RUSSIAN SPETSNAZ AND AFGHAN WAR

BACKGROUND

• The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was initially led by Nur Muhammad Taraki, who was pro-Soviet Union, so Afghan–Soviet relations were friendly. In September 1979.

PICTURE DEPICTING STRENGTH

• Taraki was deposed by Hafizullah Amin, due to intra-party strife. After this event and the suspicious death of Taraki (an apparent assassination by Amin's followers), Afghan–Soviet relations started to deteriorate.

• By December the Soviet leadership had established an alliance with Babrak Karmal. The Soviet Union declared its plan to intervene in Afghanistan on 12 December 1979, and the Soviet leadership initiated Operation Storm-333 (the first phase of the intervention) on 27 December 1979.

SOVIET TROOPS

• 24 men from the Гром (Grom – "Thunder") unit of Alpha Group,

• 30 operators from a special KGB group Зенит (Zenit – "Zenith")

• 87 troops of a company of 345 Guards Airborne Regiment

• 520 men from the 154th Separate Spetsnaz Battalion of the USSRMinistry of Defence known as the "Muslim Battalion"

KILLING OF TAJBEG AND LOSS TO SOVIET

• 5 officers of the KGB special forces.

• 6 troops from the "Muslim Battalion", and 9 paratroopers were killed. 

• The commander of the KGB contingent, Col. Boyarinov, was killed. Almost all participants in the KGB troops in the operation were wounded. 

• Over 700 members of the KGB from the Centre and the Periphery were dropped into Kabul to take part in Operation Agat. 

• The troops were dressed in Afghan army uniforms.                                                  Over 100 of the KGB were killed in the attack on the palace.

SOVIET BACKDROP FROM AFGHANISTAN -

were three main reasons for such backdrops, 

1. U.S.A's growing  interests in Afghan's natural resources , that's why they mobilise their assets from Pakistan (ISI & SSG), as U.S.A is funding them and other military support against India, Pakistan can not refuse to help. This is the first main reason known to the world.                                                                                                                  2. USSR accountability to their losses. Soviet has also suffered huge military losses mainly their Army personnel.                                                                                                                                                      

  3. The least known fact was that " they have got what they have needed ". Soviet was itself not interested in continuing the operations in Afghanistan.