The Soviet forces, introduced to provide assistance in 1979 in "friendly" Afghanistan, included one unique, well-trained special unit, consisting exclusively of representatives of Central Asian nationalities. It is thanks to the origin of its personnel that this detachment received the name "Muslim battalion". Unfortunately, this battalion did not last long, but it managed to leave a bright mark in the history of the GRU.
Already in the spring of 1979, the leadership of our country firmly realized that the situation in Afghanistan requires military intervention. Therefore, you need to be prepared for any scenario. Immediately, the idea arose of the quiet and inconspicuous introduction of small military units into the rebellious country. In the late spring of 1979, this decision was finally made and Vasily Vasilyevich Kolesnik (Colonel of the GRU) received an order to create a special forces battalion staffed with representatives of indigenous nationalities southern republics... Fulfilling the order, Kolesnik gathered soldiers from the most different parts Soviet Union. The detachment included motorized riflemen and tankers, paratroopers and border guards. They were sent to the small uyezd Uzbek town of Chirchik. All the soldiers, warrant officers, officers and even the battalion commander himself were of Central Asian nationalities, mainly Uzbeks, Turkmen and Tajiks, nominally Muslim. With such a composition, the detachment had no problems in language training, all Tajiks, as well as half of the Turkmen and Uzbeks, spoke Farsi fluently, which was one of the main languages ​​in Afghanistan.
The first Muslim battalion (but as history has shown not the last), which is the 154th separate special-purpose detachment in the world as part of the fifteenth brigade of the Turkestan Military District, was led by Major Khabib Tadjibaevich Khalbaev.

Initially, the unit had the following goal - to protect Nurmukhamed Taraki, the President of Afghanistan, who tried to short time to lay the socialist foundations in your country. There were plenty of opponents of such radical changes, and therefore Taraki quite rightly feared for his life. By that time, political coups, accompanied by bloodshed, had become quite common in Afghanistan.
The new formation was well provided with all the necessary resources, the fighters did not have any restrictions and limits on their means. The personnel of the detachment received a completely new weapon. For practice shooting, in accordance with the Decree of the General Staff of the Turkestan Military District, the battalion was allocated training grounds for two military schools: the Tashkent Combined Arms Command and tank school located in Chirchik.

Throughout July-August, the soldiers were intensively engaged in combat training. Tactical exercises, driving combat vehicles, shooting were carried out daily.

The endurance of the fighters was tempered in thirty-kilometer marches. Thanks to extensive material and technical means, the personnel of the "Muslim battalion" was able to reach high level training in hand-to-hand combat, shooting from all available types of weapons, as well as in driving infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers in extreme conditions.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Afghan uniforms were hastily sewn for the Musbat soldiers and the necessary papers were prepared. Each fighter received documents established type in Afghan. Fortunately, there was no need to invent new names - the servicemen used their own. Many Uzbeks and Tajiks lived in Afghanistan, especially in the north of the country, and there were also Turkmens.

Soon the battalion replaced the Soviet military uniform for the uniforms of the Afghan army. In order to make it easier to recognize each other, the soldiers of the detachment wound bandages from bandages on both hands. For even greater realism, the military constantly trained in Afghan uniforms to make them look worn.

When, at the end of the GRU check, the battalion was already preparing to be sent to Afghanistan, another coup took place in Kabul. The closest ally of President Taraki, Hafizullah Amin, liquidated the previous leadership, taking control of the country. The intensive training of the special detachment was suspended, visits to the top commanding staff stopped, and life in the battalion began to resemble ordinary army everyday life. But such a lull did not last long, soon an order was received from Moscow to resume training. However, the purpose of learning has changed radically. Now the military was no longer trained for defensive, but for assault operations against the Afghan government. This time, the dispatch of the battalion was not delayed. The list of personnel was announced, which on December 5, 1979 was to take off on the first flight to prepare the camp. The rest of the battalion was to join them on December 8th.

During the flight, the servicemen of the "Muslim battalion" noticed one unusual fact: a detachment of mature military men was flying on the plane, but in soldier's greatcoats... The interested soldiers were told that a group of sappers had gone with them. Only later did it become clear that these were important "bigwigs" from the KGB and the GRU.

A detachment led by Uzbek Khabib Khalbaev joined the airbase combat guard battalion from the 345th separate parachute regiment, which had been stationed here since July 1979, in Bagram. And on December 14, another battalion of the 345th arrived to them.

According to the initial plan of the GRU leadership, the Muslim battalion was supposed to march from Bagram, immediately capturing Amin's residence, which was located in Kabul. However, at the last moment, the dictator moved to the new residence "Taj Bek", which was a real fortress. The plans were quickly amended. The detachment was tasked with getting to Kabul on its own and appearing near the Taj Bek palace, as if to strengthen the security. On the morning of December 20, about 540 GRU special forces fighters moved to the capital of Afghanistan.

In appearance, the detachment was very similar to the usual military formation of the Afghans, and the newly minted President Amin was confident that the fighters had arrived to carry out external protection of his new residence. On their way to the palace, the servicemen were stopped by patrols more than a dozen times, letting in only after receiving the appropriate password or permission from above. At the entrance to Kabul, the battalion was met by Afghan officers who accompanied the special squad all the way to the presidential palace.

The first line of protection for the Taj Bek was considered to be a company of Hafizullah Amin's personal bodyguards. The third was the security brigade, under the leadership of Major Dzhandat, Amin's chief assistant. Our Muslim battalion was to form the second line. The palace was protected from an air strike by an anti-aircraft regiment. Total number the military personnel at the palace reached two and a half thousand people.

The GRU fighters were placed in a separate unfinished building, located four hundred meters from the residence. The building did not even have glass on the windows; instead, the soldiers pulled on blankets. The final stage of preparation for the operation began. Every night, on the nearby hills, our fighters fired flares, and the engines of the combat vehicles were launched in the boxes. The commander of the Afghan guard showed dissatisfaction with such actions, but it was explained to him that a planned training was underway related to the specifics of possible military operations. Of course, everything was done in order to lull the guard's vigilance when the detachment really went to the assault.

Colonel Kolesnik, who drew up the plan of the operation, later told about it: “I brought the plan, signed by me and worked out on the map, to Ivanov and Magomedov (respectively, the chief adviser of the KGB of the USSR and the chief military adviser of the Ministry of Defense). They approved the plan orally, but did not want to sign. It was clear that while we were thinking about how to fulfill the task set by the leadership, these cunning people were deciding how to avoid responsibility in case of failure. Then I wrote on the plan in their presence: “The plan was approved orally. They refused to sign. " I put the date, time and went to my battalion ... ".

