Rokossovski Marshal K, Soviet commander in World War II 158
Romanov Major, commander of Grom 91, 93
Rozenbaum Alexander, popular singer 192, 253
Rozenbaum Alexander, young journalist 292
Rutskoi Colonel Alexander 230, 311, 317
Ruzi Lieutenant, one of Taraki’s murderers 72–3, 93
Ryabchenko General, commander of 108th Airborne Division 100–101
Rykova Svetlana, wangles a job in Shindand 156
Ryurikov Dmitri, diplomat 65–6, 107
Saimetdinov Dodikhudo, interpreter 167
Sakharov Andrei (1921–89), nuclear physicist and dissident 108, 237
Salang tunnel 88, 205–6
Samin, Russian PoW 261
Sandirescu, praporshchik in 860th Regiment 210–11
Sapper 132
Sarwari Asadullah, member of ‘Gang of Four’ 59, 62, 64–5, 68, 83, 92
Satarov Captain, 96
Sayyaf Abdul Rasul (1946–.), mujahedin commander 17
Sberbank, Soviet savings bank 188
Sebrov General, unimpressed with official speeches 291
Semchenko Grisha, youth adviser 163
Semenov Major, commander of Zenit 93
Sergeev Major, captures a Stinger 204, 304
Severny Komsomolets, newspaper 292
Shafi, Afghan agent working for Russians 127
Shah Wali, Amin’s foreign minister 71
Shchedrov, Pravda correspondent 239
Shebarshin Leonid, KGB general 222
Returns to Herat 333
Shershnev Colonel Leonid, critic of war 239–41, 243
Shevardnadze Eduard (1927–), Soviet foreign minister 81, 276–7, 280, 287–9, 309
Proposes leaving Soviet troops to support Najibullah after withdrawal 282
Reports on unpopularity of Soviets 278
Signs Geneva Agreements with heavy heart 282
Tells Shultz Soviets will soon leave 280
Shilka, mobile anti-aircraft gun 92, 97
Shindand, Afghan town 54, 193, 233, 252, 303
Shiryaev Valeri, military interpreter 151, 158, 231
Shkidchenko General, killed on operations 151
Shkirando Alexander, poisoned in Amin’s palace 96
Shomali Plain, ‘green zone’ north of Kabul 206, 217
Shujah Shah (1785–1842), Afghan ruler 14–15
Shultz George (1920–), US Secretary of State 280
shuravi, Afghan word for Soviet 298
Sidorov Colonel Valeri, commander of 860th Regiment 209, 211–13
Skobelev General Mikhail (1843–82), conqueror of Central Asia 24
Slonim Masha, British journalist, rescues drug addicts 191
Smolina Alla, Soviet official 203, 257, 264–5
Snegirev Vladimir, Soviet journalist 149, 189, 238, 258, 333
Snesarev General Andrei (1865–1937), expert on Afghanistan 9, 28
Sneyerov Kostya, soldier in 860th Regiment 326
Sokolov Marshal Sergei, First Deputy Minister of Defence, 84, 88, 141, 186, 222–3, 243, 250
Sotskov General, Chief Military Adviser 1988–9 290
Soviet Union
Contribution of war to Soviet collapse 330
Incoherence of policy making 61
Ministry of Defence prepares for possible invasion 56
Soviet withdrawal
First phase 1988 282
Second phase, winter 1988–9 284
Soviets leave Jalalabad 283
Spin Boldak, Afghan town 303
St Petersburg Faculty of Oriental Languages 22
Stepanov Yuri, Russian convert to Islam 260
Stinger, American anti-aircraft missile 203–5
Sufi Puainda Mokhmad, mujahedin leader 259–60
Sukhoparov Alexander, adviser to Afghan Communist party 106
Suslov Mikhail (1902–82), Soviet Politburo member 77, 80, 237
Tabeev Fikryat, Soviet ambassador in Kabul 61, 75, 87, 105, 276
Taj Bek Palace 89–91, 93, 102, 115, 215
Tajikistan 13, 78, 87, 153, 305–6
