Russian Bear
26th September 2025, 15:35
dQ6YfbZZuno
Lyrics
White snow, gray ice
On the cracked earth
Like a patchwork blanket on it
A city in a road loop
And clouds float above the city
Blocking out the heavenly light
And yellow smoke above the city
The city is two thousand years old
Lived under the light
Stars named Sun
And two thousand years of war
War without special reasons
War is the work of the young
A cure for wrinkles
Red, red blood
In an hour it's just earth
In two hours, flowers and grass on it
In three, it's alive again
And warmed by the rays of a star
Named Sun
And we know that it's always been this way
That fate loves us more
Who lives by different laws
And who will die young
He doesn't remember the word "Yes" or the word "No"
He doesn't remember ranks or names
And is able to reach the stars
Not considering it a dream
And fall, scorched by a star
Named Sun
https://asset-a.grid.id/crop/0x0:0x0/700x0/photo/2019/02/14/1443901914.jpg
https://static.birgun.net/resim/content/2025/01/30/vekalet-savasi-ne-demek-tarihteki-vekalet-savaslari-nelerdir-vekalet-savaslari-gunumuzde-de-suruyor-mu-2.jpg
https://cdn.culture.ru/images/414c08cc-be5f-59cb-933c-52f819bf09ee
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/9729319/pub_6440d82b8476d24745c31747_6440d8dd2171c245fadb5e46/scale_1200
https://sun9-3.userapi.com/impg/wrmkIWEjWxP69-32x8RIkdqfhUDYlQkklPnROw/NtPNhUvYscg.jpg?size=1920x1200&quality=95&sign=0136f9654a2a56e9389a17629ecb7a81&type=album
https://iasbh.tmgrup.com.tr/c8a76f/0/0/0/0/0/0?u=https://isbh.tmgrup.com.tr/sb/album/2022/02/24/1645699518354.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NWNrZmI33A4/maxresdefault.jpg
Year: 2019 (Season 1)
Country Russia
Director: Igor Lipin
Scenario: Vasily Khristoforov, Igor Lipin
Producer: Alexander Starikov, Sergey Titinkov, Konstantin Ernst
Operator: Dmitry Yesipov
Artist: Yuri Konstantinov, Zhanna Lanina
Installation: Guram Kvaratskhelia, Alexey Vasin
Genre: Documentary, Drama, History, Military
The project makes an attempt to understand the causes of the Afghan war (1979-1989) and the most truthful coverage of all its stages. On a cold day on December 12, 1979, a narrow circle of members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee discussed the situation in Afghanistan. After lengthy hesitation, four people (Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Andrey Gromyko, Dmitry Ustinov) made a fateful decision to send troops to Afghanistan. Thus began the Afghan campaign - the first and only military operation conducted by the Soviet Union outside the Warsaw Pact countries, which became the longest and most “forgotten” war in Soviet history.
Enjoy Watching!
DAzPfiLG5og
The longest armed conflict in US history is the military intervention in Afghanistan, which lasted from 2001 to 2021.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ee89b62be0549b963c04/scale_1200
It began with the September 11 terrorist attack, after which the United States declared war on terrorism and invaded Afghanistan to look for Osama bin Laden, who allegedly carried out the largest terrorist attack in history (We all know that America itself carried out the September 11 terrorist attack).
32) 💥🔥⚠️(Conspiracy) The Colossal Lies and Secret Truth of the 9/11 Attacks in the USA
https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?129590-The-Colossal-Lies-and-Secret-Truth-of-the-9-11-Attacks-in-the-USA&p=1665183&viewfull=1#post1665183
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ee4b0971875120d9a0c7/scale_1200
What is interesting, and this will be discussed further, is that bin Laden, as a terrorist, was created by the United States itself so that he would fight against the USSR.
Incidentally, bin Laden was allegedly found and killed in 2011 in Pakistan.
But the United States still didn't rush to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan until 2021. And only when the American empire began to strain itself did it finally have to be done, in August 2021.
How it was done was clearly visible to everyone.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ef706aba5b2d765090fc/scale_1200
The United States is leaving Afghanistan.
Essentially, it was a real flight, during which the Americans abandoned their own allies, who literally clung to the steps of planes and then fell from them – so fearful were they of reprisals from the Taliban, to whom the Americans, by leaving, were finally handing over power and whom they were unable to defeat for 20 years.
Someone foolishly compares the American presence in Afghanistan to the Soviet Union's presence there.
Well, let's figure it out:
➡️ Are there any similarities?
➡️ What kind of country is Afghanistan?
➡️ Why is it considered a graveyard of empires?
➡️ Who lives in this country?
➡️ And why is Afghanistan so important to the world?
Today, Afghanistan has a rather proud nickname – "the graveyard of empires." The country earned this title because, over the past 100 years, three empires have failed in their attempts to establish control over it.
In the 19th century, the British lost their first war, and in the 20th century, after a third conflict, Afghanistan declared its independence from Great Britain.
Later, Soviet and American troops withdrew from here.
That's why Afghanistan is considered "unconquered."
Although that's not entirely true. Firstly, it can't be said that our country lost the Afghan War, since there was essentially no war. A limited contingent of Soviet troops was deployed to Afghanistan. The Soviet army wasn't tasked with "defeating" anyone. The goal was to support the Afghan regime, so to speak, to build its muscle, and to create a strong army and security forces in general. And importantly, this was done at the numerous requests of the Afghan authorities themselves.
