An Afghan Diary of an Infantry Lieutenant: The Trench Truth of War

Even though there was no front line in Afghanistan and no “proper,” trench-style war, there is “trench truth”—and it’s right here, in this combat diary of an infantry lieutenant. The truth about serving in a “fighting,” “raiding” battalion—about combat sorties and airborne landings; guiding columns; blocking and searching villages; ambushes, mines, and explosive charges; chasing “spirits” and multi-day mountain marches, where “even donkeys can’t take it—they drop on their bellies and die, while a Soviet soldier overcomes any hardships.” The truth about mass heroism and the ugly underside of war: how rear units were awarded more often than combat officers; unforgivable mistakes by senior commanders and heavy losses; escorting “Cargo 200” back home in unsealed, rotten coffins and unbearable funerals—when “even vodka doesn’t take it.” All the truth about the last, heroic, and bloody war of the USSR…