From our side, the following took part in the operation to storm the palace: groups "Thunder" and "Zenith" (24 and 30 people, respectively, commanders Major Romanov and Major Semenov), a Muslim battalion (530 people, led by Major Khalbaev), the ninth company of the 345th regiment (87 people, commander starley Vostrotin), anti-tank platoon (27 people under the leadership of starley Savostyanov). The operation was led by Colonel Kolesnik, and his deputy was Major General Drozdov, illegal intelligence KGB.

The time of the assault was postponed, as it was reported that the Afghans were beginning to guess about everything. On December 26, the soldiers were allowed to make a camping bath. Everyone was given fresh linen and new vests. Khalbaev was ordered to cover the KGB special forces and suppress any groups trying to break into the territory of the residence. The main task of capturing the palace was assigned to the fighters of the Zenith and Thunder groups.

At about 7 o'clock in the morning on December 27, 1979, at the prearranged signal "Storm 333", KGB assault brigades began to climb the mountain along the only serpentine road. At this time, Khalbaev's people were seizing important positions and firing points near the palace, filming sentries. A separate group managed to neutralize the leadership of the infantry battalion. About twenty minutes after the start of the attack, "Thunder" and "Zenith" in combat vehicles, breaking through the outer guard posts, broke into the square in front of the palace. The doors of the troop compartment opened, and the soldiers poured out. Some of them managed to break into the first floor of the Taj Bek. A fierce battle began with the self-styled president's personal bodyguard, most of which consisted of his relatives.

Parts of the Muslim battalion, together with a company of paratroopers, formed an outer ring of defense, repelling the attacks of the guard brigade. Two platoons of the GRU special forces captured the barracks of the tank and the first infantry battalions, and tanks fell into their hands. Then it turned out that there were no bolts in the tank guns and machine guns. This was the work of our military advisers, who, under the pretext of repairs, removed the mechanisms in advance.

In the palace, the Afghans fought with the tenacity of the doomed. Hurricane fire from the windows pushed the commandos to the ground, and the attack drowned. It was a turning point, it was necessary to urgently raise people and lead them forward to help those who were already fighting in the palace. Under the leadership of officers Boyarinov, Karpukhin and Kozlov, the fighters rushed to the attack. In these moments, Soviet soldiers suffered the greatest losses. In an attempt to get to the windows and doors of the palace, many soldiers were injured. Only a small group rushed inside. There was a fierce battle in the building itself. The commandos acted decisively and desperately. If no one left the premises with their hands raised, then grenades immediately flew through the broken doors. However, there were too few Soviet soldiers to eliminate Amin. Only about two dozen people were in the palace, and many were injured. After a short hesitation, Colonel Boyarinov ran out of the front door and began to call for help from the soldiers of the Muslim battalion. Of course, the enemy also noticed him. A stray bullet, bouncing off the bulletproof vest, pierced the colonel's neck. Boyarinov was fifty-seven years old. Of course, he could not participate in the assault, his official position and age allowed him to lead the battle from the headquarters. However, he was a real officer of the Russian army - his subordinates went into battle, and he had to be next to them. Coordinating the actions of the groups, he also acted in the role of a simple attack aircraft.

After the soldiers of the Muslim battalion came to the aid of the KGB special forces, the fate of the defenders of the palace was a foregone conclusion. Amin's bodyguards, about one hundred and fifty soldiers and officers of the bodyguard firmly resisted, not wanting to surrender. Our servicemen were saved from heavy losses by the fact that the Afghans were mainly armed with German MP-5s, which did not penetrate the bulletproof vests of Soviet soldiers.

According to the story of the captured assistant Amin, it became clear about the last moments of the dictator's life. In the first minutes of the battle, the "owner" ordered to inform our military advisers about the attack on the palace. He shouted: "We need the help of the Russians!" When the adjutant rightly remarked: "This is how the Russians shoot!" Then he himself tried to get through. But there was no connection. In the end, Amin said dejectedly: "That's right, I suspected it ...".

When the shooting stopped and the smoke cleared in the palace, the body of Hafizullah Amin was found near the bar. What actually caused his death remained unclear, whether our bullet, or a fragment of a grenade. It was also suggested that Amin had been shot by their own people. This operation was officially completed.

All wounded, including Afghans, were given medical assistance... The civilians were taken under guard to the location of the battalion, and all the killed defenders of the palace were buried in one place not far from the Taj Bek. The prisoners dug graves for them. Babrak Karmal flew in to identify Hafizullah Amina. Soon, radio stations in Kabul broadcast a message that by the decision of the military tribunal, Hafizullah Amin was sentenced to death. Later, the recorded words of Babrak Karmal to the people of Afghanistan were heard. He said that "... the system of torture of Amin and his entourage - executioners, murderers and usurpers of tens of thousands of my compatriots ..." was broken.

In a short but violent battle, Afghans were killed at around 350. Approximately 1,700 people were captured. Our soldiers lost eleven people: five paratroopers, including Colonel Boyarinov, and six servicemen from a Muslim battalion. Colonel Kuznechenkov, a military doctor who happened to be in the palace, was also killed. Thirty-eight people received injuries of varying severity. During the shootout, two young sons of the president were killed, but Amin's widow and her wounded daughter survived. At first, they were kept under guard in a special room at the battalion's location, and then were handed over to government representatives. The fate of the rest of the president's defenders turned out to be tragic: many of them were soon shot, others died in prison. This outcome of events, apparently, was facilitated by the reputation of Amin, who, even by Eastern standards, was considered a cruel and bloody dictator. According to tradition, a stain of shame automatically fell on his entourage.

After the elimination of Amin, a plane from Moscow immediately flew to Bagram. There, under the supervision of KGB workers, was the new head of Afghanistan - Babrak Karmal. When the Tu-134 was already descending, the lights on the entire airfield suddenly went out. The plane landed only with the side lights. The crew of the aircraft dropped the parachute, but the plane rolled almost to the edge of the runway. As it turned out later, the head of the air base was an ardent supporter of Amin and, suspecting something was wrong during the landing of a strange plane, turned off the lights, hoping to arrange a plane crash. But the high skill of the pilots made it possible to avoid tragedy.