So, what is a classic war? When one country attacks another, i.e., one government declares war on another. But the Afghan War was when one government asked another government, i.e., the Soviet Union, for help.
During the war, which lasted 9 years, 1 month, and 18 days:
⚠️ From 1979 to 1989,
⚠️ More than 500,000 Soviet soldiers served,
⚠️ 15,000 died, and
⚠️ 60,000 were wounded.
⚠️ At the same time, the frightening phrase "Cargo 200" came into common use – this was the name given to fallen soldiers who were transported to their burial sites in zinc coffins weighing no more than 200 kg.
Secondly, the territory of Afghanistan has been conquered so many times that it's tiresome to list them all:
✅ From the 6th to the 4th century BC, the Achaemenid Persians ruled here.
✅ Then, in 330, the region was conquered by Alexander the Great.
✅ From the 1st to the 5th centuries, it was part of the Kushan Empire,
✅ and then became part of the Sassanid Empire
✅ until the Arab invasion in the 8th century.
✅ Over the following centuries, Afghanistan continued to be ruled by outsiders. Power passed from one dynasty to another.
So why did anyone need it anyway?
A little geography will help us understand.
⏩ Afghanistan is located in southern Asia, bordering Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east and south, and China to the easternmost part. Thus, geographically, Afghanistan is the heart of Asia.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576f122fcae6b3928633b00/scale_1200
Incidentally, in this regard, Afghanistan is very similar to Switzerland. Switzerland is, so to speak, the center of Europe, while Afghanistan is in the center of Asia. However, economically, they are diametrically opposed.
⏩ The country itself is quite large—its area is almost 653,000 square kilometers. This is larger than France.
⏩ Caravan and trade routes, including the Great Silk Road, passed through ancient Afghanistan. Beyond the mountain passes lay the route to India, with trade bringing in enormous profits.
⏩ Modern Afghanistan's location is strategically important for controlling and influencing neighboring countries.
Simply put, if you can subjugate Afghanistan, you can influence everyone nearby: India, Pakistan, Iran, the CIS countries in Central Asia, and through them, Russia.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576f17db52b316f420d88eb/scale_1200
The Soviet Union and the Russian Empire directly bordered Afghanistan.
⏩ In the 19th century, Afghanistan became the arena of the "Great Game"—the rivalry between the British and Russian empires for dominance in South and Central Asia.
Both powers had their own interests.
➡Vast Russia was dependent on Turkey, using the main trade routes (sea routes) leading to the Mediterranean, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. And the shores of the Indian Ocean lay just beyond Afghanistan. Local goods, especially Indian cotton, were also valuable.
➡The British defended their precious India at all costs, which at that time was their key colony and the source of their wealth.
After all, it was from Asia that they had previously attacked it.
Therefore, Russia's advance was perceived as a potential threat. However, the two powers had no plans to turn this rivalry into a full-blown war. Afghanistan became a buffer state, its borders drawn so that the interests of empires did not overlap. And these borders still exist.
⏩ As for the population, it's like the Middle Ages. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. And they're happy with it – they're not particularly striving for progress.
⏩ Afghanistan is home to many different ethnic groups, the most numerous of which are the Pashtuns, roughly speaking, the Persians' brothers. They are also the main supporters of the Taliban, the ruling religious organization, which is designated a terrorist organization.
Incidentally, the Taliban, whom the US fought so fiercely before fleeing Afghanistan, were created by the same people in the 1980s, just like Al-Qaeda and bin Laden.
In 1919, Afghanistan declared its independence from Britain.
In 1921, it signed a friendship treaty with Soviet Russia. Interestingly, Afghanistan was the first country to recognize the Soviet government. The countries promised not to enter into military or political agreements that could harm one side. And everyone was happy. The Soviet government wasn't concerned about the security of its 2,500-kilometer-long southern borders and was expanding its influence in the region.
✔️ Afghanistan, meanwhile, entered its most favorable and stable period since its inception—the USSR invested enormously in its economy.
✔️ Since 1954, the Union provided Afghanistan with preferential loans and ranked first in foreign aid, accounting for 54% of total foreign loans (compared to 15% for the United States).
✔️ Furthermore, more than 100 major infrastructure projects were built with the help of Soviet specialists.
✔️ New industries emerged in the country: auto repair, mining, chemicals, and cement.
✔️ Residential neighborhoods, kindergartens, and clinics were built. All to make life more comfortable and civilized for Afghans.
✔️ 1,500 kilometers of paved roads were built with Soviet funds and labor. The largest, the Salang Road with its reinforced tunnel, was built by Moscow specialists at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.
✔️ Soviet geologists developed a map of mineral resources for the Afghan government. Afghanistan began producing gas, and the USSR began buying it.
✔️ In the 1960s, the Soviet Union invested about 8 million rubles in Afghanistan's education and built the Polytechnic University in Kabul.
Russian became the lingua franca of academic communication there, just as Latin had been in the Middle Ages.
✔️ Boys and girls studied together at that time, and female students wore skirts freely. This period is called Afghanistan's golden age.
Here is a photo from that time where you can see women in skirts calmly walking down the streets.
https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/nasedkin/1514168/3214517/3214517_original.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uLIhulq76Ow/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mzwalZ1unec/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGFMgVihlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCpfcTWKHuQ4w1VOP5RduWKeW92kg
Today, Afghan women wear a thick hijab.
