SOVIET LOGISTICS BUILDUP IN SUPPORT OF AFGHANISTAN INVASION, TERMEZ USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01355A000100740001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 1, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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Imagery analysis report
Soviet Logistics Buildup in Support of
Afghanistan Invasion, Termez
USSR (S)
Secret
Secret
Z-20042/80
IAR-0151/80
JULY 1980
copy 16 7
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Warning Notice
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(WNINTEL)
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
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SECRET
SOVIET LOGISTICS BUILDUP IN SUPPORT
OF AFGHANISTAN INVASION, TERMEZ, USSR (S)
1. (S/D) The supply and support of Soviet units which deployed to Afghanistan in late December
1979 has centered around the Termez, USSR, area. Since that time, Termez has served as the primary
receiving and forwarding logistics base for Soviet combat units and troops engaged in operations in
Afghanistan. Continuing and current activities in the Termez area suggest a permanent Soviet supply
effort to troops stationed in Afghanistan and may indicate that the Soviets intend to remain for some time.
2. (S/D) This report identifies and briefly discusses the rapid buildup and construction of the
railroad system, the freight transshipment capabilities, and the expansion of a field fuel supply depot
within strategic areas of the Termez complex in the Turkestan Military District
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3. (S/D) Since February 1980, the railroad system has undergone major and rapid expansion and
has at least doubled the freight transshipment capability in the northwest and southeast area of the Termez
complex which is less than I nautical mile (nm) north of the USSR/Afghanistan border (Figures I and 2).
In addition, the storage capacity at the Termez field fuel supply depot has been increased to at least five
times the minimum estimated capacity of 2,000,000 liters since February 1980. Currently, the primary
facilities contained in the Termez complex area include Termez Army Barracks AL-I/Headquarters
Motorized Rifle Division Termez Army Barracks AL-3 Termez 25X1
Transshipment Port Complex Amu Darya River Termez Ammunition Depot DA-l 25X1
Termez Training Area I Termez North Airfield and three SA-3 25X1
surface-to-air missile (SAM) air defense sites which were newly de ployed in January 1980 and include Termez
SAM Site Termez SAM Site Southeast and Termez SAM Site Amu 25X1
Darya River 25X1
Expansion of Termez Transshipment Area Northwest
4. (S/D) Railroad transshipment in the Termez area is performed by means of rail-to-road, road-to-
rail, and rail-to-water facilities. Since December 1979, the Soviets have built two large transshipment
stations-Termez Transshipment Station Northwest and Termez Transshipment Station
added eight rail sidings to the original four; and increased the flow of incoming rail
freight to this transshipment area, 6 nm northwest of Termez (Figures 3 and 4). Prior to December, little
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2bAl
significant activity was observed
at this transshipment area which then only
contained Termez
Ammunition Depot DA-l;
Termez
LPG Storage/Distribution Facility
Northwest
one
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transshipment station; and
Termez
Transshipment Station North
which consisted of
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three rail spurs, a loading platform, two freight buildings, a rail line which ran south to Termez and north
through Bukhara, and four rail sidings.
1 1\ 14'~il ~'
AYAGUZ
SARY-OZEK ?
TFRMF7
bi(INGOI I A CHINA J<
CHINA ~.._~ ?~
L yPIC S-9398]
FIGURE 1. LOCATIONS OF LOGISTICS FACILITIES IN SUPPORT OF SOVIET/AFGHANISTAN DEPLOYMENT
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5. (S/D) Termez Transshipment Station Northwest, directly north of Termez Ammunition Depot
DA-l, was constructed in late February 1980. The facility contains three freight storage quonset huts, two
rail spurs, two concrete loading platforms with gantry cranes (one under construction), a large open
storage area containing construction materials, a support bivouac, housetrailers, and crates. This station is
operational with high levels of rail-to-road transloading activity usually observed.
6. (S/D) Termez Transshipment Station, approximately 1 nm southeast of Termez Ammunition
Depot DA-l, has been under construction since early June 1980 and contains a large construction support
bivouac with tents and semipermanent shelters and four rail spurs which lead off the rail line. The rail
spurs were completed by the end of June and appeared to be ready for rail traffic This
station was still under construction in early July and showed low levels of rail traffic. When this station is
complete, it will at least double the railroad transshipment capability of the entire Termez complex.
7. (S/D) Since the construction of the two freight transshipment stations and the Afghanistan
invasion, an increase has been observed in the overall number of crates being stored at Termez
Ammunition Depot. Little activity was usually observed there prior to the Afghanistan invasion. An increase in
stacked crated materials and SA-4 SAM canisters and boosters was observed in the open storage areas of the
installation beginning in February 1980. The SA-4 SAM canisters and boosters had been removed from the
depot by early July. They were probably being stored at this depot for resupply of the SA-4 brigade which
withdrew from Afghanistan and returned to its usual garrison at Ashkhabad Army Barracks West AL-I/SAM
Support
8. (S/D) Supplies and units currently stationed in and around this transshipment area include
petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) heavy-lift transport units; construction and maintenance units; an
SA-3 SAM support unit; a railroad construction unit (Figure 3); an R-410 TWIN PLATE troposcatter
relay station; and one operational SA-3 SAM air defense site (Figure 4).
