Battle for Hill 3234

Overview

The Battle for Hill 3234 was a successful defensive battle fought by the 9th Company of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment, Soviet Airborne Troops, part of Operation Magistral, supported by the Afghan Army's 15th Tank Brigade, 8th, 11th, 12th, 214th, 25th Infantry Division and the 37th Commando Battalion, in Afghanistan against a force of some 250 Mujahideen rebels who were supported by several Pakistani mercenaries in early January 1988. Two of the soldiers killed, Vyacheslav Aleksandrov and Andrey Melnikov, were posthumously awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. All of the paratroopers in this battle were given the Order of the Red Banner and Order of the Red Star.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle for Hill 3234 was a defensive engagement fought by the 9th Company of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment as part of Operation Magistral in early January 1988. The company successfully held its position against approximately 250 Mujahideen fighters, supported by Pakistani mercenaries, who were led by Jalaluddin Haqqani. Soviet casualties were significant enough that two soldiers — Vyacheslav Aleksandrov and Andrey Melnikov — were posthumously awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union's highest military honor. Every paratrooper who took part in the battle received either the Order of the Red Banner or the Order of the Red Star, reflecting the intensity of the fighting and the recognition accorded to the unit's stand. Within Operation Magistral, the defense of Hill 3234 demonstrated the continued pressure Mujahideen forces, including Haqqani's network, could bring to bear on Soviet positions even as the broader conflict moved toward Soviet withdrawal.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (1)