🚫They can be stoned to death for wearing a skirt,
🚫 and they won't be allowed to study at all.
The Pashtuns, the indigenous people and representatives of the most conservative sect of Islam, believe that a man's only purpose is to fight, and a woman's only purpose is to give birth.
THE AFGHAN WAR
From 1954 to 1978, the USSR spent approximately 130 billion rubles on Afghanistan. The country was developing gradually. And perhaps life would have been peaceful if not for a series of uprisings that led to the introduction of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in 1979. Aid continued both during and after the war.
But all this was destroyed or fell into disrepair after the withdrawal of our army, and US bombing finally finished the job.
As for the Afghan war, the Soviet government was reluctant to send an army to Afghanistan until the very end. But in 1978, members of the People's Democratic Party staged a coup d'état and began building communism in the country. Moreover, this was accomplished without the participation of the Soviet Union. As a result, one Afghan government loyal to the USSR was replaced by another.
The new government promised to improve the population's well-being, equalize women's rights, and democratize political life. But not everyone was happy with this. The authorities repeated the same mistake: they antagonized the clergy, who were opposed to radical reforms. Even Soviet advisers recommended taking local specifics into account. And predictably, the clergy labeled the new government apostates from Islam.
Armed uprisings against the party erupted.
The authorities responded with repression, the total death toll of which is estimated at between 17,000 and 45,000.
In the years leading up to the Soviet invasion, approximately 6 million people fled Afghanistan. Half of them settled in US-dominated Pakistan. Priests preached radical Islam among the emigrants.
The mujahideen—as these fighters for the faith were called—were an opposition to government forces, and it was through them that the Americans decided to weaken the Union and "give the Soviets their own Vietnam."
According to the official version, CIA aid to the mujahideen began in 1980, that is, after the Soviet army entered Afghanistan.
But the reality, kept secret, is different: President Carter, back in July 1979, signed a directive to aid opponents of the Soviet regime, which was intended to draw the USSR into the Afghan trap.
It was then that the CIA's Operation Cyclone began. Military specialists, medical supplies, heavy weapons, and huge sums of money were sent to Pakistan.
It was a surefire move, which forced the Union to choose: either abandon a friendly republic and expose its southern borders to attack, or become embroiled in Asian civil strife.
❌ By the way, the mujahideen were even received by US President Reagan at the White House.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_65770dc66dbe6b193897ab6e/scale_1200
Reagan with the mujahideen in the White House
❌ More than 200 mujahideen training centers were established along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
❌ The CIA supplied weapons and ammunition continuously, Pakistan's ISI distributed them to groups, and the mujahideen transported them deep into Afghanistan along caravan routes.
US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski would later say: "Carter and I created the mujahideen."
Brzezinski also said: "We didn't push the Russians to intervene (in the war), but we deliberately increased the likelihood that they would."
In other words, the US dreamed of the USSR introducing troops into Afghanistan, so they did everything they could to facilitate it. They themselves admit this today.
Meanwhile, after the Soviet contingent entered Afghanistan, they pretended to be very unhappy about it, considering it aggression against the opposition. Basically, hypocrites.
❌ After the war, the Americans estimated that up to $20 billion had been spent fighting the USSR in Afghanistan.
❌ Similar to today, the entire West was essentially fighting against the Soviet Union back then.
❌ Anti-Soviet propaganda was also successful – the media claimed daily that the Soviet Union had come to seize the region. This instantly made the Russians enemies of the Muslim world. More than 60 countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
❌ Meanwhile, Hollywood was spending huge sums on anti-Soviet propaganda and producing the most expensive film ever made at the time, "Rambo III."
The 1990 Guinness Book of World Records lists this film as the most violent of all time, featuring 221 acts of violence.
In the film, the main character, naturally, fights the treacherous Russians and rescues a friend who was transporting Stingers—man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems—to the mujahideen.
12) 💥🪓Post (History) USSR assistance to Vietnam in the war against the USA
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_6589cd3e95509b2d84f7f0a6_658f382392a5031d8259a2c2/scale_1200
https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?129510--History--USSR-assistance-to-Vietnam-in-the-war-against-the-USA&p=1663757&viewfull=1#post1663757
❌ And the Americans did indeed send several thousand Stingers to the rebels.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_65770f0c6aba5b2d769f7096/scale_1200
They shot down 23 Soviet helicopters. And they didn't just send them, they even trained them to use them.
Having acquired such weapons, the mujahideen began shooting down everything in the air, including civilian aircraft.
❌ Saudi Arabia spent about $4 billion to aid the Afghan mujahideen. Other sources say the amount was twice that.
❌ It was then that the Americans nurtured the terrorist Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, who was later blamed for the bombing of the Twin Towers.
In other words, they created both al-Qaeda, which they later fought, and the mujahideen, which they then fought for 20 years.
Basically, the United States nurtures all terrorists.
❌ Surprisingly, China also actively aided Afghanistan. Due to the fact that relations between the USSR and China deteriorated sharply after Stalin's death, and China essentially moved under the wing of the West,
❌ Japan, already the world's second-largest economy, was particularly distinguished – from 1979 to 1983 alone, it provided $41 billion in aid.
❌ Thanks to support from all sides, the mujahideen became a real army. And by the time Soviet troops entered, they had occupied 18 of the 26 provinces.
In total, the Afghan government appealed to the USSR for military assistance 20 times and was refused.
