Soviet soldier returned to Russia after 40 years in Afghanistan

The former Soviet soldier returned to Russia after spending 40 years in Afghanistan. This was reported on May 22 by RT TV channel.

Sergei Krasnoperov, who is now 60 years old, served in the Soviet army during the armed conflict in Afghanistan. In 1985, he left his unit after a conflict with his colleagues and was soon captured. He could not return home then, and remained living in a foreign country.

In Afghanistan, Krasnoperov converted to Islam, changed his name to Nurmomad and married a local woman, and had six children. All these years he lived in the province, worked in road construction and at the local power plant. He has not seen his Russian relatives since his departure to Afghanistan.

He told RT at the airport that he had not seen his mother for 40 years, and all this time he was thinking about her and other relatives. According to him, a lot has changed over the years.

According to the TV channel, Krasnoperov's return became possible thanks to the efforts of public organizations and the Russian authorities. The former military man admitted that he was worried before coming: he had forgotten a lot over the decades, did not know how he would be received, and even spoke Russian poorly - after years of communicating in Dari, his native language had become a foreign language.

Nevertheless, meeting with relatives compensated for everything. In the near future, Krasnoperov plans to spend several weeks in Russia to reconnect with his family and possibly discuss returning to his homeland on a permanent basis.

In February 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia would always preserve the memory of the fallen heroes who courageously fought on Afghan soil, defending their Homeland. With these words, the head of state addressed the participants of the gala evening dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the completion of combat missions by a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. In conclusion, the President wished the veterans and their fellow soldiers success and good health.