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

Storm-333 provides the most detailed account in English of the daring Soviet special forces operation to seize Kabul and assassinate Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin. A textbook success for the KGB and Spetsnaz, the mission opened the city to Soviet occupation but also marked the start of a decade-long strategic blunder in Afghanistan.

Drawing on extensive Russian sources and illustrated with commissioned artwork, this book examines how a small contingent of elite forces neutralized Kabul’s defenses, seized the heavily guarded presidential palace, and altered the course of history. Written by an expert on Soviet security forces, Storm-333 explores lessons that remain relevant in modern military strategy, from counter-insurgency operations to contemporary conflicts like Crimea.