Operation Baikal-79

Operation Baikal-79
	Part of Soviet–Afghan War
Date	25 December 1979–1 January 1980
Location	Kabul, Afghanistan
Result	Soviet victory Pro-Soviet government installed under Babrak Karmal;
Belligerents
Soviet Union	Afghanistan
Commanders and leaders
Yuri Drozdov	Hafizullah Amin †
Units involved
Committee for State Security (KGB) Alpha Group; Zenit Group; ; Main Intelligence Directorate 154th Spetsnaz Detachment (Muslim Battalion); ; Soviet Armed Forces 345th Guards Airborne Regiment; 103rd Guard Airborne Division; ;	Presidential Guard 26th Airborne Regiment;
Strength
~30,000 troops total; 25 Alpha Group (Grom) operatives; 30 KGB Zenit operatives; 87 troops from 345th Airborne; 520 troops from Muslim Battalion;	~700 soldiers (26th Airborne Regiment); More than 500 of Presidential Guards;
Casualties and losses
Light	~300 Presidential Guards killed; ~700 Afghan paratroopers killed or captured;

Operation Baikal-79 (Russian: Операция Байкал-79, Operatsiya Baykal-79) was the codename for the Soviet Union's military intervention in Afghanistan, initiated on December 25, 1979. The operation was aimed at taking control over approximately 20 key strongholds in and around Kabul, which included major military headquarters, communication centers and jails. It involved the deployment of approximately 30,000 Soviet troops into Afghanistan. A critical component of Operation Baikal-79 was Operation Storm-333, executed on 27 December 1979. This mission targeted the assassination of Afghan president Hafizullah Amin and the establishment of a Soviet-aligned government under Babrak Karmal. The assault on the Tajbeg Palace, Amin's residence, was carried out by a specialized force comprising KGB operatives and Soviet military personnel. The operation resulted in Amin's death and the installation of Karmal as the new leader.