Much later they began to emerge Interesting Facts about the operation. First, it turned out that during the entire assault there was no communication with command post... Nobody could clearly explain the reason for the absence. An attempt to immediately report on the elimination of the president was also unsuccessful. Secondly, only a couple of years later, at a meeting of the participants in those December events, it became known what the delay with the announcement of the death of the president could have resulted in. It turned out that the military leaders had developed a backup plan for the destruction of Amin and his entourage. A little later assault brigades the task of seizing the presidential palace was given to the Vitebsk division, which was unaware of the earlier actions of the KGB and the "Muslim battalion." If the message about the achievement of the set goal did not arrive in time, the Belarusians could start a new assault attempt. And then it is not known how many, unknowingly, in the resulting confusion, the participants in the first offensive would have been killed. It is possible that it was precisely this outcome of events - to remove more witnesses - that was planned.

And here is what Colonel Kolesnik said: “On the evening of the day following the assault, all the leaders of this operation were almost killed by a machine-gun burst. Soviet soldier... Returning from the banquet organized on the occasion of the successful completion of the operation, in Amin's Mercedes, we were fired upon near the General Staff building, which was guarded by paratroopers. Lieutenant Colonel Shvets was the first to notice the strange flashes on the asphalt road and understand what they mean. He slipped out of the car, covering the sentries with a choice mat. It worked better than the password. We called the chief of the guard. The appeared lieutenant first got it in the ear, and only then listened to the end of the order of the use of weapons by the sentries at the posts. When we examined the car, we found several bullet holes in the hood. A little higher and neither me nor Kozlov would have been alive. At the end, General Drozdov quietly said to the lieutenant: "Son, thank you for not teaching your soldier to shoot."

A unique Muslim unit created under the auspices of the GRU was withdrawn from Afghanistan almost immediately after the storming of the palace. All equipment was transferred to the Vitebsk division. The servicemen were left with only their personal weapons and on January 2, 1980, two An-22s in full force were sent to Tashkent. For the successful conduct of the special operation, the fighters of the "Muslim battalion" were awarded orders and medals: seven people received the Order of Lenin, ten people received the Order of the Red Banner, forty-five - the Order of the Red Star, forty-six fighters were awarded the medal "For Courage", and the rest - a medal "For military services." Colonel Kolesnik became a Hero of the Soviet Union, and soon he was awarded the rank of general.

The battalion temporarily ceased to exist, the servicemen were transferred to the reserve, and all officers were scattered across various garrisons for further service. After reorganization, by October 1981, there was no one in it who took part in the storming of the palace.

Many events associated with the coup in Afghanistan were presented by the Soviet press in a completely different light. According to the initial media version, President Amin was arrested. And only then, by a fair trial, he was sentenced to death. A film about this was shot in advance and prepared for screening after the death of the dictator. The participation of Soviet special forces and the real death of the self-appointed president was not mentioned anywhere.

After the assassination of Hafizullah Amin, units of the 40th Army continued to enter Afghanistan, occupying cities, villages and the main centers of the country. Industrial and administrative facilities, highways, airfields, mountain passes were taken under control. At first, no one was going to fight, hoping only to convince others with seriousness of intentions. In an extreme case, to solve all the problems with little blood, without assuming the future scale of hostilities. The point of view of the General Staff was such that only a demonstration of the mighty military force, missile units, tanks, artillery. This will strike terror into the hearts of the opposition, forcing them to surrender or simply scatter. In fact, the appearance of strangers in an Islamic country that retains the experience of countless wars, a country where the bulk of the population knows how to handle weapons from early childhood, rekindled the already marching civil war giving it the meaning of jihad.

Despite the fact that the operation to eliminate the president was carried out successfully, Western countries were not slow to designate this fact as evidence of the occupation of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union and the subsequent leaders of Afghanistan (Karmal and Najibullah) to be called puppet leaders.
On October 30, 1981, at two o'clock in the morning, the 154th separate special forces detachment, previously called the "Muslim battalion", crossed state border USSR and rushed to the place of the upcoming deployment. This is how the second arrival of the "musbat" on Afghan soil took place. The new commander of the unit, Major Igor Stoderevsky, served with him until the very end of the war.

Sources of information:
-http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/
-http://sevastopol.su/conf_view.php?id=17319
-http://afganrass.ucoz.ru/publ/musulmanskij_batalon/1-1-0-36
-http://www.desant.com.ua/spn1.html

The Soviet Islamic Special Purpose Battalions are still considered unique military units in which Muslims from the Asian republics of the USSR fought heroically against their fellow believers.

Modeled on the Iranian military

March 18, 1979 1st Secretary General The Central Committee of the PDPA Nur Mohammad Taraki called the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Alexei Kosygin and asked to send soldiers, the indigenous inhabitants of the Asian republics of the USSR, to destroy the 4,000-strong detachment of Iranian servicemen dressed in civilian clothes who had infiltrated the city of Herat.

“We want Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmens to be sent to us so that they can drive tanks, since all these peoples are in Afghanistan,” the Afghan leader assured the Soviet Prime Minister. - Let them wear Afghan clothes, Afghan badges, and no one will recognize them. This is a very easy job in our opinion. The experience of Iran and Pakistan shows that this work is easy to do. They give a sample. "

Despite the fact that Kosygin expressed doubts about this proposal, on April 26, 1979, the General Staff of the USSR Ministry of Defense issued a special directive No. 314/2/0061 on the formation of a special purpose detachment of the GRU, which later received the name of the Muslim battalion.

American military expert JIAYI ZHOU dedicated a special book to the Soviet Muslim battalion, beginning with a standing ovation national policy in the USSR, when he studied archival materials regarding this unit. Interestingly, his research was funded by the RAND Corporation, which is considered the "thought factory" of American strategists.

"A unique Soviet identity emerged in the USSR, which cannot be explained by traditional values ​​- national or religious," writes Jezi Hou. According to him, 538 people under the command of Major Khabibjan Kholbaev were united by the idea of ​​their socialist mission in Afghanistan. It was the 154th separate special forces detachment of the GRU, consisting exclusively of Uzbeks, Tajiks and Turkmens. In total, more than five thousand military personnel passed through the sieve of the special commission.

Typically good preparation

The training of the soldiers of Detachment 154 was quite typical for the Soviet army - typically good. In the presence of the chief of staff of the TURKVO, Lieutenant-General G.F. in the summer of 1979, the "Muslims" conducted tactical exercises "to seize a separate building" and "battles in the city."

