The Soviets (Russians) called it their Vietnam because it was long and they didn't do too well. But it was entirely different:
1. The Soviets were not fighting Another Country. They were fighting insurgents. If the US had just been fighting the VC during the Vietnam War then there would be a more appropiate comparison. However, the US ended up fighting (via the Tonkin Gulf Incident) North Vietnam; that was the North Vietnamese Army.
2. The Soviets were not fighting an enemy air force. The US had to fight the North Vietnamese Air Force which was equipped with Soviet/Chicom (Chinese Communist) MiG17, MiG19, and MiG21s (the MiG21s were supplied only by the USSR).
3. The Soviets were not fighting an enemy navy. The US had to fight the North Vietnamese Navy; their torpedo boats started the Tonkin Gulf Incident.
4. The Soviets were not fighting the an enemy army. The US had to deal with the NVA (North Viet Army). They had PT76 light tanks and T54 medium tanks.
vietnam
no, they were not.
Afghanistan
The Soviets pulled out after 8 years of fighting.
Only when the Afghans began moving away from communism, and the Afghan government requested the Soviets to move in and help their government regain control; this was the Soviet Afghanistan war, which the Soviets (Russians) fought for close to 10 years and lost about 10,000 men fighting it. Today, those former Soviet veterans of that war consider themselves to be the Russian equivalent of American "Vietnam" veterans. Another words, the Soviets called Afghanistan their Vietnam. It's possibly a slightly comparable resemblance; but the Soviets (Russians) weren't fighting against the armed forces of Afghanistan, they didn't have to fight Afghan tanks, jets, and patrol boats nor a standing Afghanistan army. The US did in Vietnam; but other than that, both the USSR & US experience involved fighting many years in a small Asian country with thousands of fatalities.
The war in Vietnam, the Korean War, World War 1, World War 2...were fought against Nations (countries). The United States is NOT at war with Iraq nor Afghanistan. The US is at war with insurgents/terrorists (criminals that attacked New York City on 9/11); they just happen to be in the Iraq/Afghanistan regions.
Soviets wanted to rule Americans didnt want them to rule it
Afghanistan
The US has been fighting in Afghanistan longer it was fighting in Vietnam. It is the longest war in US history.
When Afghanistan jet fighters are fighting US jet fighters. When Afghanistan tanks are fighting US tanks. When Afghanistan warships are fighting US warships. When Afghanistan soldiers are fighting US soldiers. Then it will be like Vietnam. Right now, it just a law enforcement issue; finding terrorists, arresting them, or terminating them.
the soviets role was that they wanted to conquer afgan and the U.S didn't want them to have that country so they shipped rifles and stingers to help fight the soviets
To keep the Soviets & Red Chinese at bay, and preserve the Republic of South Vietnam.