30 years on, Russia views Afghan war with pride

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FILE - In this file photo taken on Feb. 13, 1989, the last Soviet unit stands stationary during a military parade on the tarmac of Kabul airport, just before leaving Afghanistan for the last time. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, people and relatives greet Soviet Army soldiers driving on their armored personnel carriers after crossing a bridge on the border between Afghanistan and then Soviet Uzbekistan near the Uzbek town of Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on this day, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, Soviet Army soldiers with their war-dogs line up after their unit crossed a bridge on the border between Afghanistan and then Soviet Uzbekistan near the Uzbek town of Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on this day, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1989, Soviet Army soldiers ride armored personnel carriers after their unit crossed a bridge on the border between Afghanistan and then Soviet Uzbekistan near the Uzbek town of Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, Soviet Army soldiers help each other to catch a train home after crossing a bridge on the border between Afghanistan and then Soviet Uzbekistan near the Uzbek town of Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on this day, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken photo taken in September 1984, Soviet Army soldiers stand atop of a tank at a outpost during sunset in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, Lt. Gen. Boris Gromov, left, with his son Maxim, walk across a bridge over the Amy Darya River, at Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Vyacheslav Kiselev)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, Soviet Army soldiers wave their hands as their unit crosses a bridge on the border between Afghanistan and then Soviet Uzbekistan near the Uzbek town of Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (Leonid Yakutin/Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

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In this photo taken on Feb. 15, 1989, Lt. Gen. Boris Gromov, sits atop of an armored personnel carrier driving from Afghanistan across a bridge over the Amy Darya River, at Termez, Uzbekistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (Leonid Yakutin/Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

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In this photo taken on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia. Many Russian officials and lawmakers argue that the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan has been far less successful than that of the Soviet Union. “The (Afghan) army trained by the Soviet Union could stand alone for three years,” Kabulov said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, Afghanistan veteran Sergey Zhidkov speaks during his interview to The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia. Zhidkov recalled that in the early stages of the Soviet war, clashes were rare and roads were relatively safe, but the rebels quickly strengthened and ambushes became routine. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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In this photo taken on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, Ata Mohammad Noor, a former warlord who fought Soviet troops and served as governor of the northern Balkh province from 2004-2018, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia. After 40 years of war in Afghanistan, he said, the people are tired of the conflict. “People would support any country that would step forward to bring peace.” (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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FILE - In this file photo taken April 2, 1989, an Afghan guerrilla stands on top of one of the Soviet-made army tanks captured near Jalalabad, in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Joe Gaal, File)

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FILE - In this late April 1988, file photo, Soviet soldiers observe the highlands, while fighting Islamic guerrillas at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. As Russia prepares to mark the Feb. 15, 1989 anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal, many see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/Alexander Sekretarev, File)

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In this photo taken on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, Frants Klintsevich, a veteran who serves as a lawmaker in Russia’s upper house, gestures while speaking during a news conference in Moscow, Russia. “We could have done many things differently. We could have done better to minimize losses,” said Klintsevich about the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan. “And in the end we just gave up everything and also ruined the Soviet Union.” (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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FILE - This file photo taken on April 1, 1984 shows mujahedeen tribesmen at border camp near Wana in Afghanistan. As Russia prepares to mark the Feb. 15, 1989 anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal, many see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. Just like the ongoing Russian campaign in Syria, the Afghan war is widely perceived as a legitimate action against U.S.-backed militants. (AP Photo/Christopher Gunness, File)

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In this undated photo, Soviet paratroopers take part in fighting in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (Leonid Yakutin/Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

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In this undated photo, Soviet soldiers get fresh newspapers and mail while a convoy stoped somewhere in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (Leonid Yakutin/Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

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FILE - In this Dec. 27, 1979, file photo, rebel Muslim fighters inspect a Soviet tank captured in fighting with the Kabul government forces on near Asmar, Afghanistan. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, driven by fears that the U.S. could try to establish a foothold next to Soviet republics in Central Asia after losing Iran in the Islamic Revolution. (AP Photo/Steve McCurry, File)

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FILE - In this file photo taken on Jan. 1, 1988, an Afghan rebel armed an anti-aircraft machine gun gets ready to fire at position in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union completed its troops withdrawal from Afghanistan on Feb. 15, 1989, it was widely hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire, but public perceptions have changed and many Russians now see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. (AP Photo/David Stewart-Smith, File)

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

MOSCOW (AP) — When the last Soviet tanks rumbled back home across a bridge on the border with Afghanistan 30 years ago, the withdrawal was hailed as a much-anticipated end to a bloody quagmire.

Since then, Moscow’s view of the war has changed radically.

As Russia prepares to mark Friday’s anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal, many see the 10-year Soviet war in Afghanistan as a necessary and largely successful endeavor. Just like the ongoing Russian campaign in Syria, the Afghan war is widely perceived as a legitimate action against U.S.-backed militants.

And in a twist of history, Russia also has emerged as an influential power broker in Afghanistan, mediating between feuding factions as it jockeys with Washington for influence in a country where a U.S.-led coalition has been fighting for more than 17 years.