In particular, the grenade launchers were required to hit targets by noise through the smoke screen. Shooting accurately on the run and mastering sambo techniques were taken for granted. Special attention was paid to the coordination of companies and platoons by means of radio communications, for which Senior Lieutenant Yu.M. Mirsaatov was in charge.
The writer Eduard Belyaev, who studied the documents of the training of the 154th detachment, as well as other soldiers sent to Afghanistan, writes that the stereotypes that appeared after the release of the film "9th Company" do not correspond to reality.

Secret mission

Despite the fact that the fighters of the "Muslim battalion" in full combat readiness regularly traveled to the Tuzel airfield (Tashkent) to be sent to Afghanistan, the flight was postponed every time. However, after the officers of the head of the Afghan presidential guard, Major Jandad, strangled Taraki ... The Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee issued a secret decree, which said: special squad GRU General Staff total number about 500 people, in uniforms that do not reveal their belonging to the Armed Forces of the USSR. " For the execution of this order at night from 9 to 10 December 1979, soldiers of the 154th separate detachment were delivered to Afghanistan at the Bagram airfield by AN-12, AN-22, and Il-76 aircraft.

Skirmish with Amin's guards

On December 27, 1979 at 19.00, a Muslim battalion of the GRU of the USSR took part in the assault on the Taj Bek palace, in which Amin is located. Jezi Howe called Operation Storm 333 fantastic, given that 700 Soviet troops, mostly from the Muslim battalion, defeated more than 2,000 Amin's guards in a specially prepared building for defense. Platoon Tursunkulov explained the task of detachment 154 in the following way: "They brought the KGB officers to the entrance, ordered their own to lie down in a circle and cover the assault soldiers with fire."

However, it soon became clear that the KGB assault groups could not break the resistance of the Afghans. Then Colonel Boyarinov called the Musbat for help.
“We went ahead, destroying all living things that came our way,” recalls Shukhrat Mirzaev, a participant in the assault. - Those who resisted were killed on the spot. Those who surrendered were not touched. The first floor was cleared. We take the second. Like a piston, we squeeze the Aminites to the third floor and into the attic. There are many corpses of Afghan soldiers and civilians everywhere. "
Later, studying the experience of this assault, military experts noted high quality Soviet body armor, which did not penetrate the bullets of the German MP-5 submachine guns in service with the Afghans.

Under the banner of Lenin

After completing this assignment, the Musbat became an ordinary Soviet special-purpose detachment, the commander of which was Major Stoderevsky. The real second musbat was the 177th GRU special forces detachment under the command of Boris Tukenovich Kerimbaev. This commander became famous for being named personal enemy"Panjshir Lion" by Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Jezi Hou, studying the phenomenon of the Muslim battalions of the USSR, noted that without the true internationalism that was in the Soviet Union, it is unlikely that such military units fought heroically under the banner of Lenin, incomprehensible to them.

We could have met him back in Kabul - on December 28, 1979. But then this did not happen. Each had their own tasks. Therefore, I met Captain Rashid Abdullayev in 1985 - together we entered the first year of the V.I. Lenin. I even remember what date it was - September 7th. The students were taken to the training center of the V.V. Kuibyshev in Nakhabino. We were told a lot, demonstrated samples of weapons and equipment. And then I drew attention to the short captain, who was standing not far from me on one of the platforms. On his jacket there was a sign of a graduate of the Suvorov military school and only one order bar. But she was worth ten. This was the bar for the Order of the Red Banner. Then we met and became friends. And now, years later, they found each other again. Colonel of the reserve of the armed forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan Rashid Igamberdievich Abdullaev is currently a researcher at the Center for Military Scientific Research of the Academy of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. They followed in the footsteps of their father and both of his sons - Timur and Alisher. Timur is an officer of the armed forces of Uzbekistan, and Alisher graduated from the military department of the Tashkent State technical university... True, the officer's rank will be awarded to him only a year later - after completing his studies at the university.

Army biographyRashid Igamberdievich began after graduating from the Kazan SVU in 1974, when he entered Sverdlovsk Higher Military-Political Tank-Artillery School. A year after graduation, he was on a business trip to Afghanistan. As part of the "musbat" - the "Muslim battalion", which later received the name of the 154th separate special-purpose detachment of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, Lieutenant Rashid Abdullaev took part in Operation Storm-333.

Eastern wisdom says: “If you want to look at the mountain, you need to move a distance. If you want to assess the event, it takes time. " And now this time has come - many documents have been declassified. That is why the reserve colonel Rashid Abdullaev wrote his chronicle-documentary story "Time has chosen us", which was published in 2014 in Tashkent on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the Soviet troops entering Afghanistan. The book of Rashid Igamberdievich contains documents and memoirs of the participants in those events - December 27, 1979. The story evoked numerous responses.

For example, retired colonel Khabibjan Kholbaev, the commander of the "Muslim battalion", wrote in the preface to the story:

“The author of the book“ Time has chosen us ”Abdullaev R.I. is a direct participant in the events covered in the book. Having passed the difficult military path from a Suvorov soldier to the head of the department of spiritual, moral and military education of the Academy of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Colonel Abdullaev R.I. today he pays much attention to the issues of spiritual, moral and military-patriotic education of young people.

Uncomfortable pages cannot be ripped out of history. It is impossible to keep silent about what was in our common history... The value of the book lies in the fact that the author does not give a political assessment of the events that have taken place, he talks about specific political, military and military facts on the basis of his own memories, eyewitness accounts and documentary materials.

This book is another evidence of the author's desire to leave in the memory of posterity a true picture of the events that took place at the end of the last century, associated with the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan.

The educational component of the book is precisely to show the true heroism and dedication of soldiers and officers who do not discuss, but precisely fulfill the tasks assigned to them. "

And here is a review of the book by a veteran of the special services, retired colonel Muzaffar Khudoyarov, a participant in the Afghan events:

“I am well acquainted with the now retired colonels, the commander of the famous“ Muslim battalion ”Khabibjan Tadjibayevich Kholbaev and his former subordinates - Gulomjon Yusupovich Mamatkulov and Rashid Igamberdievich Abdullaev.

In my opinion, these are people of high moral and professional principles. They are distinguished, first of all, by their decency. Their neighbors and acquaintances do not know about their legendary past, because they have always been and remain modest and laconic people, they never talk about their awards and titles, they do not stick out their truly heroic military past. Military awards speak of their feat: Kh.T. Kholbaev was awarded the country's highest award - the Order of Lenin, R.I. Abdullaev - Order of the Red Banner, G.Yu. Mamatkulov - Order of the Red Star.

