By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The remains of a Soviet soldier who died in Afghanistan 30 years ago will be reburied in his home country, former Soviet republic Kazakhstan, following a ceremony in Moscow.
Alexei Zuyev joined Soviet troops in Afghanistan in June 1982 as a military driver. He went missing in Parwan province in the north of Kabul in February 1983. He was about 19 years old.
Zuyev was among more than 15,000 Soviet soldiers who died in Afghanistan during the 1979-1989 war against the mujahideen. More than 260 Soviet soldiers are still listed as missing.
His remains were discovered two years ago during an expedition organised by the Moscow-based committee in charge of Afghan veterans’ affairs.
“We had some information that Zuyev had been shot dead and we found people who showed us the place where they believed he was buried,” said Alexander Lavrentyev, deputy head of the committee.
The remains were taken to Moscow, where it took experts two years to identify him, he said.
“Since our withdrawal from Afghanistan, we have continued our search for those soldiers,” Lavrentyev said.