Taliban, Islamist movement in Afghanistan 32, 36, 123, 234, 260, 303–4
Brings civil war to an end 302
Operates in Central Asia 78
Talybov Mikhail, KGB agent posing as Amin’s cook 95
Tamberlane (1336–1405), conqueror 12
Tanai Shah Navaz, Afghan officer, later defence minister 45
Joint commander of Operation Magistral 214
Taraki Nur Mohamed (1917–79), Afghan Communist president 7, 17, 39–40, 42, 50–54, 59, 62–9, 73, 81, 93, 95, 112
Arrested by Daud 40
Becomes Head of State 42
Flies to Havana 62
Intrigues against Amin 58
Last meeting with Brezhnev 62
Leader of Khalq faction 38
Murdered 72
Repeats requests for Soviet troops 55
Summoned to Moscow March 1979 50
Tarun Major, Afghan officer 62, 64, 66–7
Tashkurgan, Afghan town, last HQ of 40th Army 291
Ter-Grigoriants General 184
Thatcher Margaret (1925–), British prime minister 113
Tkach General B, commander of 40th Army, 1980–82 124
Tkachev Colonel Anatoli, GRU, negotiates ceasefire with Masud 185–6
Tsagolov Colonel Kim, critic of Soviet policy in Afghanistan 241
Tsarandoi, Afghan government gendarmerie 90, 135, 137
Tsevma Gennadi, Russian convert to Islam 258
Tukharinov General Yu, first commander of 40th Army, 1979–80 84, 87, 124, 140
Ural mountains, Russia 255
US policy aims 114
Ustinov Dmitri (1908–94), Soviet defence minister 51–2, 54–5, 69, 74–5, 79, 125, 223, 229, 270
Ceases to be a hawk 271
Discusses Herat rising 46, 48–49
Issues orders for invasion 77, 85–86,
Member of Committee on Afghanistan 60
Sends paratroopers to defend Bagram 57
Uzbekistan 13, 78, 153, 302
Vadud Captain, member of Taraki’s guard 72–3
Varennikov Valentin (1929–2009), Soviet general 203, 227, 275, 285, 289, 310–11, 317
Arrested for role in coup 312
Attends Politburo meeting, May 1987 279
Furious at Shevardnadze’s betrayal of military 288
Involved in coup against Gorbachev 310
Leads delegation to Kabul after withdrawal 296
Negotiates ceasefire with Masud 285
Pays respects at Masud’s grave 305
Signs directive on press coverage of war 236
Sorts out attack on Zhawar 214
Strongly criticises Gorbachev in his memoirs 310
Visits zastava 141
Vaskov Igor, Soviet soldier 269
Veselkov General, Soviet Interior Ministry adviser in Kabul 74
Veterans (Afgantsy) 158, 173, 191–3, 215, 245, 249, 257
Defend White House 311
Discover the internet 325
Figures for 329
Memory plays tricks 115
Problems of 313–27
Return to Afghanistan as tourists 334
Veterans Organisations
Administration for Afghan Questions 316
Boevoe Bratstvo 317, 326
Presidential Committee for Soldier-Internationalist Affairs 257
Russian Fund for Invalids of the War in Afghanistan (RFIVA) 317
Chairman Mikhail Likhodei Assassinated 317
Chairman Sergei Trakhirov Assassinated 317
Russian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan (RSFA) 317
First chairman Lyagin Yevgeni 317
Union of Veterans of Afghanistan (SVA) 316
Veterans Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States 268
Vietnam 111, 114, 274, 289, 315, 333
Charlie Wilson seeks revenge for 114
Distracts American attention from Afghanistan 30
Inadequate US tactics in 127
Massacre at My Lai, 1968 225
Parallel with Afghanistan 114, 245, 331
US helicopter losses in 205
Viktor, Soviet deserter 264–5
Vilnius, massacre in January 1991 310