Thirty-five years after Operation Shtor-333, in this book I found the names of my childhood friends in the list of spetsnaz fighters: Abdumumin Bogodirov, Turgun Akbaev, Bakhtiyor Artykov, with whom we grew up in Regarsky district. All three differed among their peers in their leading qualities, took an active life position, were diversified both physically and intellectually. Passed conscript service first in the famous Vitebsk 103rd Guards Airborne Division, and then they were selected to the 154th separate special-purpose detachment of the Main Intelligence Directorate - the "Muslim battalion". All three took part in Operation Storm 333. Bogodirov Abdumumin died in battle a day after the capture of Amin's palace in Kabul, later he was posthumously awarded the order Red Star.

Artykov Bakhtiyor is also, unfortunately, currently no longer alive. For the Kabul operation, he was awarded the medal "For Courage". After the army, he entered the service of the internal affairs bodies, became an officer. I never gave in to difficulties and dangers. He died in the line of duty during the riots in Dushanbe. Akbaev Turgun is currently working in a managerial position at one of the largest industrial enterprises. Just like his former commanders, he does not like to advertise his military exploits, although he also has military awards, and we know that the overall success of Operation Storm-333 was ensured thanks to the impeccable actions of his fellow soldiers and officers.

At the cost of their lives, the fighters of the "Muslim battalion" Bogodirov Abdumumin Abdunabievich, Rasulmetov Kurbantai Muradovich, Madiyarov Ziyabiddin Giyasiddinovich, Shcherbekov Mirkasym Abdrashimovich, Kurbanov Khodzhanepiryevich Abdrashimovich, Kurbanov Khojanepirjonovych Abdzhanovich, Shcherbekov Khojanepirjonov These were the first victims. "

I read the book carefully. And then he asked Colonel Abdullaev:

- Rashid, you told about many here, but about yourself - only a few short episodes. And that is not you yourself, but your comrades in arms speak.

“I can’t add anything else, forgive me,” Abdullaev replied. - I was in the group of the company commander Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Salimovich Sharipov, by the way, he was later awarded the Order of Lenin. You will see how our guys acted. Of course, I was among them ...

“You asked me a problem,” I grumbled jokingly, “there are such vivid episodes, such dynamics that it’s impossible to tell it briefly. And if everything is detailed, five articles will not be enough ...

- Which of us studied at the editorial department: you or me, - my friend answered me in tone. - So solve the problem ...

- Listen, Captain Murat Khusainov also studied with us, I remember he was wounded and the Order of the Red Star was also from the Musbat ...

- Yes, in 1979 he was a lieutenant - Murat Oraevich Khusainov. It seems that Murat returned to his homeland in Turkmenistan. He was a normal guy, political officer of the 1st company of the detachment. Alas, now nothing is known to me about his fate ...

I again turn to the book of Colonel Rashid Abdullayev. I read the lines: “Two groups from the USSR State Security Committee took part in the storming of the palace – "Thunder" and "Zenith"; The 154th separate special-purpose detachment of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, the so-called "Muslim battalion", with the attached 9th Guards paratrooper company and the Guards anti-tank platoon ATGM "Fagot" from the 345th Guards separate parachute airborne regiment of the Airborne Forces.

The details of the assault on the Taj Bek palace are described mainly by the KGB of the USSR. Their information about the role and place of the commandos of the "Muslim battalion" and the paratroopers of the 345th Guards. OPDP in operations are sketchy and sometimes inaccurate ...

Over the years that have passed since then, depending on the political situation, the assessment of these events has also changed, they have become overgrown with myths and legends. In many works, the participants in the assault were portrayed as some kind of soulless robots, devoid of any human feelings and emotions. So write those who themselves have never come into close contact with the pain that blood and death inevitable in war carry!

I made an attempt to restore the events of those days on the basis of eyewitness recollections and documentary materials ... "

Talking about the book of Colonel Abdullaev, I will cite only a few fragments from the memoirs of his company commander, battalion commander and one of his fellow officers. The first to move on seven infantry fighting vehicles was the combat group of Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Sharipov and the "Thunder" group under the leadership of Major Mikhail Romanov. The backbone of the 2nd combat group was the 2nd group of the 3rd company under the command of Khamidulla Abdullaev (namesake of Rashid Abdullaev).

This is what Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Sharipov recalls:

“The infantry fighting vehicles, prepared for the throw, lined up in a column. The clock was counting down the last peaceful minutes. Or pan, or disappeared! And inside it was bad - to the point of nausea. There was fear, there was! I sat down in the driver's seat in the BMP. We started the engines ...

Where the monolith of the Taj Bek darkened on the top of the hill, the palace guards, taken by surprise, darted under the fiery shower of the Shilok. In the darkness of the December evening, the Afghans had not yet seen the attackers, but the harsh roar of approaching combat vehicles was already distinctly heard ... We had just started, but I lost contact with the command post. Why? I still don't know. On the move, all five cars began to hit the windows from cannons and machine guns. And then ... In general, at the entrance to the site in front of the palace, the first BMP # 035 caught the edge of the wall and died out! They are already shooting at full speed, from the parapet of the palace they are beating us point-blank, but the mechanic cannot knock out the gear! Bullets hit the car like a shower. I think: “The only thing missing was grenade launchers, one for each vehicle. We did not expect such a fire. "

I immediately gave the command to dismount. "Gromovtsy" got out. And the fire was so dense that they had to hide behind the cars! In a word, it is impossible to break through to the building. On top of that, our "Shilki" beat so that the shells fly overhead. Let me call the battalion commander on the portable radio station - no answer. Then I suddenly felt that the cord from the radio station was stretched, and everything turned me around.

What kind of radio stations do we have? She herself is on the back of the signal officer, and the commander has headphones and an intercom. A fighter, it happens, will turn awkwardly - and pull all this "economy" along with him. I just turned around to scold the fighter, and he already - that's it, ready, toppling to the ground. And then I see - in the ditch next to us, an Afghan is lying, hiding from the fire. For some reason, it stuck in his memory: he has a watch with a ruby-red dial on his wrist. I gave it a turn. It seems to have hit, but he jumps. I’m still in turn - he jumps again. And these are the bullets of AKM's bodies that are stitched and the body ricocheted from the concrete. He just turned in the other direction - an Afghan officer with a PM in his hand was running past the BMP. I knocked him out of the machine. I picked up the pistol, for some reason I show Boyarinov from "Thunder". And he told me: "Come on, take it, your first battle trophy" ...