But in September 1979, the situation became critical. In essence, another coup d'état took place. Afghan leader Nur Mohammad Taraki was overthrown by his comrade, the unruly Hafizullah Amin. He unleashed a reign of terror not only against Islamists but also against members of the ruling party and even the army. Interestingly, Brezhnev personally congratulated Amin on becoming the leader of Afghanistan. He also personally asked that Taraki be left alone. But Taraki was killed anyway.
Furthermore, reports surfaced in Moscow that Amin was playing a double game and establishing contacts with Washington, which was allegedly already preparing to deploy its troops to the country.
This situation worried the Kremlin, and a decision was made to remove Amin. This is what happened as a result of Operation Storm 333. On December 27, approximately 500 Soviet soldiers stormed Amin's Taj Beg Palace, guarded by 2,000 men, in 45 minutes.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6577111ac0ccac64db3f12da/scale_1200
Amin's Palace, Afghanistan
The operation is considered exemplary, despite being brutal and bloody. The Soviet special forces lost 14 men, while Amin's security detail lost up to 350. Babrak Karmal, a Kremlin loyalist, was brought to power.
An interesting fact: Amin's doctors were Soviet, and when Soviet special forces wounded him, our own doctors tried to save him.
Some experts claim that the Soviet security forces actively pushed for the deployment of troops. Firstly, to keep the army busy, so to speak, and secondly, to utilize the wealth that was pouring into the USSR from the rising prices of oil and gas.
The deployment of troops began on December 25, 1979, still during Amin's rule. The army was supposed to stabilize the situation and then leave Afghanistan.
Few people know, but similar experiences exist before: for example, in 1929, also to stabilize the situation within the country.
The objective was essentially the same: stay out of the war. Set up garrisons, maintain stability on the territory, and respond if drawn into battle. But this scenario immediately failed, as the Afghan army was unwilling to fight and could not resolve any serious problems on its own. As a result, by the spring of 1980, Soviet troops were actively engaged in combat with the mujahideen.
In other words, the Soviet Union was essentially being exploited—the Afghan government was solving its own problems at the USSR's expense.
The mujahideen, funded by the West, declared a jihad against the Soviet Union—a war for faith, the goal of which was simple: to repel the "enemy-occupier" (as they believed).
The Soviet troops had no experience fighting in the mountains and learned everything on the ground. But despite the difficulties, there was not a single objective that was set but not achieved—as Chief of the General Staff Marshal Akhromeyev put it. But the result was still lacking. They controlled Kabul and provincial centers, but were unable to establish authority in the captured territory. Military gains were not backed up by political ones. The Afghan leadership was losing the fight for its people.
https://avatars.mds.yandex.net/get-vthumb/3294842/b4ae42f5cbfc4c29f8a0cb20b3920d63/800x450
Example: Over nine years, 12 successful military operations were conducted in the Panjshir River Valley, but official authority was never consolidated. As in other areas, the mujahideen retook the positions they had so hard been dislodged from.
The Soviet leadership recognized the futility of a military campaign in which there would be no winners and announced a withdrawal of troops in February 1988.
The first fighters began to withdraw in May.
On February 15, 1989, Boris Gromov, commander of the 40th Army, was the last to cross the Druzhba Bridge over the Amu Darya River, letting his soldiers go first.
Thus ended a war that had lasted nearly 10 years and claimed thousands of lives.
Naturally, the Soviet government made many mistakes at the time. It could have supported Afghanistan just as Russia supports Syria today, without actively interfering in the fighting. But at that time, Gorbachev was leading the Soviet Union, and there was no time for allies.
One of the most popular myths is that the USSR lost the war.
Boris Gromov responds to this with absolute clarity: "There is no basis for the claim that the 40th Army was defeated, nor that we achieved a military victory in Afghanistan. Soviet troops entered the country unhindered at the end of 1979, accomplished their missions—unlike the Americans in Vietnam—and returned home in an orderly fashion."
At its peak, the 40th Army numbered 108,800 men, which clearly indicates that no one was seeking a military victory.
Remember, in Vietnam, which is almost five times smaller than Afghanistan, the US had five times more troops.
The very claim that the Afghans defeated the USSR is also incorrect because it was a civil war—and the Soviet Union was on the side of the government forces.
In other words, it was not fighting Afghanistan, but rather the rebels for official power.
After withdrawing, Soviet troops donated over 2,000 facilities for various purposes to the Afghans, including 179 military camps, 990 armored vehicles, and over 1,000 grenade launchers. In 2010, Russia completely forgave Afghanistan's $12 billion debt.
After withdrawing, the war in Afghanistan erupted with increasing brutality.
The overthrow of the pro-Soviet regime failed to bring peace.
The US military intervention in the early 2000s, far more severe than the Soviet one, also failed to produce results.
🚫 More precisely, after democratic reforms, Afghanistan ranks among the 10 poorest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita (178th place).
By this indicator, even a poor country like Zimbabwe is three times richer than Afghanistan. Mongolia is eight times richer, and Gabon is 17 times richer.
🚫 Afghanistan is a leading heroin producer. Between 80% and 90% of the drug sold in Europe comes from opium grown in Afghanistan. Moreover, according to the graph (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Афганистан#/media/Файл:Afghanistan_opium_poppy_cultivation_1994-2007b.PNG), Afghanistan has increased opium production several-fold since the American invasion.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_657713f34c41d70d9acfb198/scale_1200
Opium production worldwide (red) and in Afghanistan (turquoise)
🚫 Moreover, the Islamic groups cultivated by the Americans during the Afghan war have spread far beyond the country's borders. The entire world is now fighting them.
