexpectedly not only for the Soviet Union, but partly also for itself, the PDPA found itself in power. The government was headed by the writer Nur Mohammed Taraki, who carried out radical reforms: a ban on the activities of all political parties, land reform with confiscation of land, and new marriage legislation. All this caused discontent among various segments of the population, who interpreted the reforms as an attack on sacred traditions and Islamic values. Already in June 1978, a split occurred in the party, which resulted in repression and persecution not only of the conspirators and their leader B. Karmal, but also of all those who disagree with the regime, primarily the clergy, which N. Taraki branded as “an obstacle to the progressive development of the country "

In foreign policy, Afghanistan begins to focus on the USSR and strengthens ties in a number of areas: Afghan students are sent to study in the USSR, a number of industrial facilities are being built in Afghanistan, and military-technical cooperation is expanding. At the same time, most countries in the region perceived the revolution in Kabul as a threat. Saudi Arabia regarded it as a “threat to Islam and the integrity of the Islamic world” and “communist expansion.” The United States initially reacted negatively to the events in Kabul, but continued diplomatic and even economic relations. However, after the Islamic revolution in Iran in February 1979 and the assassination of the American ambassador, the United States seeks to regain influence in the region and ceases all relations with Afghanistan, focusing on the USSR. Since that time, the United States began to provide assistance to the opposition along with Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan.

Intra-party struggle. Amin's rise to power

A few months later, a sharp struggle broke out within the ruling party. In August 1979, a confrontation broke out between two party leaders - Taraki and Amin. During a summit meeting in Moscow, Taraki was warned about a conspiracy being prepared against him, for which he asked for direct military assistance from the Soviet Union, but received a reasoned refusal. Upon Taraki's return to Afghanistan, there was an unsuccessful attempt on Amin's life, during which he was killed by his personal adjutant. After this, Taraki was removed from his post, expelled from the party and taken into custody. Soon the former prime minister died - according to the official report, “after a serious long-term illness.” According to other accounts, he was killed by suffocation with pillows. New mass repressions began against his supporters and other dissidents. All these events, especially the death of Taraki, caused discontent in Moscow. The mass “cleansings” and executions that began in Afghanistan among the party community caused condemnation. At the same time, the ill-conceived agrarian reform brought only negative results; discontent was brewing in the army, which led to armed uprisings and cases of mass desertion and defection to the opposition.

Opposition illegal parties and organizations also began to appear in different parts of the country. In Peshawar (Pakistan), with the patronage of the country's authorities, a number of parties were formed, including those with a pronounced Islamic orientation. Through the efforts of these parties, military camps were created in 1978 to train rebels for the purpose of fighting in Afghanistan. For many years, these camps would become a kind of base where the rebels could freely hide from Soviet and Afghan forces, replenish supplies and weapons, reorganize and launch attacks again. In addition, it was quite easy to get reinforcements from the ranks of the numerous refugees who flooded Afghanistan. As a result, by the end of 1979, large-scale hostilities broke out in the country, with armed clashes already taking place in 18 of the 26 provinces of Afghanistan. The critical situation in the country forced H. Amin to repeatedly seek military assistance from the Soviet Union.

Entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan

The attitude towards the ruling regime in the Soviet leadership was ambiguous; radical reforms, accompanied by mass repressions, pushed many away from power. The proximity of China also alarmed the USSR, due to the struggle between countries for leadership in the socialist movement. In response to requests from the “legitimate government of Afghanistan”, and referring to Article 51 of the UN Charter on the right of states to self-defense against “external aggression”, December 25, 1979 The USSR launched an armed invasion of Afghanistan. The decision on this issue was made by a narrow circle of members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee - D. Ustinov, A. Gromyko, Yu. Andropov and K. Chernenko. A plan has also matured to eliminate the independent and authoritarian-prone Amin as a protege of the USSR. On December 27, there was an assault on the Taj Beg presidential palace, prepared by the KGB and the GRU, during which H. Amin was killed by a grenade explosion. After this, Soviet troops began to occupy all the most important points of the capital, meeting resistance in the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Most of the barracks containing Afghan forces were blocked off. They also took the Puli-Charkhi prison, from which they freed opponents of the regime who were awaiting imminent execution. Among them was Taraki's widow. Thus ended the hundred-day reign of H. Amin.

