 Nyorai kuenderera kweiyi ndima - Achiri kupora, akasimudzirwa kuva Major, akapedza kudzidza kuFrunze Military Academy uye akapiwa basa rekutungamira chikwata chemasoja chine michina chiri pedyo nemuganhu weAfghanistan. Achiziva kusafarira kwake kushanda semutungamiriri wevarwi, Khabarov akagamuchira kudzikiswa kubva kuRegiment Commander kuenda kuChief-of-Staff yeboka kuitira kuti adzokere ku56th Air Assault Brigade. Akapedza mwedzi 11 neboka rake kubva muna October 1984 kusvika muna September 1985, apo motokari yokuendesa zvinhu yaakanga achiperekedza yakavharirwa pedyo neBarikot. Motokari yake yakarohwa neRPG, ikashandurwa, uye Khabarov akasara aine pfupa rakapwanyika, mbabvu nhatu dzakapwanyika uye mamwe maronda paruoko rwake rworudyi. Akarapwazve muKabul uye muchipatara chemauto cheTashkent. Paakanga ava kupora, purezidhendi panguva iyoyo Mikhail Gorbachev akasaina zvibvumirano zveGeneva, zvichitungamirira kukubviswa kweSoviet muAfghanistanmuna 1989. Khabarov, akaona chiito ichi sokutengesa zvakananga hurumende ine ushamwari yeAfghan inotungamirirwa naPurezidhendi weSoviet Mohammad Najibullah. 