The troop withdrawal cannot be considered either a victory or a defeat for either country. But what is clear is that over the years, even money spent honestly on a good cause simply turns to dust here.
Lyrics
White snow, gray ice
On the cracked earth
Like a patchwork blanket on it
A city in a road loop
And clouds float above the city
Blocking out the heavenly light
And yellow smoke above the city
The city is two thousand years old
Lived under the light
Stars named Sun
And two thousand years of war
War without special reasons
War is the work of the young
A cure for wrinkles
Red, red blood
In an hour it's just earth
In two hours, flowers and grass on it
In three, it's alive again
And warmed by the rays of a star
Named Sun
And we know that it's always been this way
That fate loves us more
Who lives by different laws
And who will die young
He doesn't remember the word "Yes" or the word "No"
He doesn't remember ranks or names
And is able to reach the stars
Not considering it a dream
And fall, scorched by a star
Named Sun
https://asset-a.grid.id/crop/0x0:0x0/700x0/photo/2019/02/14/1443901914.jpg
https://static.birgun.net/resim/content/2025/01/30/vekalet-savasi-ne-demek-tarihteki-vekalet-savaslari-nelerdir-vekalet-savaslari-gunumuzde-de-suruyor-mu-2.jpg
https://cdn.culture.ru/images/414c08cc-be5f-59cb-933c-52f819bf09ee
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/9729319/pub_6440d82b8476d24745c31747_6440d8dd2171c245fadb5e46/scale_1200
https://sun9-3.userapi.com/impg/wrmkIWEjWxP69-32x8RIkdqfhUDYlQkklPnROw/NtPNhUvYscg.jpg?size=1920x1200&quality=95&sign=0136f9654a2a56e9389a17629ecb7a81&type=album
https://iasbh.tmgrup.com.tr/c8a76f/0/0/0/0/0/0?u=https://isbh.tmgrup.com.tr/sb/album/2022/02/24/1645699518354.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NWNrZmI33A4/maxresdefault.jpg
Year: 2019 (Season 1)
Country Russia
Director: Igor Lipin
Scenario: Vasily Khristoforov, Igor Lipin
Producer: Alexander Starikov, Sergey Titinkov, Konstantin Ernst
Operator: Dmitry Yesipov
Artist: Yuri Konstantinov, Zhanna Lanina
Installation: Guram Kvaratskhelia, Alexey Vasin
Genre: Documentary, Drama, History, Military
The project makes an attempt to understand the causes of the Afghan war (1979-1989) and the most truthful coverage of all its stages. On a cold day on December 12, 1979, a narrow circle of members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee discussed the situation in Afghanistan. After lengthy hesitation, four people (Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Andrey Gromyko, Dmitry Ustinov) made a fateful decision to send troops to Afghanistan. Thus began the Afghan campaign - the first and only military operation conducted by the Soviet Union outside the Warsaw Pact countries, which became the longest and most “forgotten” war in Soviet history.
Enjoy Watching!
DAzPfiLG5og
The longest armed conflict in US history is the military intervention in Afghanistan, which lasted from 2001 to 2021.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ee89b62be0549b963c04/scale_1200
It began with the September 11 terrorist attack, after which the United States declared war on terrorism and invaded Afghanistan to look for Osama bin Laden, who allegedly carried out the largest terrorist attack in history (We all know that America itself carried out the September 11 terrorist attack).
32) 💥🔥⚠️(Conspiracy) The Colossal Lies and Secret Truth of the 9/11 Attacks in the USA
https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?129590-The-Colossal-Lies-and-Secret-Truth-of-the-9-11-Attacks-in-the-USA&p=1665183&viewfull=1#post1665183
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ee4b0971875120d9a0c7/scale_1200
What is interesting, and this will be discussed further, is that bin Laden, as a terrorist, was created by the United States itself so that he would fight against the USSR.
Incidentally, bin Laden was allegedly found and killed in 2011 in Pakistan.
But the United States still didn't rush to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan until 2021. And only when the American empire began to strain itself did it finally have to be done, in August 2021.
How it was done was clearly visible to everyone.
https://avatars.dzeninfra.ru/get-zen_doc/271828/pub_656f41aac8f76273ccfd32eb_6576ef706aba5b2d765090fc/scale_1200
The United States is leaving Afghanistan.
Essentially, it was a real flight, during which the Americans abandoned their own allies, who literally clung to the steps of planes and then fell from them – so fearful were they of reprisals from the Taliban, to whom the Americans, by leaving, were finally handing over power and whom they were unable to defeat for 20 years.
Someone foolishly compares the American presence in Afghanistan to the Soviet Union's presence there.
Well, let's figure it out:
➡️ Are there any similarities?
➡️ What kind of country is Afghanistan?
➡️ Why is it considered a graveyard of empires?
➡️ Who lives in this country?
➡️ And why is Afghanistan so important to the world?
Today, Afghanistan has a rather proud nickname – "the graveyard of empires." The country earned this title because, over the past 100 years, three empires have failed in their attempts to establish control over it.
In the 19th century, the British lost their first war, and in the 20th century, after a third conflict, Afghanistan declared its independence from Great Britain.