When my machine gunners saw that the KGB men went on the attack, they immediately rushed after them! They completely forgot about their task, such was the impulse. If Amin had jumped out the window at that moment, he would have easily left! I'm following the fighters - you have to stop!

Near the building itself, I was suddenly hit like a brick on my left thigh. I didn't realize right away that I was wounded. I got to the entrance, I see: Boyarinov is lying - killed. The visor of his helmet was raised, it is clear that the bullet hit right in the face. Somehow I hobbled to my BMP. I injected myself with promedol from the first aid kit. I feel I need more. I summon Sergeant Dzhumaev. I had him instead of a bodyguard. Come on, - I say, - run for the first-aid kit! Just before he was sent to Afghanistan, the KGB demanded that he be left in the Union - his father had once, even before the birth of Dzhumaev, been convicted. And the sergeant "like a hare" got on the plane and flew with us to Bagram. Well, don't send it back! So, he ran after the prodol and seemed to have disappeared - no and no. And then the "Thunderman" shouts to me: "Stop fire on the second floor! It is impossible for anyone to enter there. " For a long time Dzhumaev was gone ... Then he comes running with a prodol. I told him: "Where have you disappeared ?!" He says: “I ran to the BMP and saw that the machine-gunner Khezretov was lying not far from the armor and alone holding back the Afghans, who, having come to their senses, pushed up from the guardhouse to the palace from below. His lower jaw was knocked off with a bullet, blood was gushing, and he was shooting! Courageous guy! " Sergeant Dzhumaev rushed into the BMP, pulled out a towel from someone's duffel bag, somehow tied Khezretov's jaw - and only then - to me.

Then the battle began to subside. Someone from "Thunder" again waves to me: "That's it! Amin has been killed! Report! " I say: "Wait, I'll go and see myself." We went up the stairs. We went into the room ... ".

Major Khabibjan Kholbaev, commander of the "Muslim battalion":

“When, forty-three minutes later, Sharipov reported on the radio that the task had been completed, we headed straight to the palace in an infantry fighting vehicle. There we were met by Sharipov and, as the leader of the capture group, reported on the completion of the mission. When he finished, I noticed that he was wounded in the leg. I ordered to put him in an infantry fighting vehicle and send him to the hospital. "

Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Sharipov:

“I saw Kholbaev, took a drill posture, hand to the visor and began to report on the completion of the task. I thought that he would interrupt me and we would go inside the palace. And he stood at attention, he also put his hand to the headdress and ... so he listened to the whole report. And it was still dangerous to stand by the building, they were shooting. Kolesnik understood the situation and said: “Enter the building. It's dangerous here. " They went inside, and I stayed outside. I lift up my trouser leg - all my underwear is covered in blood. The hole is through. Kolesnik came out and said: "Take the corpses and the wounded and go to the location." My political deputy Rashid Abdullaev was given the command to bring Amin down. He wrapped Amin in a curtain and, along with other soldiers, carried him outside. Our losses: one killed, many wounded. And all in all, three died in my company on December 27-28: Shcherbekov, Khusanov and Kurbanov. Other units, including "Thunder" and "Zenith", also suffered losses ...

However, alas, it didn’t go without shooting at its own ... In the Taj-Bek already captured by the special forces and near the headquarters of the brigade, the Vitebsk paratroopers who had just entered Kabul and knew nothing about Operation Storm entered the battle with ... the Musbat. The Afghan form of the latter let down ... "

Senior lieutenant Bakhodyr Egamberdiev:

“On the morning of December 28, at the exit from the brigade's territory, we unexpectedly came under massive fire from the paratroopers of the 103rd Airborne Division. Realizing that a tragic misunderstanding was taking place, the commandos did not return fire. Lieutenant Rashid Abdullaev, under the bullets, managed to crawl and dash to approach them and establish contact. He risked his life ... "

- I knew that there was a military clash that day between your "Musbatovites" and our Vitebsk paratroopers, - I say to Rashid Abdullayev. - I don’t want to repeat: “War is like war,” but this is exactly what happens ...

- This just speaks of how, - Rashid Igamberdievich answered me, - how tense the situation was that day ... That pain does not subside to this day ...

Finishing the story about the book of the reserve colonel Rashid Abdullayev and the legendary "musbat", I would like to cite a few more facts. In January 1980, the battalion was withdrawn to the territory of the USSR.

However, already from October 29 to 30, 1981, the 154th detachment under the command of Major Igor Stoderevsky again entered Afghanistan. He took part in all operations carried out by the 40th Combined Arms Army.

In accordance with the order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR No. 273 of December 1, 1985, for the exemplary fulfillment of special assignments of the Soviet government, the 154th ooSpN was awarded the pennant "For Courage and Military Valor." The Afghan government and the Central Committee of the PDPA also awarded the detachment with two Honorary Red Banners and the Order of the Red Banner.

By the beginning of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan (on May 15, 1988), the detachment's personnel among the recipients had:

- Knights of the Order of Lenin - 10 officers;

- holders of the Order of the Red Banner - 53 people (31 officers, 13 sergeants and 9 soldiers);

- holders of the Order of the Red Star - 423 people (132 officers, 32 warrant officers, 127 sergeants and 112 soldiers);

- Cavaliers of the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" of the third degree - 24 people;

- awarded the medal "For Courage" - 623 people (12 officers, 15 warrant officers, 205 sergeants and 391 soldiers);

- awarded with the medal "For Military Merit" - 247 people (11 officers, 24 warrant officers, 102 sergeants and 110 soldiers).

Unfortunately, in the battles on Afghan soil, 177 people were killed or died of wounds, and 9 special forces were missing.

In May 1988, the detachment was withdrawn from Afghanistan and stationed near Chirchik. In 1990, the combined group of the detachment took part in measures to restore constitutional order in Tajikistan. In 1992, the detachment, together with the 15th OBRSPN, was transferred to the armed forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 1994, the detachment was renamed the 28th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion. In 2000, the battalion was disbanded.