Ata Mohammad Noor, a former warlord who fought Soviet troops and served as governor of the northern Balkh province from 2004-2018, attended a meeting last week in Moscow that brought together former Afghan officials, opposition figures and the Taliban.

“I don’t think that Russia would like to repeat what it did in the past. It’s totally different today,” Noor said in an interview with The Associated Press. “On the other side, there have been 40 years of war in our country, and the Afghan people are all tired of war. People would support any country that would step forward to bring peace.”

The statement carries particular weight coming from a man who played a key role in defeating the Soviet army, was badly wounded in combat, and proudly recalls how his mujahedeen fighters destroyed countless Red Army tanks and dozens of warplanes.

After the long U.S. involvement, Afghans are deeply critical of the coalition forces. Even those who fought in the 1980s give grudging credit to Moscow for leaving a legacy that outshines Washington’s. They point out that Russian left behind a strong and disciplined army and a 400-bed military hospital that is still among the country’s best health facilities. Some note that while communist President Najibullah’s government was ruthless, it was not wracked by the widespread corruption that has plagued Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government.

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, driven by fears that the U.S. could try to establish a foothold next to Soviet republics in Central Asia after losing Iran in the Islamic Revolution. Moscow’s initial plans for a quick operation were derailed by fierce rebel resistance, and in the years of fighting that followed, the Soviet Union lost more than 15,000 troops, according to official data. Estimates of civilian casualties in that period vary widely, from more than 500,000 up to 2 million.

The Soviet intervention drew strong international condemnation and imposed a heavy burden on the struggling Soviet economy. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ordered the pullout amid his efforts to conduct liberal reforms and end confrontation with the West. Afghanistan’s communist government held for three more years, collapsing shortly after the December 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

Nikita Mendkovich, a Moscow-based expert on Afghanistan, said Russia’s economic meltdown after 1992 resulted in the abrupt termination of fuel supplies to Afghanistan, triggering the fall of Najibullah.

“The tragedy of Afghanistan was one of many other tragedies caused by the Soviet breakup,” he said.

Mendkovich emphasized the changing public perception of the war, saying that it’s now widely seen as “painful, but necessary and even inevitable.”

Many Russian officials and lawmakers argue that the U.S. performance in Afghanistan has been far less successful than that of the Soviet Union.

“The army trained by the Soviet Union could stand alone for three years,” said Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for Afghanistan. “As for this one trained by the Americans, you listen to the Afghans. They aren’t sure about even one month.”

He acknowledged that the Soviet Union made many errors in Afghanistan, driven by communist dogmas and ignoring local conditions.

“The Soviet leadership has become hostage of its own decision,” he said. “They wanted to look at Afghanistan as a new socialist state. That was a mistake.”

In one example, he recalled how Soviet advisers stubbornly tried to conduct a socialist-style land reform, distributing tracts that belonged to tribal leaders to farmers, who then turned it back to original owners.

Kabulov charged that the U.S. ignored the Soviet lessons and made the same mistake in trying to foster the creation of a Western-style democracy in Afghanistan.

“It’s a pity that our American colleagues don’t learn history; they prefer to make history,” Kabulov said with a sardonic smile.

He noted that the U.S. support for the mujahedeen played a key role during the Soviet war, adding that the U.S. later paid the price for backing insurgents like Osama bin Laden who was among those who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan.

“They (the Americans) were obsessed with building Vietnam for the Soviet Union,” Kabulov said. “They believed everything is good to crush bloody Russians, so they got it back now.”

Afghanistan veteran Sergey Zhidkov recalled that in the early stages of the Soviet war, clashes were rare and roads were relatively safe, but the rebels quickly strengthened and ambushes became routine.

“We were escorting convoys of fuel trucks to cover them from attacks,” he told the AP. “The most painful thing was losing comrades. It was like we were sitting and talking, and then bang and he’s dead.”

Noor, who joined the mujahedeen when he was 19 and became a top warlord with 20,000 men under his command, recalled formations of Soviet helicopter gunships sweeping overhead like “flocks of birds.” He described one Soviet air raid that destroyed a village of 500 families, killing most of the residents.

Noor said the deliveries of U.S. Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the mujahedeen played a significant role, allowing them to strike Soviet jets. He noted that his fighters downed more than 20 Soviet aircraft, including three big Antonov military transport planes.

He said he was badly wounded while leading his fighters to break through the Russian cordons.

“There was only one way out, but a tank regiment was blocking that way,” he said, describing how he fired a weapon at a Soviet tank just as another one hit his position.

“I wanted to see how the tank burned when I fired. That is when the other tank fired at me,” Noor said with a smile. “I got hit with 32 pieces of shrapnel, and those 32 scars are still on my body.”

Noor described the Soviet pullout as a source of pride for Afghans.

“The withdrawal of the Soviet Union was a historic day,” he said. “A poor nation with lots of problems, we defeated a superpower.”

In Russia, many veterans blame Gorbachev for a hasty pullout that squandered the hard-fought gains, and they hold Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin, responsible for the demise of Najibullah.

“We could have done many things differently. We could have done better to minimize losses,” said Frants Klintsevich, a veteran who serves as a lawmaker in Russia’s upper house. “And in the end we just gave up everything and also ruined the Soviet Union.”

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Iuliia Subbotovska contributed to this report.