Later, Soviet and American troops withdrew from here.
That's why Afghanistan is considered "unconquered."
Although that's not entirely true. Firstly, it can't be said that our country lost the Afghan War, since there was essentially no war. A limited contingent of Soviet troops was deployed to Afghanistan. The Soviet army wasn't tasked with "defeating" anyone. The goal was to support the Afghan regime, so to speak, to build its muscle, and to create a strong army and security forces in general. And importantly, this was done at the numerous requests of the Afghan authorities themselves.
So, what is a classic war? When one country attacks another, i.e., one government declares war on another. But the Afghan War was when one government asked another government, i.e., the Soviet Union, for help.
During the war, which lasted 9 years, 1 month, and 18 days:
⚠️ From 1979 to 1989,
⚠️ More than 500,000 Soviet soldiers served,
⚠️ 15,000 died, and
⚠️ 60,000 were wounded.
⚠️ At the same time, the frightening phrase "Cargo 200" came into common use – this was the name given to fallen soldiers who were transported to their burial sites in zinc coffins weighing no more than 200 kg.
Secondly, the territory of Afghanistan has been conquered so many times that it's tiresome to list them all:
✅ From the 6th to the 4th century BC, the Achaemenid Persians ruled here.
✅ Then, in 330, the region was conquered by Alexander the Great.
✅ From the 1st to the 5th centuries, it was part of the Kushan Empire,
✅ and then became part of the Sassanid Empire
✅ until the Arab invasion in the 8th century.
✅ Over the following centuries, Afghanistan continued to be ruled by outsiders. Power passed from one dynasty to another.
So why did anyone need it anyway?
A little geography will help us understand.
⏩ Afghanistan is located in southern Asia, bordering Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east and south, and China to the easternmost part. Thus, geographically, Afghanistan is the heart of Asia.
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Incidentally, in this regard, Afghanistan is very similar to Switzerland. Switzerland is, so to speak, the center of Europe, while Afghanistan is in the center of Asia. However, economically, they are diametrically opposed.
⏩ The country itself is quite large—its area is almost 653,000 square kilometers. This is larger than France.
⏩ Caravan and trade routes, including the Great Silk Road, passed through ancient Afghanistan. Beyond the mountain passes lay the route to India, with trade bringing in enormous profits.
⏩ Modern Afghanistan's location is strategically important for controlling and influencing neighboring countries.
Simply put, if you can subjugate Afghanistan, you can influence everyone nearby: India, Pakistan, Iran, the CIS countries in Central Asia, and through them, Russia.
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The Soviet Union and the Russian Empire directly bordered Afghanistan.
⏩ In the 19th century, Afghanistan became the arena of the "Great Game"—the rivalry between the British and Russian empires for dominance in South and Central Asia.
Both powers had their own interests.
➡Vast Russia was dependent on Turkey, using the main trade routes (sea routes) leading to the Mediterranean, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. And the shores of the Indian Ocean lay just beyond Afghanistan. Local goods, especially Indian cotton, were also valuable.
➡The British defended their precious India at all costs, which at that time was their key colony and the source of their wealth.
After all, it was from Asia that they had previously attacked it.
Therefore, Russia's advance was perceived as a potential threat. However, the two powers had no plans to turn this rivalry into a full-blown war. Afghanistan became a buffer state, its borders drawn so that the interests of empires did not overlap. And these borders still exist.
⏩ As for the population, it's like the Middle Ages. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. And they're happy with it – they're not particularly striving for progress.
⏩ Afghanistan is home to many different ethnic groups, the most numerous of which are the Pashtuns, roughly speaking, the Persians' brothers. They are also the main supporters of the Taliban, the ruling religious organization, which is designated a terrorist organization.
Incidentally, the Taliban, whom the US fought so fiercely before fleeing Afghanistan, were created by the same people in the 1980s, just like Al-Qaeda and bin Laden.
In 1919, Afghanistan declared its independence from Britain.
In 1921, it signed a friendship treaty with Soviet Russia. Interestingly, Afghanistan was the first country to recognize the Soviet government. The countries promised not to enter into military or political agreements that could harm one side. And everyone was happy. The Soviet government wasn't concerned about the security of its 2,500-kilometer-long southern borders and was expanding its influence in the region.
✔️ Afghanistan, meanwhile, entered its most favorable and stable period since its inception—the USSR invested enormously in its economy.
✔️ Since 1954, the Union provided Afghanistan with preferential loans and ranked first in foreign aid, accounting for 54% of total foreign loans (compared to 15% for the United States).
✔️ Furthermore, more than 100 major infrastructure projects were built with the help of Soviet specialists.
✔️ New industries emerged in the country: auto repair, mining, chemicals, and cement.
✔️ Residential neighborhoods, kindergartens, and clinics were built. All to make life more comfortable and civilized for Afghans.
✔️ 1,500 kilometers of paved roads were built with Soviet funds and labor. The largest, the Salang Road with its reinforced tunnel, was built by Moscow specialists at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.
✔️ Soviet geologists developed a map of mineral resources for the Afghan government. Afghanistan began producing gas, and the USSR began buying it.
✔️ In the 1960s, the Soviet Union invested about 8 million rubles in Afghanistan's education and built the Polytechnic University in Kabul.
Russian became the lingua franca of academic communication there, just as Latin had been in the Middle Ages.