Alexander Kolotilo

"The Red Star"

Directive of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces 314/2/0061 of 04/26/1979, served as the basis for the order of the commander of the TURKVO troops 21/4/00755 of 05/04/1979 on the formation of a separate special forces detachment of 538 people in the state of 15 OBRSPN. Which went down in the history of our Fatherland as the "Muslim battalion". Colonels V.V. Kolesnik, O.U. Shvets, N.N. Lavrenev were involved in its formation. and Blokhin A.P., as well as the head of intelligence of the TURKVO Colonel Dunets V.V. In order to preserve secrecy, it was decided to resettle the detachment from the military camp of the brigade, having repaired the abandoned town of the engineering battalion for this in an economic way. The commander of the 2nd detachment of 15 OBRSpN, Major Stoderevsky I.Yu., who was assigned to lead the construction of the town, received a company of military builders, several dozen civilian builders from all KEChs of the district, and two hundred personnel from the brigade as auxiliary workers. In 2 months, the repair of the town was completed. The recruitment of a new battalion began at a fast pace, exclusively from persons of nationalities Central Asia... Personnel arrived from all districts. Mainly from airborne divisions and to a lesser extent from motorized rifle units.

The command staff of the 154th OOSpN of the first formation

Major Khabib Tadjibaevich Kholbaev, born in 1947, was appointed the commander of the detachment. Graduate of the Tashkent VOKU them. Lenin. Since 1969, he served in 15 OBRSpN as a group commander, company commander of an SPN, deputy commander of an SPN detachment for VDS. Captains M.T.Sakhatov (deputy), A.M. Ashurov (chief of staff), A.S. Sattarov (political commander), E.N. Ibragimov (deputy funeral ), Major D. Jalilov (Deputy for Logistics).

The companies were commanded by senior lieutenants: Amangeldyev K.M., Sharipov V.S., Miryusupov M.M., and Captain Kudratov I.S .. Senior Lieutenant V.M. Prout was appointed the commander of the anti-aircraft artillery group. Captain Nikonov was appointed commander of the ORNO. Ensign Neverov Yu. Deputy commander of the civil registry office. Young graduates were appointed commanders of special forces groups general military schools, among them two lieutenants (Tursunkulov R.T. and Abzalimov R.K.) were graduates of the RVVDKU. Separate communications and support platoons were commanded by senior lieutenant Mirsaatov Yu.M. and senior warrant officer Rakhimov A.

Combat formation of detachment units

By June 1, 1979, out of a thousand candidates submitted, the squad was fully staffed up to a staff of 532 people. For a month and a half, the detachment, completely freed from detachments, guards and extraneous work, completed an annual combat training program. The entire personnel of the detachment made parachute jumps. Combat coordination of the formed units was carried out.

On July 15, the battalion was checked for combat and political training by the GRU General Staff Commission. The district was represented by the chief of staff of TURKVO, Lieutenant-General GF Krivosheev. Tactical exercises with live fire were held on the topics: "Capturing a mountain pass", "Capturing a communications center", "Capturing a detached building", "Capturing an airfield", " Fight in the city ".

Particular attention was paid to combat coordination at the group, company, and battalion level. Shooting and driving were handed over at the training grounds of the combined arms and tank schools. There were no limits on fuel and ammunition. The grenade launchers fired at a distance, at a time, at noise through the smoke, at a minimum distance. Who was supposed to hand over practical tasks in mine-blasting business. All were tested for physical endurance during the 30 km marches. During the entire check, specialist translators monitored the mastery of the teams in Farsi and the knowledge of the Arabic script. As a result, the commission assessed the results of the audit as good. There was a lull.

Soldiers began to be recruited for guard duty and for various chores. Only almost every day, - recalled the veteran of the detachment Rashid Abdullaev, - the units in the order of priority went to the Tuzel airfield and practiced loading armored vehicles into airplanes. They scrupulously calculated how much ammunition and material values ​​could be taken in the cars so that the planes could lift them.

Reconnaissance on the ground

By order of the GRU chief, the commander of the detachment, Major Kholbaev, and the deputy commanders of the 15th brigade, Majors Gruzdev and Turbulanov, flew to Kabul to reconnoitre the presidential palace, as well as the renovated Taj Bek palace in Duralaman, where Amin soon moved.

Telegram to Chief of General Staff Ogarkov

"In the period from 11 to 17 July 1979, a reconnaissance was carried out in the city of Kabul with the aim of the possible use of the 15th brigade of the special forces of the TURKVO. According to the Soviet ambassador and the heads of the special services, the greatest activation of the rebels in the periphery and the city of Kabul is expected in August. In this regard, the ambassador asks: to transfer the detachment to Kabul before August 10. The development of the implementation of the transfer measures should be entrusted to the Air Force Commander and the TURKVO Commander. "

General of the Army Ivashutin

However, the transfer of the detachment was delayed. In mid-October, the "Muslim" battalion resumed its intensive combat training under the "Capture Objects" program. The AKM and AKMS submachine guns, RPK machine guns and TT pistols received from the warehouses were shot at. At the end of November, a regular check of combat training took place, which was attended by the authorities from Moscow. "There were several options for transferring to Afghanistan."

However, on December 4, 1979, Yu. Andropov and N. Ogarkov sent to the Central Committee of the CPSU the now well-known note 312/2/0073: headquarters with a total number of 500 people in uniforms that do not reveal their affiliation with the Armed Forces of the USSR. "

First entry into Afghanistan

On the night of December 5, from the Chirchik airfield, the first group from the 3rd special forces company departed to Afghanistan on an AN-12 aircraft under the command of the deputy commander of the detachment, Captain Sakhatov M.T.. The transfer of all battalion personnel was carried out on the night of December 9-10, from two airfields, in Chirchik and Tashkent (Tuzel), by AN-12, AN-22, and IL-76 aircraft. Each flight took off 45 minutes. The interval between flights was no more than two hours. The departure was carried out on three flights of seven planes to the Bagram airfield. To accommodate the battalion at the Bagram airbase, Captain Sakhatov's group prepared CSS tents at the rate of one for each company and under the headquarters. Subsequently, the detachment was redeployed south-west of Kabul to the Dar-ul Aman area, to strengthen the protection of the Taj Bek presidential palace. 27.12.1979 at 19.00 started storming of the Taj Beck palace, the operation ended at 23.00. Quite a lot has been written about how the "Muslim battalion" stormed this palace, and those who study or are simply interested in this topic have practically no questions left.