Babraka Karmal, who fled to Czechoslovakia in 1978 and then found refuge in the USSR, became Moscow’s protégé. At 19 o'clock from Dushanbe, on the frequencies of Kabul Radio, his appeal to the people was heard, in which he announced the overthrow of Amin and proclaimed himself General Secretary of the party. At night, Kabul Radio broadcast: “The revolutionary court sentenced the traitor Hafizullah Amin to death. The sentence has been carried out." The fighting in the city, which began around 6 p.m., subsided by the morning of December 28. It seemed that the military operation was successfully completed. At the same time, the presence of Soviet troops and their participation in the coup was kept silent. B. Karmal tried to normalize the situation in Afghan society: about 10 thousand party members were released from prison, in 1980 he raised a new national flag over the presidential palace, returning its traditional colors - black, red and green - instead of the entirely red one established by Taraki and Amin in October 1978, the rights of believers and the clergy were confirmed, and private property was secured. In 1981, measures were taken to adjust the land reform; the government promised to compensate for the confiscated land.

Soviet newspapers now called Hafizullah Amin a “CIA agent” and wrote about the “bloody clique of Amin and his henchmen.” In the West, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan caused violent protests, since Amin was the head of state recognized in the world, and his murder was perceived as an act of direct aggression. On January 14, 1980, the UN General Assembly demanded the withdrawal of “foreign troops” from Afghanistan. 104 states voted for this decision. More than 50 countries decided to boycott the Summer Olympics held in Moscow.

Civil War in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan itself, armed resistance to Soviet troops began to intensify. It was, of course, not Amin’s supporters who fought against them, but opponents of the revolutionary government in general. Many were outraged by the sudden arrests of a variety of people - from mullahs to traders. But the authority of the new government was undermined even more by the land reform. The government tried to take land from tribal leaders. Villagers took up arms in defense of their usual way of life. At first, the Soviet press claimed that there were no battles in Afghanistan, and that peace and tranquility reigned there. However, the war did not subside, and when this became clear, the USSR admitted that “bandits were rampaging” in the republic. Supporters of B. Karmal dubbed them “dushmans” (enemies). Meanwhile, the struggle unfolded according to all the rules of guerrilla warfare. To destroy the rebels, Soviet troops began to attack villages that served as their support. As a result, over 5 million Afghans - about a third of the country's population - moved to Iran and Pakistan. The rebels controlled large parts of Afghanistan. All of them were united by the slogan of jihad - the holy Islamic war. They called themselves “Mujahideen” - fighters for the faith. Otherwise, the rebel groups' programs varied widely. Some spoke out under the slogans of revolutionary Islam, others supported King Zahir Shah, who was overthrown in 1973. The diversity of rebel groups also reflected the diversity of peoples and tribes in Afghanistan.

The “limited contingent” of Soviet troops (40th Army) was not ready for a long war with partisans, which covered more and more regions of the country. Soviet troops captured Mujahideen bases and suffered heavy losses while storming the passes. But the partisans went to Pakistan and Iran along mountain paths, replenished their ranks, and returned again. It was impossible to block all mountain roads. The PDPA army fought against its compatriots reluctantly. The army had a problem with conscripts (most of them were from Kabul, the rest of the regions were not actually subordinate to the central authorities) and with the unity of command, torn apart by internal contradictions. If earlier the Soviet people, or “Shuravi” as they were called, were treated friendly in Afghanistan, now the majority of the population is hostile. Leaders of the Islamic opposition called on Afghans to start jihad not only against the Kabul regime, but also against the “Soviet aggressor.” In 1985, most of the opposition parties based in Peshawar merged. Assistance from the United States and Saudi Arabia increased year by year. Thousands of Arab mercenaries are heading to Afghanistan. The opposition has created its own military-political structure in most of Afghanistan - local authorities called emirates or Islamic committees, fronts and armed formations.

