Pics of SpN Soviet-Afghan War

[hist2004]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/zd111.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/prosov71.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov981.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov941.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov931.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov921.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov841.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov471.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov441.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov411.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov401.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov381.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov371.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov351.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov341.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov311.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov301.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov291.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1091.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1081.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1071.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1031.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1021.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1011.jpg


Hist2004

[Uncle Sam]

Great pics.

While I was there, I found a couple ripped up Spetsnaz shirts, chest rigs, helmets, hats, and various pouches the Russians left behind. But I can't say where. :-(

[Turre]

Nice post!

Pictures are from 177th OOSpN.

Turre

[Digger1]

It is weird looking at those pics. Just imagine giving them some colour, clean them up a bit and they strangely remind me of pics you see from troops in Afghanistan now!

[SS1983]

Remind me many young soliders died there,RIP!

[attackong]

Never in my life i thought i would see pics like that !
Amazing.
Thanks, Hist2004

[Nickel1106]

nice pics man
thx for post
and RIP to those heroes dead there

[droopy]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/hist2004/kozlov1011.jpg

It that a romanian AK ???

Rare stuff 10q.

[Createdeemcee]

definately romanian wood, Im sure since Romainia was part of Russia back in those days that these were part of the Russian Aresenal.

[goldman]

Sweet Pics indeed.woot

[Mr.K]

definately romanian wood, Im sure since Romainia was part of Russia back in those days that these were part of the Russian Aresenal.

No Romania was never a part of Russia or USSR
Russians left a lot of gear since they equipped the afghan army.

[CG51]

Great pics hist2004, thank you.

[hist2004]

Thanks guys,

Hist2004

[RomanS]

The Romanian AK, and the Enfield rifle in the photo is a troffey picked up probably from dead mudj

[Flagg]

Two things I noticed:

On the Stinger picture....are those little beer can sized cylinders some sort of propellant cartridge for ejecting the missile from the launch tube?

Same for a guy I say wearing a vest for AK mags...he had several long-thin tubes in his chest rig...are they a propellant cartridge for the RPG-7?

I've always assumed with both weapons systems, you drop the rocket/missile in, then just press the fun button.

I noticed the vast majority of the men in the photo appear strikingly older than the usual Soviet era photos showing conscript aged soldiers...these guys appear almost without exception to be in their late 20's/30's.


It is weird looking at those pics. Just imagine giving them some colour, clean them up a bit and they strangely remind me of pics you see from troops in Afghanistan now!

To me, these photos remind me more of the Selous Scouts in Zimbabwe in the 70's. They're not carrying heaps of gucci kit, in fact they have very little kit at all(unlike the common photos we see today of soldiers carrying a 40KG "house" on their backs). They look all scraggly(appears to be relaxed standards for personal admin like shaving) and comfortably dressed for the conditions(a number appear to be wearing trainers instead of boots), carrying what appears to be just ammunition and basic necessities...kitted out more like hunters than soldiers in my amateur opinion.

[hist2004]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Spetsnaz GRU of the Afghan war
period was mainly a conscripted force (18-20 yr. olds). For every
20 individuals 18 would be conscripted with two long-term professionals.
Also individual companies had seasoned veterans (28-30 yr. olds).
Depending on who was being photographed at the time and which
detachment will show a variety of ages.

Hist2004

[Digger1]

To me, these photos remind me more of the Selous Scouts in Zimbabwe in the 70's. They're not carrying heaps of gucci kit, in fact they have very little kit at all(unlike the common photos we see today of soldiers carrying a 40KG "house" on their backs). They look all scraggly(appears to be relaxed standards for personal admin like shaving) and comfortably dressed for the conditions(a number appear to be wearing trainers instead of boots), carrying what appears to be just ammunition and basic necessities...kitted out more like hunters than soldiers in my amateur opinion.

I would agree with your observation. However, you have to look at the time...maybe not the beards...but longer hair and big bushy moustaches were in. Now-a-days, the "look cool" factor is large...from sunglasses to lbv's. My point is, that if you look at their surroundings, them sitting with the Afghanis, shooting at the ranges...it is not that much different...just a different time.

[RomanS]

Same for a guy I say wearing a vest for AK mags...he had several long-thin tubes in his chest rig...are they a propellant cartridge for the RPG-7?



Those are smoke/flare signal rockets

here is my friend in the middle, in Chechnya
See those things, they are signal flare rockets/smoke generators

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5986/img08394jt.jpg

[Flagg]

Cheers for that!

[haze99]

CORRECT! Koutch & RomanS

That is a Romanian-made Model-1963 (AKM) with what appears to be RPK bipod legs(?)

A shipment (#) unknown, of Model-1963's came into Afghanistan in 1987/1988. (as well as some PSL rifles!) (Don't ask me, who sent them or where they may have been routed through?) This is where the USSR SpN got this one from. The New Afghan Army has quite a number of these today!

As koutch posted, Romania was not apart of the USSR. Although, it was a member of the Warsaw Pact. (A) no Soviet troops were stationed in Romania. (B) Romania didn't partcipate in Warsaw Pact Manuvers. But, it did send observers.


GREAT photos keep them coming!

[V0rkutinetz]

Great photos. Thank you for posting them.
My older brother was a BTR driver later in the war.
When I asked him if he likes shooting for fun (like I do) he replyed that he had done enough of that while in Afganistan.

[bigjeff]

Rare pics
thx man!

[mobius06]

never seen pics for me , thanks for posting

[BIGSHaW]

Small round things in the stinger pic are not propelants but batteries I assume

[Turre]

This link probably fit in this thread:

http://snipersparadise.com/articles/soviet.htm

And if you want see more pics of SpN in Afghanistan,visit here:

http://www.reznik.pri.ee/
Site of Dmitri Reznikov
Photos in this thread are from his site.

Turre