✔️ Boys and girls studied together at that time, and female students wore skirts freely. This period is called Afghanistan's golden age.
Here is a photo from that time where you can see women in skirts calmly walking down the streets.
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Today, Afghan women wear a thick hijab.
🚫They can be stoned to death for wearing a skirt,
🚫 and they won't be allowed to study at all.
The Pashtuns, the indigenous people and representatives of the most conservative sect of Islam, believe that a man's only purpose is to fight, and a woman's only purpose is to give birth.
THE AFGHAN WAR
From 1954 to 1978, the USSR spent approximately 130 billion rubles on Afghanistan. The country was developing gradually. And perhaps life would have been peaceful if not for a series of uprisings that led to the introduction of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in 1979. Aid continued both during and after the war.
But all this was destroyed or fell into disrepair after the withdrawal of our army, and US bombing finally finished the job.
As for the Afghan war, the Soviet government was reluctant to send an army to Afghanistan until the very end. But in 1978, members of the People's Democratic Party staged a coup d'état and began building communism in the country. Moreover, this was accomplished without the participation of the Soviet Union. As a result, one Afghan government loyal to the USSR was replaced by another.
The new government promised to improve the population's well-being, equalize women's rights, and democratize political life. But not everyone was happy with this. The authorities repeated the same mistake: they antagonized the clergy, who were opposed to radical reforms. Even Soviet advisers recommended taking local specifics into account. And predictably, the clergy labeled the new government apostates from Islam.
Armed uprisings against the party erupted.
The authorities responded with repression, the total death toll of which is estimated at between 17,000 and 45,000.
In the years leading up to the Soviet invasion, approximately 6 million people fled Afghanistan. Half of them settled in US-dominated Pakistan. Priests preached radical Islam among the emigrants.
The mujahideen—as these fighters for the faith were called—were an opposition to government forces, and it was through them that the Americans decided to weaken the Union and "give the Soviets their own Vietnam."
According to the official version, CIA aid to the mujahideen began in 1980, that is, after the Soviet army entered Afghanistan.
But the reality, kept secret, is different: President Carter, back in July 1979, signed a directive to aid opponents of the Soviet regime, which was intended to draw the USSR into the Afghan trap.
It was then that the CIA's Operation Cyclone began. Military specialists, medical supplies, heavy weapons, and huge sums of money were sent to Pakistan.
It was a surefire move, which forced the Union to choose: either abandon a friendly republic and expose its southern borders to attack, or become embroiled in Asian civil strife.
❌ By the way, the mujahideen were even received by US President Reagan at the White House.
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Reagan with the mujahideen in the White House
❌ More than 200 mujahideen training centers were established along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
❌ The CIA supplied weapons and ammunition continuously, Pakistan's ISI distributed them to groups, and the mujahideen transported them deep into Afghanistan along caravan routes.
US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski would later say: "Carter and I created the mujahideen."
Brzezinski also said: "We didn't push the Russians to intervene (in the war), but we deliberately increased the likelihood that they would."
In other words, the US dreamed of the USSR introducing troops into Afghanistan, so they did everything they could to facilitate it. They themselves admit this today.
Meanwhile, after the Soviet contingent entered Afghanistan, they pretended to be very unhappy about it, considering it aggression against the opposition. Basically, hypocrites.
❌ After the war, the Americans estimated that up to $20 billion had been spent fighting the USSR in Afghanistan.
❌ Similar to today, the entire West was essentially fighting against the Soviet Union back then.
❌ Anti-Soviet propaganda was also successful – the media claimed daily that the Soviet Union had come to seize the region. This instantly made the Russians enemies of the Muslim world. More than 60 countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
❌ Meanwhile, Hollywood was spending huge sums on anti-Soviet propaganda and producing the most expensive film ever made at the time, "Rambo III."
The 1990 Guinness Book of World Records lists this film as the most violent of all time, featuring 221 acts of violence.
In the film, the main character, naturally, fights the treacherous Russians and rescues a friend who was transporting Stingers—man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems—to the mujahideen.
12) 💥🪓Post (History) USSR assistance to Vietnam in the war against the USA
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❌ And the Americans did indeed send several thousand Stingers to the rebels.
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They shot down 23 Soviet helicopters. And they didn't just send them, they even trained them to use them.
Having acquired such weapons, the mujahideen began shooting down everything in the air, including civilian aircraft.
❌ Saudi Arabia spent about $4 billion to aid the Afghan mujahideen. Other sources say the amount was twice that.
❌ It was then that the Americans nurtured the terrorist Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, who was later blamed for the bombing of the Twin Towers.
In other words, they created both al-Qaeda, which they later fought, and the mujahideen, which they then fought for 20 years.
Basically, the United States nurtures all terrorists.
❌ Surprisingly, China also actively aided Afghanistan. Due to the fact that relations between the USSR and China deteriorated sharply after Stalin's death, and China essentially moved under the wing of the West,
❌ Japan, already the world's second-largest economy, was particularly distinguished – from 1979 to 1983 alone, it provided $41 billion in aid.
❌ Thanks to support from all sides, the mujahideen became a real army. And by the time Soviet troops entered, they had occupied 18 of the 26 provinces.
In total, the Afghan government appealed to the USSR for military assistance 20 times and was refused.