The war in Afghanistan became one of the most difficult foreign policy crises that the USSR faced in the 80s. Moscow was forced to increase the military power of its “limited contingent,” the number of which during this period reached 120 thousand people. This caused a corresponding reaction from the United States and its allies, who methodically expanded the scale of military and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan opposition. However, none of the opposing sides in Afghanistan was able to achieve a decisive turning point. A deadlock situation has arisen. For both the Soviet leadership and its Afghan ally, it became increasingly obvious that other forms and means of breaking the deadlock should be sought besides the military path. In 1982, on the initiative of Moscow, Afghan-Pakistani negotiations began in Geneva on a peaceful settlement of the Afghan problem under the auspices of the UN and with the participation of the USSR and the USA. However, in subsequent years, the White House, hiding behind peace-loving declarations, actually slowed down the negotiation process. After coming to power, the opinion prevailed in the Soviet leadership about the urgent need to withdraw troops. B. Karmal objected to this. Under pressure from Moscow, Kabul was required to change the political system in Afghanistan in order to expand its social support, but B. Karmal was not going to share power and in 1986 he was removed from all posts.

Najibullah's rise to power

In June 1987, the first, so far symbolic, steps towards establishing peace were taken. The new Kabul government led by a program of “national reconciliation”, which included a ceasefire, an invitation to the opposition to dialogue and the formation of a coalition government. Efforts were made to revive the multi-party system. In April 1988, multi-party elections were held with numerous violations; part of the opposition boycotted them. However, the multi-party system proclaimed by President Najibullah turned out to be a missed chance for the regime - not a single opposition figure entered either parliament or the government. At the same time, steps were taken to attract independent field commanders to their side, they were provided with material assistance, weapons were transferred, and this partially bore fruit. On April 14, 1988, in Geneva, representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the USSR and the USA, in the presence of the UN Secretary-General, signed an agreement on a political settlement of the situation around Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan pledged not to interfere in each other's affairs, and the United States pledged not to support the armed struggle against the Najibullah regime. The Soviet Union committed to withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989. On this day, the direct participation of the USSR in the Afghan War ceased. He lost 14,453 people killed; 417 military personnel went missing and were captured.

The USSR continued to provide support to the Najibullah regime, but after the collapse of the country in 1991, all assistance ceased, and in April 1992, the Najibullah regime fell. Armed Mujahideen detachments entered Kabul. However, the struggle in the country did not stop there - interethnic clashes began in Kabul and other cities of the country between Mujahideen groups, which were later called a “civil war.” In 1996, the Taliban came to power in Kabul.

Twenty-six years have already passed since the last Soviet soldier left the territory of Afghanistan. But many participants in those long-ago events were left with a mental wound that still aches and hurts. How many of our Soviet children, just boys, died in the Afghan war! How many mothers shed tears at the zinc coffins! How much blood of innocent people has been shed! And all human grief lies in one small word - “war”...

How many people died in the Afghan war?

If you believe official data, about 15 thousand Soviet soldiers did not return home to the USSR from Afghanistan. There are still 273 people listed as missing. More than 53 thousand soldiers were wounded and shell-shocked. The losses in the Afghan war for our country are colossal. Many veterans believe that the Soviet leadership made a big mistake by getting involved in this conflict. How many lives could have been saved if their decision had been different?

There are still ongoing debates about how many people died in the Afghan war. After all, the official figure does not take into account the pilots who died in the sky while transporting cargo, the soldiers returning home who came under fire, and the nurses and aides caring for the wounded.

Afghan war 1979-1989

On December 12, 1979, a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee decided to send Russian troops to Afghanistan. They have been located in the country since December 25, 1979 and were supporters of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The troops were brought in to prevent the threat of military intervention from other states. The decision to help Afghanistan from the USSR was made after numerous requests from the republic’s leadership.

