The World - News from Aug. 18, 1989

A total of 13,833 Soviet troops died in the Afghanistan war, the Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda reported, revising an earlier figure of 13,310 to include those who died of illness and accidents. The breakdown, which provided year-by-year totals, said 11,854 enlisted personnel and 1,979 officers died in the war and that 330 troops are missing. It said 1984 was the most deadly year, when 2,343 troops were killed. Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan last February. Pravda also said that the same benefits accorded Afghan veterans will apply “to servicemen who took part in combat actions in Vietnam, Syria, Egypt and other countries,” acknowledging Soviet combat roles in those nations.