Atrocity crimes in the Soviet–Afghan War
| Atrocities of the Soviet Union and its allies in Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
| Part of Soviet–Afghan War | |
An Afghan village left in ruins after being destroyed by Soviet forces | |
| Location | Afghanistan |
| Date | 1979–1989 |
| Target | Afghan citizens, Afghan mujahideen |
Attack type | Genocide (alleged), Forced displacement, Carpet bombing, Sexual violence, Massacre, Crimes against humanity |
| Deaths | 562,000 to 2,000,000 |
| Injured | 3,000,000 |
| Victims | 5,000,000 externally displaced 2,000,000 internally displaced |
| Perpetrators | Soviet Armed Forces Afghan Armed Forces |
Atrocity crimes in the Soviet–Afghan War were systematically perpetrated on a large scale by the Soviet Union and its allies from 1979 to 1989, with several scholars and academics concluding that the Soviet military forces carried out a campaign of genocide against the Afghan people. The war resulted in the deaths of between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 Afghans. Estimates of Afghan civilian deaths vary from 562,000 to 2,000,000. Human Rights Watch concluded that the Soviet Red Army and the Afghan Army perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, intentionally targeting civilians and civilian areas for attack, and killing and torturing prisoners. Several historians and scholars went further, stating that the Afghans were victims of genocide by the Soviet Union.