Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979 (Raid)

Little know operation conducted by the Russians in Afghanistan's get covered in great detail from beginning to end and the outcomes that came from it. Russian encountered more resistance then expected but prevail in the end, book has lots of maps and pictures.

In 1979, Soviet leaders perceived that they were losing control of the once friendly government of neighboring Afghanistan. KGB and Spetsnaz troops were alerted for a possibly military operation into Kabul to displace the government of Afghani President Amin. Operation STORM-333, extensively backed by regular Soviet forces, would plunge the Soviet Union into a bloody ten year war in Afghanistan. Experienced historian Mark Galeotti has the details in this Osprey Raid series book.STORM-333 played to Soviet strengths but inevitably involved much improvisation. The narrative walks briskly through the preparation and the execution, including how messy the operation got once the bullets started to fly. The text includes lots of period and modern photographs, illustrations, and battle diagrams. The author's commentary is blunt and worthwhile. Recommended.

This book in the Raid series explains the situation in Afghanistan due to the pro-Soviet regime losing control, the successful coup which removed the regime and replaced it with another (but smarter?) pro-Soviet regime and the war which was supposed to be fought by the government Afghans but instead turned out to require active Soviet engagement. A lot of material about the planning and execution of the operation that I've never seen anywhere else. Well-illustrated.

A "Fast and Furiuos" take of Kabul and Afghanistan.......and the nightmare just began.........Change Spestnaz by Green Berets......KGB by CIA.......and URSS by USA....Mujahidins by Taliban.......the same history of occupation, corrupt local allies, a determined enemy ready for a long war and a superpower defeated.........another page of Afghanistan History.

Storm-333 provides and exceptionally well written and clear account of the Soviet elimination of Hafizullah Amin and the start of the Soviet Afghanistan war. The politics surrounding these events are highly complex and poorly understood in the West. I am truly impressed by the author’s ability to clearly summarize all the political intrigues leading up to the assault. Similarly, the attack itself is excellently and clearly narrated. I highly recommend Storm-333 to anyone interested in Soviet, Afghan or Cold War military history. It has instantly become one of my favorite books in the Osprey Raid series.The book was published in 2021 – before the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. It is very interesting compare the older 1979 attack with the more recent 2022 attack. One cannot help but to see common threads between the Soviet and Russia military experiences. For example, the Russians are extraordinarily skilled at developing and implementing covert operations. In open warfare, however, their centralized, top-down military structure makes it difficult for them to respond to unanticipated battlefield events.

Even if you are familiar with the initial events of the Soviet invasion in December 1979, this is an excellent (albeit short) review of the attack on the palace. The author is a much published expert on Soviet and Russian spetznas and related topics and this is one of his better works.

Muito bom livro

Gave more clarity to the start of the Soviet invasion of 1979, gripping read.

A superb account of a classic Special Forces raid that has some unneessary sneering statements by the writer. Yet the overall brute implementation for the required objective - change of regime - cant be denied as it was done efficiently and within the overall plan.