Russians were there in the 1980's for much the same reasons as the US are today imo, strategic importance. Politicians do what they do...
They built roads, hospitals and schools. Electricity and running water in cities. Tried to impose some sort of law, had the same problems. Resident Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazekhs and other Central Asian tribe/nation thugs whose national pastime is bloodsport don't take well to laws.
This was back in the days when the CIA used to fund the Taliban and Israel was starting up and funding Hamas to wrestle power from the PLO. After the Tehran hostage crisis 1980... no more weapons for Persia/Iran. Iraq starts receiving weapons from USA, Britain and France because Saddam Hussein became the West's ally in the Mid-East. Russia and China supply the others.
Might be showing my age, but look where it got them.
