Soviet Uniforms of The Afghanistan War Period (1979-1991)

Soviet uniforms changed again during the course of the war in Afghanistan. They began to abandon the simple khaki uniforms of the 1969 reforms for uniforms of a more comfortable cut. These uniforms tended to have more pockets for small items, and more importantly were camouflaged. Toward the end of this period, up to the collapse of the Soviet Union, more camouflage uniforms would be introduced. The army and naval infantry would begin to use them extensively. Camouflaged uniforms became common in some units, even among helicopter and fighter pilots.

In 1988, away from the war in Afghanistan, there were changes in the everyday enlisted service uniform. It was changed to make it look sharper and more professional. Unfortunately, with the immanent collapse of the Soviet government and the growing budget shortfalls, the new uniforms had to be slowly phased in.  Some units received them, while others did not.

Select the branch of service that you wish to learn more about below.  I should mention that Naval Infantry uniforms are listed in the Naval section.  The State Security section will cover agencies that did not fall under the Ministry of Defense (such as the KGB, MVD, Border Guards, and even the occasional Militsia uniform).  Specialized field gear can also be viewed by clicking the link below.