Only one thing should be added, the loss of personnel of the "Muslim battalion", during the hostilities during the assault on the Taj Bek palace, amounted to: 7 people killed (in addition, 5 KGB officers from the operational-combat groups "Thunder" and "Zenith" were killed, as well as 2 soldiers from the 9th paratrooper company of the 345th paratrooper division attached to the detachment (company commander Senior Lieutenant V. Vostrotin) One SPN detachment soldier died on January 6, 1980, as a result of a tragic accident. 67 servicemen of the SPN detachment of varying severity.On January 10, 1980, the detachment was transferred back to Chirchik.

In April 1980, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was signed on awarding 370 servicemen of 15 OBRSPN, participants in the operation "Storm-333" orders and medals of the USSR. 400 employees of the KGB of the USSR also received awards. At the end of 1981, efforts were made to increase the grouping of intelligence agencies. In Afghanistan, two separate special forces of the GRU are introduced to operate in the northern regions of the country. One of these battalions was - 154 OOSpN.

By the time May 7, 1981, 154 OOSpN the Battle Banner of the unit was presented. The holiday of the unit was determined - April 26 (1979). Directive of the Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces 4/372 of 21.10.1981 154 OOSpN scheduled for entry into the DRA on October 26, 1981.

The second input of 154 OOSpN to Afghanistan

The detachment, after being reorganized, without conducting combat coordination, under the command of Major I.Yu. Stoderevsky, on the night of October 29-30, 1981, crossed the state border with Afghanistan in the Termez region.

154 OOSpN for the period of hostilities received the open name - 1st separate motorized rifle battalion (military unit field post 35651, call sign "Amur-35"). From October 30, 1981 to May 15, 1988 Detachment 154 took part in continuous hostilities with armed rebel formations. Destroying by air raids and from ambush the manpower of the Mujahideen, destroying fortified areas (UR) of the enemy, front headquarters, Islamic committees, training centers, warehouses with weapons and ammunition, participating in searches of caravans and conducting aerial reconnaissance in the area of ​​responsibility.

The most famous combat operations of the detachment, after "Storm 333", were:

• the capture of the bases of dushmans in Jar Kuduk (Jowzjan province, December 1981),
• the capture of the dushman bases in Darzab (Fariab province, January 1982),
• lifting the blockade of Sancharak (Jowzjan province, April 1982).
• destruction of 2 gangs in Kuli-Ishan (Samangan province, October 1982),
• the capture of the bases of dushmans in the Marmol gorge (Balkh province, March 1983). Operations in the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar near Kulala, Bar-Koshmund, Bagicha, UR "Goshta", UR "Karera", Loy-Termai, in the Black Mountains, near Shahidan, Mangval, Sarband, army operation "Vostok-88" and others ...

By the combat order of the commander 40OA 01 dated 03/13/1988. output 154 OOSpN was identified by the first column from Jalalabad on May 15, 1988. 228 units of military equipment in one convoy made the march Jalalabad-Kabul-Puli-Khumri-Hairaton in three days. May 18 crossed the state border of the USSR in the Termez region. May 20, 1988 by rail completed an exit to the place of permanent deployment in the city of Chirchik, USSR.

154 separate detachment of Special Forces commanded:

• Major Kholbaev Khabibdzhan Tadjibaevich from 5.1979 to 8.1981.
• Major Kosteniuk Nikolay Mikhailovich from 8.1981 to 10.1981.
• Major Stoderevsky Igor Yurievich from 10.1981 to 11.1983.
• Major Olekseenko Vasily Ivanovich from 11.1983 to 2.1984.
• Major Portnyagin Vladimir Pavlovich from 2.1984 to 11.1984.
• Major Dementyev Alexey Mikhailovich from 11.1984 to 8.1985.
• Major Abzalimov Ramil Karimovich from 08.1985 to 10.1986.
• Major Giluch Vladislav Petrovich from 10.1986 to 11.1987.
• Captain Vorobyov Vladimir Fedorovich from 11.1987 to 6.1988.
• Major Kozlov Yuri Vsevolodovich from 6.1988 to 9.1990
• Major Efimenko Anatoly Nikolaevich from 9.1990 to 9.1991.
• Lieutenant Colonel Svirin Valery Mikhailovich from 9.1991 to 9.1992
• Major Vorontsov Sergey Anatolyevich from 9.1992 to 12.1994.

The special forces inflicted tangible damage on the Islamic opposition, so according to the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, the GRU special forces of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces destroyed 17,000 dushmans, 990 caravans and 332 depots, and captured 825 prisoners.

The results of the reconnaissance and combat activities of 154 OOSpN as of May 1, 1983:

• Operations performed 248
• The rebels killed 955 people.
• 452 people were taken prisoner.
• 566 small arms captured.
• DShK machine guns 2 units
• Captured ammunition Cartridges - over 100,000 pcs.
• Mines - 237 pcs.
• Grenades - 228 pcs.
• RPG rounds - 183 pcs. Electric detonators - 5200 pcs.
• Detonator capsules - 8000 pcs.
• Mines for 60 mm mortar - 235 pcs.
• Cavalry horses captured 16
• 12 cars were seized. and BRDM-1
• Destroyed Islamic committees 9
• Situation stabilized in areas of responsibility Jowzjan Province
• Samangan Province
• Our losses Killed - 34 people.
• Missing in action - 1 person.

Detachment dislocation change

• June 1979 - December 1979 - Chirchik, Tashkent region, USSR;
• December 1979 - January 1980 - Bagram, Kabul, Afghanistan;
• February 1980 - October 1981 - Chirchik, Tashkent region, USSR;
• October 1981 - July 1982 - Akcha, Jowzjan province, Afghanistan;
• August 1982 - February 1984 - Aybak, Samangan province, Afghanistan;
• February 1984 - May 1988 - Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan;
• May 20, 1988 - May 1990 - Chirchik, Tashkent region, USSR, Uzbekistan.
• June 1990-1994 - Azadbash, Bastanlyk district of Tashkent region, USSR;
• December 1994 - 2000 transferred to the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan, renamed 28 separate reconnaissance battalion of the Armed Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan.
• 2000 - Disbanded.

The composition of the Soviet forces, introduced to provide assistance in 1979 to "friendly" Afghanistan, included one unique,
a well-trained special unit, consisting exclusively of representatives of Central Asian nationalities.
It is thanks to the origin of its personnel that this detachment received the name "Muslim battalion".
Unfortunately, this battalion did not last long, but it managed to leave a bright mark in the history of the GRU.