The book covers the historical period from the first third of the nineteenth century to 1991, when the Russian Empire, and then the USSR, firmly and confidently asserted its military and political presence on the southern borders of the country. Coherent and concentrated diplomatic efforts, military and intelligence state structures allowed to reliably ensure the observance of the national security interests of Russia and the Soviet Union in the Central Asian region and in Afghanistan on the basis of observance of the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty of a neighboring state The main attention is paid to the analysis of intelligence and subversive activities of NATO special services , Pakistan and Iran against Soviet border troops in the course of a strategic cross-border operation on Afghan territory in 1979-1989 and a description of counterintelligence work of special departments of the KGB of the USSR on border troops .