Afghanistan 1987: Inside Operation Magistral – The USSR’s Final Major Offensive

Описание: Afghanistan has long been known as “The Graveyard of Empires.” In the winter of 1987–1988, the Soviet Union launched Operation Magistral, its final major military offensive of the Soviet-Afghan War, aimed at reopening the Jalalabad–Gardez highway and relieving the besieged city of Khost.

This long-form historical documentary uses high-definition archival footage and immersive narration to explore how over 20,000 Soviet and Afghan troops, elite airborne units, tanks, helicopters, and jet aircraft were deployed against deeply entrenched Mujahideen forces in some of the harshest terrain on Earth.
From the brutal fighting at the Satukandav Pass to massive convoy operations and air assaults, Operation Magistral revealed both the tactical power of the Red Army and the strategic limits of foreign occupation in Afghanistan. Though declared a success, the operation failed to change the course of the war, foreshadowing the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and the eventual collapse of Kabul’s government.

This video examines:
• The strategic goals behind Operation Magistral
• Soviet airborne and Spetsnaz tactics
• Mujahideen resistance and guerrilla warfare
• Why military success did not mean victory
• How Afghanistan earned its reputation as the Graveyard of Empires

📌 Watch to the end to understand why this operation became the Soviet Union’s final assertion of power in Afghanistan—and why it ultimately changed nothing.


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