History 19/03/20 Squad Zenit: how he fought in Afghanistan KGB spetsnaz
a special unit of the KGB of the Soviet Union lasted a little more than six months. However, in Afghanistan the soldiers of founded Zenit in just less than four months managed to conduct several operations which entered the history of Russian special forces.
As Ministers Taraki “played in boxes”
In the late 1970-ies in Afghanistan was created by the government, which was headed by Nur Mohammad Taraki. The mission of the USSR in that troubled country needed a small but capable special unit, whose task was to include intelligence and counterintelligence operations.
in the Summer of 1979 for this purpose we have formed a special squad of “Zenit” consisting of the officers of the special reserve of the KGB, pre-trained. In early July, “Zenit” in the composition of about 40 people arrived in Kabul.
By September the political situation in Afghanistan changed dramatically came to power Hafizullah Amin, declared war on his predecessors. Supporters of Taraki and the Secretary General of the PDPA, he was dismissed from their posts. Three of the ousted Minister of the previous government was in greater danger, because Amin was going to physically destroy.
the Soldiers of “Zenit” held a unique operation to transport these unfortunate Afghan politicians in the USSR. Officials first brought to the territory of the Soviet Embassy in the trunk of a car with diplomatic plates. Then, disguised in the form of special forces, was taken to one of their bases “Zenit”, the protection of which was immediately strengthened. Over time it became clear that the counterintelligence Amin is showing increased attention to this database: for the “Zenit” out in the city, went “outdoor advertising”.
a few days Later in a controlled Soviet paratroopers sat Bagram military transport of the Soviet air force. In addition to spaceservices arrived to replace “zAnytown”, on Board were three wooden weapons box. At the bottom of each mattress, in caps drilled holes. Tara was taken to the base of “Zenith”, where lived the fugitive Ministers. Everything was thought over to trifles – the Afghans were taken to Bagram from Kabul under the guise of goods things going in the vacation officers “Zenit”. In front rode the bus dressed as a citizen of “Zenit”, the back of the truck with the boxes. The awning hid armed commandos, who were given the order by any means to deliver these “packages” on purpose.
Pretty fast Soviet officers realized that their column “lead” counterintelligence Amin. On the outskirts of the Afghan capital at the checkpoint, the truck bus was stopped by the Afghan military and want to watch. As soon as senior attire looked under the awning, his forehead rested Kalash, and the head of the team “Zenit” A. I. Dolmatov, who was holding the gun, showed the inspector a fist. And then eloquently brought forefinger to her lips, silently telling to be. The Afghan understood correctly, and, jumping off the truck, gave the command to skip the Soviet motorcade. Shortly behind “Zenit” and a group of Afghan surveillance.
the airport in Bagram, the group arrived without incident, the plane smoothly took the Ministers in Tashkent.
the storming of the Palace Amin
in the Fall of 1979, the division of “Zenit” numerical replenished. The situation in Afghanistan became more and more intense. In early October it became known that the former head of the country Taraki was killed on the orders of Amin. Dictatorial new leader of Afghanistan and, most importantly, his contacts with the CIA, the blatant attempts of rapprochement with the West have prompted the leadership of the Soviet Union make the decision to eliminate Amin. This task was to fulfill the “Zenith”.
a SWAT team broke into groups, each of which posed a particular challenge to capture or disabling of one or another strategically important object for the capital of Afghanistan. Such objects counted nine residence Amina, pregranted a presidential Palace Taj-Bek, the General staff, Tsarandoy (local MIA), CAM (similar to KGB). Besides, “Zenith” and his assistants had to gain a foothold in the Telegraph and in the center, take the mail to the prison Bullet-Charkhi and disable the communication system Structure.
a Day was appointed on December 27. On the eve of the USSR to gain “Zenit” has arrived group of special troops of the 25 officers of the detachment “Grom”. The total number of these two units at that time was about 170 people. From mid-December were intensive preparations for a major operation. In addition to the 55 officers of “Zenith” and “Thunder” in the storming of the Palace, was part of the more than 300 soldiers of the “Muslim” battalion and a company of airborne. The residence was guarded by three battalions of the national guard (2 thousand men) and 11 tanks. At the coming, there were 2 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns-“Shilka”, 8 automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 and 4 anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
…Three armored personnel carriers with “Zenit” went to storm the Palace, fired heavy machine guns. One APC was hit, the second broke the wheel, but it is all the same as the third APC, then jumped through the fire zone, and commandos parachuted near the end of the residence. “Shilka” supported the attack with its fire. Arrived “gromovtsy” that made it past the Palace on the serpentine. The combined group of commandos rushed into the building, six of the men climbed to the second floor. There in one of the rooms was discovered dead amine. The battle for the residence lasted for 45 minutes, the commandos were among the five killed, including the head of the operation Colonel Boyarinov, there were losses in the Marines and in the “Muslim” battalion. The capture of the remaining eight objects “Zenith” has lost one of its officer: captain A. Muranov died in the battle for the building of Tsarandoi (MIA).
“Zenit” soon after these operations, was disbanded, and most of his officers then formed the basis of another, no less famous special forces units of the KGB “Vympel”.
Russian Seven
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