For the most part, we shall be concerned with here awards of and by the Soviet Union (and successor states). Awards by the USSR's Afghan allies are addressed on the main Afghanistan page and awards – and none have been traced – of the opposing Afghan mujahadeen forces would be addressed there as well.

Most of the familiar Soviet awards were presented for bravery in this conflict. Known awards (and this list is obviously far too short) include:

All wounded Soviet officers (ca. 1,979, or 53,753 if the order was awarded to all wounded personnel?) would probably have received the Order of the Red Star, so this list is obviously far too short.

Afghan awards were also presented to Soviet troops. Awards have been traced of the Order of the Red Banner (1), of the Order of the Star in the 2nd Class (1), of the Order of Gallantry (2), of the Medal of Bravery (1), and of the Medal for Combat Service (1). This list, once again, is obviously far, far too short. These and other Afghan awards are treated on my main page on Afghan awards.

The Soviet Union awarded no campaign medal per se for this conflict, but it was covered by and represented in the public mind by the following award.

• Badge for Internationalist Duty – Awarded for international service in a  wide range of locations, ranging from Cuba to Korea, but in the popular mind this badge is most associated with the Afghan War. Established: 1988. Obverse: Gilt star, 44 mm between points, with a wreath between the points. The points of the star are enameled red with white edges and gold lines on each point. In the center, two gilt clasped hands on a light blue enameled background showing the gilt outline of a globe. Surrounding this, a gilt band with a Russian legend "ВОИНУ ИНТЕРНАЦИОНАЛИСТУ" or "???" and the letters “CCCP” on a gilt shield below.  Suspended by a straight-bar suspender. Reverse:  Plain, “mirror image” of the obverse with mintmark for ???. Ribbon:  24 mm red rectangular ribbon on rigid mount (15 mm high). Worn on the right breast from a screw-post mount. The medal has also been reported as being worn -- incorrectly -- on a standard pentagonal "Warsaw-Pact" style suspender. Document: A 156x220-mm single-fold cardboard document with outside heavier cardboard folder: folder, front, and inside. Most of the documents seen are unissued (or, if named, they are usually fraudulently named).

The Republic of Belarus has issued the following:

• Medal "In Memory of the 10th Anniversary of Withdrawal of Soviet Army from Afghanistan / Медаль «В память 10-летия вывода советских войск из Афганистана» – Created by decree of the president No. 80 of 5 February 1999. Obverse: A circular 33-mm bright bronze medal with the left-facing busts of two Soviet soldiers. Above them are helicopters, behind them the Afghan mountains, and below a wreath. Reverse: An eight-line Russian legend "В ПАМЯТЬ / 10 / ЛЕТИЯ / ВЫВОДА / СОВЕТСКИХ ВОЙСК / ИЗ АФГАНИСТАНА / 15 ФЕВРАЛЯ / 1999 Г." or "In Memory of the 10th Anniversary of the Withdrawal of Soviet Troops from Afghanistan February 15, 1999 A.D."; below, there is a wreath. Ribbon: Medium blue, 24 mm, with three central 3-mm stripes of (left to right) green, red, and black. Document: A 76x110-mm single-fold cardboard document: front and inside. It is reported that this medal comes in two varieties, although this has not been confirmed or detailed.

Several unofficial commemorative and veterans awards have been identified:

• Ex-Presidium of Supreme Soviet of USSR: Medal for Veteran-Internationalist / Медаль «Ветерану-интернационалисту» – Created 16 October 1999 and awarded to a wide range of "veteran internationalist warriors" including those who fought in Afghanistan. This is an unofficial "Umamatova Decoration". Obverse: A circular bright bronze medal with latitude and longitude lines and an overlaid hammer and sickle and an AK-74, muzzle upright. From the muzzle of the rifle a red-enameled carnation emerges. Below, there is a red-enameled ribbon bearing a gold five-pointed star. Surrounding the central design there is a Russian legend "ВЕТЕРАНУ - ИНТЕРНАЦИОНАЛИСТУ" or "To a Veteran-Internationalist". Reverse: A six-line legend in Russian "ИСПАНИЯ h СЕВЕРНАЯ КОРЕЯ h КУБА h БЛИЖНИЙ ВОСТОК h ВЬЕТНАМ h АФГАНИСТАН" or "Spain, North Korea, Cuba, Near East, Vietnam, Afghanistan" with a wreath below and a five-pointed star above; this is, in turn, surrounded by a Russian legend "УЧАСТНИКУ НАЦИОНАЛЬНО-ОСВОБОДИТЕЛЬНОГО ДВИЖЕНИЯ" or "Participant in the National Liberation Movement" around the edge of the medal. Ribbon: A complex, 24-mm multi-colored ribbon, representing the areas in which service was rendered: gray, gold, green red, black, yellow, blue, gold, and gray. Suspended from a "Warsaw Pact" style pentagonal suspender. Document: A 80x110-mm single-fold cardboard document: front and inside.

• Russian Union of Afghan Veterans: Medal of the Russian Union of Afghan Veterans / Медаль Российского Союза Ветеранов Афганистана – Obverse: A circular bright bronze medal, a bullet pointing upwards with a mountain and rising sun behind. Surrounded by a Russian legend and with a five-pointed star above. Reverse: A Russian legend in three lines. Ribbon: Equal stripes of white, blue, and red. Suspended from a "Warsaw Pact" style pentagonal suspender. Document: ???

• Russian Association of Afghan War Invalids: Medal "10th Anniversary of Withdrawal of Soviet Troops from Afghanistan" / Медаль «10 лет выводу советских войск из Афганистана» – Obverse: A circular bright bronze medal. A scene of the Afghan mountains with a five pointed star with an overlaid poppy (!) seedpod. Below, a legend in Russian, and the dates "1979 / 1989" to the left. Reverse: A six-line Russian legend with a five-pointed star above. Ribbon: Three equal stripes of medium green, yellow, and medium blue. This same ribbon is reported for ???. Suspended from a "Warsaw Pact" style pentagonal suspender. Document: ???