The conflict broke out between the opposition (Dushmans, or Mujahideen) and the armed forces of the Afghan government. The parties could not divide political control over the territory of the republic. A number of European countries, Pakistani intelligence services and the US military provided support to the Mujahideen during military operations. They also provided them with ammunition supplies.

The entry of Soviet troops was carried out in three directions: Khorog - Fayzabad, Kushka - Shindad - Kandahar and Termez - Kunduz - Kabul. The airfields of Kandahar, Bagram and Kabul received Russian troops.

Main stages of the war

On December 12, after coordinating his actions with the commission of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, Brezhnev decided to provide military assistance to Afghanistan. On December 25, 1979, at 15.00 Moscow time, the entry of our troops into the republic began. It should be noted that the role of the USSR in the Afghan War was enormous, since Soviet units provided all possible support to the Afghan army.

The main reasons for the failures of the Russian army

At the beginning of the war, luck was on the side of the Soviet troops, proof of this is the operation in Panjshir. The main misfortune for our units was the moment when the Mujahideen were delivered Stinger missiles, which easily hit the target from a considerable distance. The Soviet military did not have equipment capable of hitting these missiles in flight. As a result of the use of the Stinger, the Mujahideen shot down several of our military and transport aircraft. The situation changed only when the Russian army managed to get its hands on several missiles.

Change of power

In March 1985, power in the USSR changed, the post of president passed to M. S. Gorbachev. His appointment significantly changed the situation in Afghanistan. The question immediately arose of Soviet troops leaving the country in the near future, and some steps were even taken to implement this.

There was also a change of power in Afghanistan: M. Najibullah took the place of B. Karmal. The gradual withdrawal of Soviet units began. But even after this, the struggle between Republicans and Islamists did not stop and continues to this day. However, for the USSR, the history of the Afghan war ended there.

The main reasons for the outbreak of hostilities in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan has never been considered calm due to the location of the republic in the geopolitical region. The main rivals wishing to have influence in this country were at one time the Russian Empire and Great Britain. In 1919, the Afghan authorities declared independence from England. Russia, in turn, was one of the first to recognize the new country.

In 1978, Afghanistan received the status of a democratic republic, after which new reforms followed, but not everyone wanted to accept them. This is how the conflict between Islamists and Republicans developed, which ultimately led to civil war. When the leadership of the republic realized that they could not cope on their own, they began to ask for help from their ally, the USSR. After some hesitation, the Soviet Union decided to send its troops to Afghanistan.

Book of Memory

The day when the last units of the USSR left the lands of Afghanistan is moving further and further away from us. This war left a deep, indelible mark, stained with blood, in the history of our homeland. Thousands of young people who had not yet had time to see the life of the children did not return home. How scary and painful it is to remember. What were all these sacrifices for?

Hundreds of thousands of Afghan soldiers went through serious tests in this war, and not only did not break, but also showed such qualities as courage, heroism, devotion and love for the Motherland. Their fighting spirit was unshakable, and they went through this brutal war with dignity. Many were wounded and treated in military hospitals, but the main wounds that remained in the soul and are still bleeding cannot be cured by even the most experienced doctor. Before the eyes of these people, their comrades bled and died, dying a painful death from their wounds. Afghan soldiers have only the eternal memory of their fallen friends.

The Book of Memory of the Afghan War has been created in Russia. It immortalizes the names of heroes who fell on the territory of the republic. In each region there are separate Books of Memory of soldiers who served in Afghanistan, in which the names of the heroes who died in the Afghan War are written. The pictures from which young, handsome guys are looking at us make our hearts ache with pain. After all, none of these boys are alive anymore. “In vain is the old woman waiting for her son to come home…” - these words, since the Second World War, have been engraved in the memory of every Russian and make the heart clench. So let the eternal memory of the heroes of the Afghan war remain, which will be refreshed by these truly sacred Books of Memory.

The results of the Afghan war for the people are not the result that the state achieved to resolve the conflict, but the number of human casualties, which number in the thousands.

