It wasn't unusual for Russain tanks roll into a village guns ablaze, destroying the mosques, torching homes, shooting up the livestock, poisoning the wells, gas. Kids would carry boobytrapped thermoses that when filled with hot water would explode. Women would carry poisoned food that they would either leave behind for the Russians, or approach to get them to take it away from them. The Mudjahedin also tended to boobytrap quite a bit of stuff too. Before the Soviet tanks started rolling in, thousands of Russians were slaughtered (advisors, and their families) in their homes when Ismail Khan led a revolt in Herat.Īs for the boobytrapping, well the Russians pretty much boobytrapped EVERYTHING, toys, scraps, dud ammo, their own corpses. Interestingly the 5.45 Russian round in the AK-74 (and newer), have a hollow tip (not hollow point) to allow it to tumble more effectively.Īs to the war in Afghanistan, it was absolutely brutal on both parts. However all rounds tumble upon impact (some just nicer than others). The newer round (M855), that retains it's shape. Well the old 5.56 NATO (M193) had a nasty habit of coming apart at ranges under 200m. Bruce Amstutz, 'Aerialdropped butterfly mines, which maimed rather than killed, were widely used to intimidate the population.' However, the use of 'butterfly mines' and mines designed as radios, toys, and pens was a measure aimed in large part against the civilian population. The use of mines to defend camps and interdict supplies involved a clear strategy of denial. The Soviet employment of mines again demonstrates the interrelationship between their aerial campaigns of punishment and denial in Afghanistan. In July 1980, The Times of London reported that Soviet helicopters 'dropped mines and time bombs, including some in the shape of pens, radios, money and toys in mountain passes along the border. The Soviets also extensively employed air delivered mines in a further attempt to interdict the major caravan routes along the border. Village 'pacification' was but one tool in the campaign aimed at the destruction of the insurgents' supply infrastructure. We're talking a region and culture that has been home to such wonders as Joseph Stalin, Gulags, Exploding Doll toys, the NKVD and KGB, and so on. I've heard people say that Russians are more Asian than Western in outlook. But they can accept, and perpetrate, brutal horror that would make most other people vomit. I've read tons of examples, I'll have to dig around to the appropriate books if you want specifics, but that's my impression. That's a mouthful, but it's borne out in a lot of what I've read of recent Russian history (recent being, this century I mean). I'm going to make a blanket "politically incorrect statment" and say that the collective Russian mind has a tolerance and capacity for casual application of almost unimaginable brutality. However, we ARE talking about Politically Incorrect, a show made of at least 70% hyperbole, and also, my Brother spent two years in Russia on an exchange student program, and although he reported that they are some crazy folks, (Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad.) he never gave any indication that they would pull crap like that.
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