A Soviet tank unit led by Commander Daskal (George Dzundza) destroys a village in Afghanistan in 1981. Taj (Steven Bauer), a member of the village, vows revenge and pursues him, along with the mujahideen. Meanwhile, the radical Daskal turns violent against his unit when he murders the tank crewman (Erick Avari) for his Afghan ethnicity and leaves tank driver Koverchenko (Jason Patric) to be killed by the mujahideen. Taj, however, offers Koverchenko sanctuary for his assistance against the unit.