20 years ago, the international mission of Soviet troops in Afghanistan began \ Afghanistan Library This year is a special year for Afghan veterans. In February, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the withdrawal of a limited contingent of our troops from Afghanistan. December is a different date. As you may remember, it was just beginning in 1979. It turns out that 20 years have passed since the beginning of that undeclared war. Nowadays, the fighting, no, the war, is flaring up and going out, and then flaring up again in Russia. It's hot, very hot in the Caucasus. And we're thinking about Afghanistan. It's not just about finding historical, military, political, and other parallels. Although that's also necessary. We're giving the floor to the "Afghans" and talking about those events, so that people know and remember the "heroes of other times" and give them the recognition they deserve. Then the faith will be strengthened that the current defenders of the Fatherland will not be left without attention and the promised care. Those who today face danger, defending the interests of the country and the state in southern Russia and other hot spots. The army should not have unlit stars. A selection of materials dedicated to those events is opened by the memoirs of Valery Kurilov, a fighter of the Zenit special forces officer unit. ...Winter days are short. When I left the barracks, it was already dark. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and there were no stars to be seen - it gets dark early here at this time of year. The palace stood tall on its hill, illuminated by spotlights. Everything seemed to be going as usual. However, each of us understood that something extraordinary was about to happen. On this day, December 27, 1979, a small group of Russian soldiers was tasked with capturing the capital of a friendly foreign country without any cover or adequate fire support. Their mission was not only to seize important government facilities but also to hold ... Read more