Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Intelligence

ducted in turn by members of the Communist Party Politburo. The

AOD vetted important personnel and logistics issues, approving all

promotions to general officer in the security service and the police

(MVD).

AFGHANISTAN.The KGBand the GRUplayed important roles in

Afghanistan from the mid-1930s to 1989. Both services maintained

large rezidenturas(intelligence stations) in Kabul beginning in the

1960s, and both services developed considerable expertise on the

country. Afghanistan was also an important base for KGB operations

in Iran and Pakistan. In the late 1970s, Soviet intelligence apparently

reported accurately about the spread of the anti-Soviet movement.

The Kabul rezidenturaalso had a number of agents within the Afghan

communist movement, which provided Moscow with details about

the deadly internecine battle between Afghan communists. Any in-

formation suggesting the impossibility of winning a war in

Afghanistan was rejected by KGB ChairYuri Andropovand Minis-

ter of Defense Dmitry Ustinov, both of whom urged the leadership to

intervene in the civil war.

Even before the first main force Red Army units entered

Afghanistan, KGB paramilitary organizations were conducting oper-

ations clandestinely inside Afghanistan to prepare the way for inter-

vention. KGB’s Alpha Group began the war by storming the presi-

dential palace on 27 December 1979 and killing Afghan President

Hafizullah Amin and his entourage. The group’s commander,

Colonel Boyarinov, and 10 Spetznaz(Special Designation) troops

died in the assault. Alpha Group was successful in decapitating the

Afghan leadership and allowing Moscow to set up a puppet govern-

ment quickly. During the war, KGB officers were assigned to the

Afghan secret police, KHAD, and worked against the insurgents in

all provinces of the country. KGB Border Guardsalso took an ac-

tive role in the war but were unsuccessful in stopping Afghani insur-

gents from crossing the Soviet–Afghan border and bringing Islamic

literature to Soviet villages. In firefights with insurgents, 10 Border

Guards were killed, according to a Russian history of the struggle.

AGAYANTS, IVAN IVANOVICH (1911–1968). An experienced in-

telligence officer, who served both as an illegaland under diplomatic

AGAYANTS, IVAN IVANOVICH (1911–1968) •5

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