Expansion of Termez Transshipment Area Southeast
9. (S/D) Expansion of a railroad system and freight transshipment area, 7 nm southeast of the
Termez complex and less than I nm south of Termez Training Area 1 (Figures 2 and 5), began in February
and continued Prior to the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan, the area served as a military
combat training area for divisional units stationed at Termez Army Barracks AL-I and AL-3. In January,
the training area was transformed into a staging area, and a primary river-crossing point (PPS/PMP bridge) was
established across the Amu Darya (river), 7 nm southeast of Termez. This area now supports the military
combat units and troops both entering and leaving Afghanistan.
10. (S/D) A new rail line, which leads south to a new transshipment station with three rail spurs at
the Amu Darya bank and east to Termez Tactical POL Site has been under construction
since early May 1980. The new transshipment station will probably be semioperational in August, but as of early
July construction was continuing.
11. (S/D) Units and activity in this training area include Termez SAM Site Amu Darya River, which is an
operational SA-3 SAM air defense site; a probable army-level motor transport unit; an operational PPS/PMP
floating bridge; a permanent reinforced concrete bridge, which has been under construction since at least 1975;
and Termez Tactical POL Site, which is a field fuel supply depot.
12. (S/D) The combined expansion of the railroad system and freight transshipment areas to the
northwest and southeast of Termez has enabled the Soviets to transfer supplies, POL, and equipment via
rail-to-road through the Turkestan Military District, across the border, and into Afghanistan at a rapid
rate. This expansion also indicates the permanence of the Soviet effort to supply major logistics to the
Soviet military deployed in Afghanistan.
Expansion of Field Fuel Supply Depot at Termez Southeast
13. (S D)
identifie
and 6).
Initial construction of a field fuel supply depot, Termez Tactical POL Site, was first
eigh
in the southern portion of Termez Training Area I (Figures 2
t MR-250 fuel containers (also referred to as soft tanks or
were newly identified at this site. In February, the minimum estimated storage
capacity was 2,000,000 liters. POL storage containers at this facility had been significantly increased
112 R-50 horizontal fuel tanks, three MR-250 bladders, and one MR-150 bladder were added.
This addition of fuel storage containers increased the minimum estimated capacity to 9,250,000 liters. In May,
some of the horizontal fuel tanks were covered with earth, the minimum estimated capacity was
between 12,000,000 and 13,000,000 liters.
14. (S/D) This field fuel supply depot serves as a fuel resupply base for ground and air units
stationed in Afghanistan. The fuel from this depot is transported primarily by POL trucks which cross the
Amu Darya via the PPS/PMP floating bridge to resupply Afghanistan field fuel depots or nearby deployed
combat units. An operational tactical pipeline, extending from the fuel supply depot both underground and
underwater across the Amu Darya and connecting with the Khairabad (Kheyrabad) Tactical POL Site
in Afghanistan, is also used for fuel transshipment.
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15. (S/D) Two central petroleum products storage facilities, which may be examples of how POL
has been consolidated and forwarded to the Termez area and into Afghanistan, have been identified in the
Central Asian Military District. The usual fuel storage capacity of both Ayaguz Petroleum Production
Storage Northwest and Sary-Ozek Petroleum Production Storage North No 2
has recently increased through the use of MR-series bladders and additional R-series horizontal
tanks (Figures 7 and 8).
16. (S/D) Approximately 171 MR-25 fuel bladders and one MR-250 fuel bladder were added to the
central storage facility at Ayaguz Petroleum Production Storage Northwest in June 1980. This increased
the Ayaguz usual capacity by an estimated 4,525,000 liters. At least 93 R-50 horizontal fuel tanks, five
MR-250 fuel bladders, and five MR-150 fuel bladders were added to the Sary-Ozek Petroleum Production
Storage North No 2 in June, increasing the Sary-Ozek usual storage capacity by an estimated 8,275,000
liters.
17. (S/D) The increased number of fuel storage containers at the two petroleum products storage
facilities enabled the Soviets to forward POL via rail, by using rail tank cars or horizontal POL tanks, to
the Termez area and into Afghanistan and to still maintain usual levels of stored POL within each
petroleum products facility.
18. (S/D) An example of how POL was probably transferred from the Sary-Ozek Petroleum
Production Storage North No 2 to the Termez area was observed in mid-May 1980.
R-series horizontal POL tanks, which were probably filled with POL, and elements of a heavy-lift
unit with 60 ton trailers and prime movers were observed loading onto flatcars at a nearby railyard
extension. elements of a heavy-lift unit with 60-ton trailers, prime
movers, and R-series horizontal POL tanks were observed offloading at Termez Transshipment Station
Northwest. It is possible that these were elements of the same heavy-lift unit which loaded at Sary-Ozek.
After the arrival of the heavy-lift unit and R-series fuel tanks at Termez Transshipment Station
Northwest, numerous R-series tanks were loaded onto 60-ton trailers and were transported by road across
the PPS/PMP floating bridge. This massive POL transfer into Afghanistan was probably to resupply field
fuel supply depots and permanent petroleum products storage facilities in that country for Soviet combat
use.
Summary
19. (S/D) Observations of the transshipment of POL products from the USSR into Afghanistan continue
on a regular basis. All main rail lines, petroleum products storage facilities, and major highways capable of
supporting the transshipment of POL through the Turkestan Military District into Afghanistan are being used.
The extent of POL transfer extends well into the interior of the Soviet Union, as evidenced by the activity at
Sary-Ozek and Ayaguz. This POL transfer activity and the massive buildup of the Termez complex area indicate
a permanent effort on the part of the Soviets in logistical supply to units stationed in Afghanistan.
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