What were the prerequisites or interests of the USSR for introducing a limited contingent of Soviet armed forces into Afghanistan?

When did the Soviet armed forces fight in Afghanistan and how did it all end?

Afghan stalemate

On December 25, 1979, the USSR entered the last war in its history. It was officially announced that on December 24, 1979, the Minister of Defense of the USSR Ustinov D.F. Directive No. 312/12/001 was signed, stating that some of the units of the Central Asian and Turkestan military districts will be introduced into the DRA in order to provide assistance to the friendly people of Afghanistan and create conditions there that make any hostile actions on the part of states bordering the DRA impossible.

The history of the tender friendship of the two neighboring states begins back in 1919, when Soviet Russia was the first in the world to recognize the independence of Afghanistan and provided military and economic support. Which, however, did not help. Afghanistan was and remains a poor feudal country, “stuck” in the Middle Ages. What Soviet specialists managed to build, for example, the airport in Kabul, highways, everything remains the same.
On April 27, 1978, the Saur Revolution took place, proclaiming Afghanistan a Democratic Republic. Armed Islamic terrorists, unrest in the army, internal party bickering - these factors did not contribute to the authority of the people's government. The events taking place in Afghanistan were closely watched in Moscow. The CPSU Central Committee Commission reported to the Politburo of the Central Committee that direct intervention would have negative consequences. Having received about twenty requests for help from Kabul, the “Kremlin elders” were in no hurry to respond.

The decision to bring in a limited contingent of Soviet troops was made at a secret meeting only on December 12, 1979. Chief of Staff Ogarkov N.V. turned out to be the only one who was against this decision. And the participation of our troops in battles with the Mujahideen was not envisaged; they were entrusted with security functions. The mission was supposed to be short-term.

The reasons for the entry of Soviet troops, in fact, were not a secret to the world community. Afghanistan's territorial neighbor was Pakistan, created not so long ago, which accepted American assistance in the form of financial support, the presence of military specialists, and the supply of weapons. Afghanistan was supposed to become a “layer” that would prevent Americans from appearing dangerously close to Soviet borders. Each of the superpowers, the USSR and the USA, sacredly looked after its geopolitical interests, extending its influence to the largest number of potential supporters.
On December 25, 1979, at 15:00, the 4th battalion of the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade crossed the pontoon bridge across the Amu Darya. The countdown to losses has begun.
The entire history of war can be divided into several periods. About 50 thousand military personnel and civilian specialists were immediately sent to Afghanistan, so the first 2-3 months were devoted to their deployment. Active hostilities began in March 1980 and lasted about five years. At the beginning of April 1985, combat operations were carried out mainly by units of government troops and people's militia, with Soviet troops providing support with artillery, aviation and sapper units. A partial withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from Afghanistan is being prepared. Since January 1987, a policy of national reconciliation has been pursued. Preparations for the complete withdrawal of the Soviet military contingent began on May 15, 1988. General Gromov B.V., commander of the 40th Army, was the last to leave the territory of Afghanistan on February 15, 1989. For Soviet soldiers, the war was over.

Losses among Soviet military personnel were calculated, which amounted to 13,833 people during the fighting of 1979-1989. Ten years later, more accurate figures for irretrievable losses appeared: among military personnel of the Soviet Army - 14,427 people, KGB employees - 576 people, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 28 people. 417 people are considered missing or captured.
The exact number of Afghans who died during the war has not yet been announced. The following figures appear in the press: 5 million became refugees, and one and a half million Afghans died.
Now let's look at economic losses. Every year, 800 million “evergreen” US dollars were allocated from the country’s budget to support the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The cost of maintaining the 40th Army and conducting military operations amounted to 3 billion US dollars annually.
And in what units can we calculate the mortal horror of parents whose children ended up serving in Afghanistan? How many decalitres of tears did mothers shed while burying their boys in zinc coffins? How much energy will a crippled 20-year-old boy need to continue living? But with 99% confidence we can say that the Afghan war was the biggest mistake of the “Kremlin sages”, which accelerated the collapse of the USSR.