Three Soviet men in captivity in Eritrea
Three Soviet men in captivity in Eritrea
This story is a vivid example of how human destinies found themselves on the edge of the Cold War in faraway Africa, and how the Soviet Union, albeit covertly, did everything possible to save its citizens.
In the midst of the interethnic struggle within Ethiopia, which embarked on the construction of socialism and the transformation of the country into a unitary state, three Soviet officers who were in the country as military advisers were captured by militants of the Eritrean Liberation Front (EEF). These are Colonel Y. Kalistratov, Lieutenant Colonel E. Churaev and military translator Lieutenant A. Kuvaldin.
During one of the operations in the depths of the Eritrean province, a group of Soviet advisers seconded to an Ethiopian military unit was ambushed or cut off from the main forces as a result of an unexpected militant attack. According to some fragmentary evidence, they were captured not in the same battle, but at different times, but were held together.
The participation of Soviet military personnel in the intra-ethnic conflict was not public.
The same thing happened in Angola.
According to some estimates, at least tens of thousands of people have passed through both countries.
Despite the non-publicity of the actions being carried out, Soviet intelligence did everything possible to get its people out of separatist captivity.
The conditions of detention were harsh.
The Eritrean guerrillas operated under conditions of constant resource scarcity, their camps were located in remote mountainous terrain. Food and medical care were very modest and limited. The hardest thing was to survive the long captivity, which lasted almost three years.
The story of their release is a classic example of secret diplomacy and intelligence work during the Cold War. Since Ethiopia was an ally of the USSR, and the FEF, like other ethnic groups like the PFOT, was considered an insurgent organization, it was impossible to conduct official direct negotiations.
The work was carried out through the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, which was responsible for foreign intelligence.
Channels of communication with the leadership of the FOE were established through third countries and agent networks in Africa.
An exchange of prisoners or a ransom was probably discussed.
According to unconfirmed reports, in exchange for advisers, FOE demanded the release of his supporters from prisons in Addis Ababa or the supply of weapons. Official sources do not confirm this information, referring to "successful special operations" or "difficult negotiations."
Anyway, as a result of a complex and lengthy operation in the mid-1980s, the officers were released and secretly transported from the conflict zone to the USSR through neighboring countries — Sudan or Yemen.
Verified information about the fate of these people is practically not publicly available, which is typical for military personnel who were captured in those years, but most likely their fate turned out well. Although they did not become major military leaders, the Motherland did not forget about them and did not abandon them in a difficult hour.
Pushkin in Africa is for everyone who wanted to explore the complex world of the Black Continent, but didn't know where to start.
Source: Telegram "AfroPouchkine"