But in September 1979, the situation became critical. In essence, another coup d'état took place. Afghan leader Nur Mohammad Taraki was overthrown by his comrade, the unruly Hafizullah Amin. He unleashed a reign of terror not only against Islamists but also against members of the ruling party and even the army. Interestingly, Brezhnev personally congratulated Amin on becoming the leader of Afghanistan. He also personally asked that Taraki be left alone. But Taraki was killed anyway.
Furthermore, reports surfaced in Moscow that Amin was playing a double game and establishing contacts with Washington, which was allegedly already preparing to deploy its troops to the country.
This situation worried the Kremlin, and a decision was made to remove Amin. This is what happened as a result of Operation Storm 333. On December 27, approximately 500 Soviet soldiers stormed Amin's Taj Beg Palace, guarded by 2,000 men, in 45 minutes.
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Amin's Palace, Afghanistan
The operation is considered exemplary, despite being brutal and bloody. The Soviet special forces lost 14 men, while Amin's security detail lost up to 350. Babrak Karmal, a Kremlin loyalist, was brought to power.
An interesting fact: Amin's doctors were Soviet, and when Soviet special forces wounded him, our own doctors tried to save him.
Some experts claim that the Soviet security forces actively pushed for the deployment of troops. Firstly, to keep the army busy, so to speak, and secondly, to utilize the wealth that was pouring into the USSR from the rising prices of oil and gas.
The deployment of troops began on December 25, 1979, still during Amin's rule. The army was supposed to stabilize the situation and then leave Afghanistan.
Few people know, but similar experiences exist before: for example, in 1929, also to stabilize the situation within the country.
The objective was essentially the same: stay out of the war. Set up garrisons, maintain stability on the territory, and respond if drawn into battle. But this scenario immediately failed, as the Afghan army was unwilling to fight and could not resolve any serious problems on its own. As a result, by the spring of 1980, Soviet troops were actively engaged in combat with the mujahideen.
In other words, the Soviet Union was essentially being exploited—the Afghan government was solving its own problems at the USSR's expense.
The mujahideen, funded by the West, declared a jihad against the Soviet Union—a war for faith, the goal of which was simple: to repel the "enemy-occupier" (as they believed).
The Soviet troops had no experience fighting in the mountains and learned everything on the ground. But despite the difficulties, there was not a single objective that was set but not achieved—as Chief of the General Staff Marshal Akhromeyev put it. But the result was still lacking. They controlled Kabul and provincial centers, but were unable to establish authority in the captured territory. Military gains were not backed up by political ones. The Afghan leadership was losing the fight for its people.
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Example: Over nine years, 12 successful military operations were conducted in the Panjshir River Valley, but official authority was never consolidated. As in other areas, the mujahideen retook the positions they had so hard been dislodged from.
The Soviet leadership recognized the futility of a military campaign in which there would be no winners and announced a withdrawal of troops in February 1988.
The first fighters began to withdraw in May.
On February 15, 1989, Boris Gromov, commander of the 40th Army, was the last to cross the Druzhba Bridge over the Amu Darya River, letting his soldiers go first.
Thus ended a war that had lasted nearly 10 years and claimed thousands of lives.
Naturally, the Soviet government made many mistakes at the time. It could have supported Afghanistan just as Russia supports Syria today, without actively interfering in the fighting. But at that time, Gorbachev was leading the Soviet Union, and there was no time for allies.
One of the most popular myths is that the USSR lost the war.
Boris Gromov responds to this with absolute clarity: "There is no basis for the claim that the 40th Army was defeated, nor that we achieved a military victory in Afghanistan. Soviet troops entered the country unhindered at the end of 1979, accomplished their missions—unlike the Americans in Vietnam—and returned home in an orderly fashion."
At its peak, the 40th Army numbered 108,800 men, which clearly indicates that no one was seeking a military victory.
Remember, in Vietnam, which is almost five times smaller than Afghanistan, the US had five times more troops.
The very claim that the Afghans defeated the USSR is also incorrect because it was a civil war—and the Soviet Union was on the side of the government forces.
In other words, it was not fighting Afghanistan, but rather the rebels for official power.
After withdrawing, Soviet troops donated over 2,000 facilities for various purposes to the Afghans, including 179 military camps, 990 armored vehicles, and over 1,000 grenade launchers. In 2010, Russia completely forgave Afghanistan's $12 billion debt.
After withdrawing, the war in Afghanistan erupted with increasing brutality.
The overthrow of the pro-Soviet regime failed to bring peace.
The US military intervention in the early 2000s, far more severe than the Soviet one, also failed to produce results.
🚫 More precisely, after democratic reforms, Afghanistan ranks among the 10 poorest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita (178th place).
By this indicator, even a poor country like Zimbabwe is three times richer than Afghanistan. Mongolia is eight times richer, and Gabon is 17 times richer.
🚫 Afghanistan is a leading heroin producer. Between 80% and 90% of the drug sold in Europe comes from opium grown in Afghanistan. Moreover, according to the graph (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Афганистан#/media/Файл:Afghanistan_opium_poppy_cultivation_1994-2007b.PNG), Afghanistan has increased opium production several-fold since the American invasion.
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Opium production worldwide (red) and in Afghanistan (turquoise)
🚫 Moreover, the Islamic groups cultivated by the Americans during the Afghan war have spread far beyond the country's borders. The entire world is now fighting them.
The troop withdrawal cannot be considered either a victory or a defeat for either country. But what is clear is that over the years, even money spent honestly on a good cause simply turns to dust here.