Leonid Khabarov is a former Soviet military officer whose battalion was the first Soviet Army unit to cross the border into the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan on December 25, 1979, serving as the de facto beginning of the decade-long Soviet–Afghan War. He received widespread media attention after he was arrested on charges of fomenting a coup d'état while serving as a Russian ROTC chief in 2011. He was accused of having created a master plot to overthrow local authorities in the Ural region of Russia for the purpose of launching a nationwide rebellion.
Colonel Khabarov in his everyday service uniform.
Khabarov and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Tonya
“Rest in peace, good buddy.” Colonel Khabarov standing by the grave of his lifelong rival Ahmad Shah Massoud (2009)
Khabarov addressing young servicemen during his farewell speech, 2010.
Reserve Officer Training in Russia
Russian Reserve Officer Training system is intended for training commissioned officers from among students of Russian civilian institutions of higher education.
Colonel Leonid Khabarov leads the march of a Russian reserve officer training unit honor guard.