“Our commander (redacted) had given myself and three Spetsnaz permission to hunt the Mujahideen North of Mandūl as one would hunt wolves. We drove two zil 131’s out into the wilderness and mined one. The one we mined was to be stripped for parts, but we found better use for it.

Under the wheel we planted a mine, and positioned ourselves in a half circle several hundred meters away and waited. Half the day later we see 4 men with rifles approaching. Mujahideen.

Two inspect the vehicle while two look around. We wait. One gets in the drivers side and starts the truck. Two more get in the uncovered back and sit on the seats. I don’t know why the fourth didn’t mount the vehicle, but he didn’t. The second the vehicle moves forward they detonate the mine.

Immediately the driver and one of the passengers are killed. We open fire on the third and fourth man with our rifles. We are not conscripts. We are professional soldiers. The entire engagement lasted no longer than four or five minutes.”
– Anonymous Russian ExPat. Soviet-Afghan War. 1983.
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