WITHDRAWAL OF SOVIET UNITS FROM AFGHANISTAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01355A000100830001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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Secret
Imagery analysis report
Withdrawal of Soviet Units From
Afghanistan (S)
Secret
Z-20054/80
IAN-0170/80
AUGUST 1980
COPY 16 7
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Warning Notice
Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
(WNINTEL)
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
NOFORN- Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals
NOCONTRACT- Not Releasable to Contractors or
Contractor/Consultants
PROPIN- Caution-Proprietary Information Involved
USIBONLY- USIB Departments Only
ORCON- Dissemination and Extraction of Information
Controlled by Originator
REL ... This Information has been Authorized for
Release to.. .
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SECRET
WITHDRAWAL OF SOVIET UNITS FROM AFGHANISTAN (S)
1. (S/D) In late June 1980, the Soviets withdrew at least seven combat units from Afghanistan.
These units were an SA-4 brigade, a tank regiment, and a FROG-3/5 battalion from the Kabul/Bagram
area and a FROG-3/5 battalion, elements of a tank regiment, elements of an artillery regiment, and a
FITTER aircraft squadron from the Shindand area of western Afghanistan. three of the
units had been identified back in the USSR, all in the Turkestan Military District. These included a tank
regiment at Samarkand, an SA-4 brigade at Ashkhabad, and a FROG battalion at lolotan (Figure 1).
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I
2. (S/D) Prior to the withdrawal, one SA-4 battalion from the SA-4 brigade was deployed at Kabul
Airfield International and two SA-4 battalions a resu ply battalion, and an independent 25X1
resupply battalion were deployed at Bagram Airfield These units had been in Afghani- 25X1
stan since March 1980. All of these units departed their respective bivouac areas 25X1
(Figure 2).
3. (S/D) The tank regiment bivouacked at Kabul Deployment Area Northwest
departed Kabul The FROG-_3[5 battalion, bivouacked at Bagram Airfield since
departed
4. (S/D) Preparations for the withdrawal were observed along the march route) On that
date, a temporary refueling site comprising of POL trucks connected by hose to individual refueling points
was observed 75 nautical miles (nm) north of Kabul at Pol-E Khomri Soviet Deployment Area
. Farther north at Khairabad (Kheyrabad) Transshipment Point
probable maintenance work was observed on the PPS/PMP bridge that crosses the Amu
Darya (river) into the USSR. four of the PMP sections had been taken out of the center of the
bridge. the bridge had been repaired and a convoy containing two tank battalions, an artillery
battalion, a FROG-3/5 battalion, and an SA-4 battalion was observed near the PPS/PMP bridge. One
tank battalion had already crossed into the USSR, and the remaining units were on the Afghan side
(Figure 4).
5. (S/D) Additional convoys containing elements of the units from the Kabul area were observed
between Kheyrabad and the northern end of the Salang Pass. Ninety nm to the south of Kheyrabad,
elements of the SA-4 brigade (elements of the SA-4 resupply battalion and an engineer company) were at
Pol-E Khomri Soviet Deployment Area (Figure 5). Also, several northbound convoys of trucks were north
of the Salang Pass near Dowshi.
6. (S/D) In the USSR, a tank regiment was parked in Samarkand Training Area West-Southwest
1/Tank School Since this regiment is equipped comparably to the
one which had departed the Kabul area it is probably the same unit. This tank regiment was
not originally deployed from the Samarkand area to Afghanistan, but was subordinate to the motorized
rifle division (MRD) which deployed from the Termez area to Afghanistan in December 1979. This
regiment probably did not return to the Termez garrisons because they are now occupied by units subordi-
nate to a new MRD that replaced the one deployed to Afghanistan.
7. (S/D) On 3 July, elements of the SA-4 brigade were observed returnin to Ashkhabad Army
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2bAl
Barracks West AL-1/SAM Support and had completely returned (Figures 7 and 25X1
8). This unit was housed at this installation prior to deployment to Afghanistan.
8. (S/D) The ground units withdrawn- from the Shindand Area had been bivouacked at Shindand
Deployment Area Elements of the tank regiment (42 tanks) and elements of the artillery
regiment (36 122mm D-30 howitzers), probably withdrawn from Afghanistan, departed the bivouac area
The FROG-3/5 battalion departed th(
FITTER squadron (17 aircraft) deployed at Shindand Airfield
and was replaced by a FISHBED squadron from Kan
figures 9 and 10).
(Continued p. 9)
WNINTEL.
Z-20054/80
SECRET IAR-0170/80
departed
dahar (Qandahar) Airfield International
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:25X1
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SECRET
ASHKHABAD
? SA 4 BRIGADE
R A N
? HERAT
2 TANK BATTALIONS
1 ARTILLERY BATTALION
1 FROG-3/5 BATTALION
1 SA-4 BATTALION
ELEMENTS OF SA-4 ? NAHRIN
BRIGADE AT REFUELING - POL-E KHOMRI
SITE
SA-4 BRIGADE
DEPARTED BY
FROG-3/5 BATTALION
DEPARTED BY
BAGRAM
AFGHANISTAN
?
FEYZABAD
KABUL ?
JALALABAD
TANK REGIMENT
IlFD4RTFf1 RV
SHIN DAN 0
ELEMENTS OF TANK REGIMENT DEPARTED BlC
ELEMENTS OF ARTILLERY REGIMENT DEPARTED
FROG-3/5 BATTALION DEPARTED
FITTER SQUADRON DEPARTED B'
QANDAHAR
?
FISHBED SQUADRON
DEP AND
If
'?Y $ A; I ST
3 50 100
I 1
NAUTICAL MILES
Jv:P1c S-9473
FIGURE 1. WITHDRAWAL OF SOVIET UNITS FROM AFGHANISTAN, JUNE 1980
Z-20054/80
KAGAN
SAMARKAND
U S S R
?
DUSHANBE
MARY
?
IOLOTAN
FROG-3/5 BATTALION
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SECRET
!AR-0170/80
25X1
25X1
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9. (SAD) a FROG-3/5 battalion was arriving in the USSR at lolotan Army Barracks
AL-I Figure 11), which houses elements subordinate to an MRD headquartered at
Kushka. The MRD currently at Kushka is a replacement division for the Kushka MRD that was deployed
to Shindand, Afghanistan, in December 1979. a second FROG-3/5 battalion was on flat
cars at a rail siding near the lolotan installation (Figure 12). only one FROG-3/5 battalion
was in garrison. This is probably the one observed leaving Shin an , A g anistan The second
battalion may have also come from Afghanistan or may have been in transit from an MRD in the USSR to
the Ashkhabad area where an army-/military district-level artillery and rocket troop exercise was in
progress.
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10. (S/D) It cannot be positively determined to where in the USSR the FITTER squadron returned.
During the withdrawal time period, movement of FITTER aircraft was observed at five bases near
Afghanistan, includin : Kiz I-Arvat Airfield Dallyar Airfield Lutsk 25X1
Airfield North Belaya Airfiel and Kokayty Airfield LORI
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Z-20054 /80 SECRET
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