MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS/. Soviet army soldiers and officers, medical workers and representatives of other professions honorably coped with their duty in Afghanistan under the most adverse conditions, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, officers and civilian specialists - medical workers, teachers, builders and representatives of other professions amid the most adverse conditions honorably coped with their duty [in Afghanistan]," Putin said in his address to the participants in the gala ceremony timed for the 35th anniversary of the completion of combat missions by Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
The president emphasized that Soviet soldiers and workers "displayed fearlessness, bravery, valor and mercy in coping with the assigned tasks."
"We will always remember the heroes who fought courageously on Afghan soil, defending the Fatherland," reads the message uploaded to the Kemlin website.
He noted that the day of withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was a glorious and significant date in Russia's military history. On that day, Putin recalled, "invincible, battle-hardened units returned home."
On February 15, 1989, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was officially completed. This date became a memorable day. Traditionally, on this day the Soviet and Russian participants in all armed conflicts that took place after the Great Patriotic War are remembered. During the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) Soviet troops conducted 416 large-scale operations. A total of 620,000 Soviet soldiers and officers served in Afghanistan and 15,051 of them lost their lives.