Why did Russia invade Afghanistan?

Answer by  louro (35)

At the time Soviet Union was facing serious problems, Afghanistan invasion was helpful to raise national pride and to show to rest of the world that Russia was a superpower that should be respected and feared.

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

Russia invaded Afghanistan with the intent of spreading communism. Afghanistan was next to several "Soviet Socialist Republics" within the USSR. They thought it would be both an easy target to conquer as well as a politically acceptable one, a nation they could invade and make communist without other nations becoming angry.