Afghan Breakdown

Lieutenant Steklov is assigned to Afghanistan as the Soviet withdrawal looms. He hopes to see combat and earn medals before the war ends, signaling an eager, career-driven mindset. The assignment foreshadows the tension between personal ambition and the reality of a war-weary army.

On the field base, Arsionov uses his combat experience to brutalize the new conscripts. His tough, unyielding demeanor sets a harsh atmosphere for the troops. This hazing both tests and inflames the cohesion of the unit.

Major Bandura’s tour is coming to an end; he is free to return home to his wife. He is torn by his affair with Katya, the base hospital nurse, and by the pressures from his superior Leonid who is in love with Katya. The prospect of leaving his troops behind complicates his sense of duty.

The Soviets arrange a deal with a local Afghan warlord promising non-action against the withdrawing troops in exchange for weapons and supplies. The warlord asserts his own ongoing conflict will outlive the Soviet withdrawal. The arrangement highlights political bargaining that undercuts direct military choices.

A convoy delivering supplies is ambushed by a faction of Mujahideen on its way back to base. The troops dive for cover and try to counterattack, sustaining only a few casualties while the road is blocked by a damaged fuel tanker. Bandura takes an active role, driving a tank to move the tanker aside while Steklov tries to lead the counterattack and is wounded.

Steklov’s leg is amputated at the hospital after the ambush, symbolizing the cost of the fighting. The injury adds to the mounting career problems for Bandura, who must navigate leadership under pressure. The base hospital becomes a place of critical turning points for both men.

Bandura decides to stay in Afghanistan and leads a retaliatory mission to eliminate the Mujahideen leader thought to be wounded. He prepares his unit for a raid that could matter for morale and legitimacy. The mission tests his resolve and command under uncertain conditions.

Before the mission, Bandura goes to say goodbye to Katya, who is scheduled to depart the country the next day. It underscores the personal sacrifices and uncertain futures many soldiers face. Katya's departure marks a poignant moment amid the looming violence.

A junkie soldier insults Bandura with insubordination during the pre-mission period. Bandura initially asks to be replaced, citing a sore foot to avoid leadership, but then realizes his company is preparing to move and resumes command. The scene shows his internal conflict between withdrawal, duty, and self-preservation.

The planned raid ends in disaster when the neutral warlord is accidentally killed, provoking hostility from his men and a joint attack with Mujahideen against the paratroopers. Bandura fights to pull his unit out, keeping casualties to a minimum but not without significant danger. The raid destabilizes the operation and foreshadows a doomed mission.

After heavy fighting, an Mi-24 airstrike decimates the village where the paratroopers are positioned. Bandura becomes apathetic, showing a stark shift in his character as the war grinds on. The aerial attack ends the immediate engagement but deepens the sense of futility.

Bandura re-enters the ruined village without a clear purpose and encounters a lone ten-year-old boy holding an AK-47. He hesitates, then allows the boy to shoot him in the back, a grim testament to the conflict's despair. The final image shows Soviet helicopters departing as the soldiers retreat.