The Category of <i>Military Presence</i> and its Application towards the Period of the Soviet Troops’ Stay in Afghanistan (1979-1989)
There is no unified approach to assessment of the Soviet troops’ participation in the Afghan conflict of 1979-1989, and this adversely affects the public perception of this dramatic event in the history of the USSR and the Russian Federation. It is proposed to apply the category of <i>Soviet military presence in Afghanistan</i> towards the period of the Soviet troops’ stay in Afghanistan in 1979-1989. The validity of this proposition is proved by the analysis of the existing opinions on this issue, the modern concepts and doctrines of American and Russian national security, and the content of military actions of foreign states outside their territory compared to the activity of the Soviet army in Afghanistan.