What did the Soviets do in Afghanistan?

On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each.

Did Soviets actually invade Afghanistan?

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on December 24 1979 under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty. Afghanistan borders Russia and was always considered important to its national security and a gateway to Asia.

How many Afghans died in the Soviet-Afghan war?

By the time the Soviet army withdrew, more than 15,000 of its soldiers had been killed and 60,000 wounded, and at least a million Afghans had died in the fighting.

How did the Soviet Afghan war end?

Despite having failed to implement a sympathetic regime in Afghanistan, in 1988 the Soviet Union signed an accord with the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and agreed to withdraw its troops. The Soviet withdrawal was completed on February 15, 1989, and Afghanistan returned to nonaligned status.

How many died in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

The Soviet army completed its pullout from Afghanistan in February. An estimated 15,000 Soviet soldiers and 1 million Afghans died during the war.

Did Soviet fliers really attack their own troops in Afghanistan?

Umiyev, who served in Afghanistan from 1985 to 1987, said he, too, saw Soviet fliers mistakenly attack their own troops, adding: “It was quite a mess there. Why should we be silent about it?” Recounting “incidents that are shameful to recall,” Abramov described how two Afghan prisoners suspected of being guerrillas were brought into his camp.

What did the Soviet press say about the war in Afghanistan?

Over the last year, the Soviet press has questioned the leadership’s decision to invade Afghanistan in 1979, but it stayed away from criticizing how the war itself was run.

What is the history of the border between Afghanistan and Russia?

The border was agreed by the joint Anglo-Russian Afghan Boundary Commission of 1885–87. The Russian interest in the region continued on through the Soviet era, with billions in economic and military aid sent to Afghanistan between f1955 and 1978.