The theory of long-term damage is generalized to unidirectional fibrous composites. The damage of the matrix is modeled by randomly dispersed micropores. The damage criterion for a microvolume is characterized by its stress-rupture strength. It is determined by the dependence of the time to brittle failure on the difference between the equivalent stress and its limit, which is the ultimate strength, according to the Huber-Mises criterion, and assumed to be a random function of coordinates. An equation of damage (porosity) balance in the matrix at an arbitrary time is formulated. Algorithms of calculating the time dependence of microdamage and macrostresses or macrostrains are developed and corresponding curves are plotted in the case of stress-rupture microstrength described by a fractional power function Keywords: composite materials, stochastic structure, stress-strain state, long-term damage, porosity of matrix, effective characteristics, porosity balance equation, fractional power function Introduction. One of the possible failure mechanisms in materials and structural members is the occurrence and development of dispersed microdamages, which commonly lead to the formation of main cracks. Physically, the damage of a material can be considered as dispersed defects such as microcracks, microvoids or damaged microvolumes. They reduce the effective or bearing portion of the material, which resists loads.There are three types of damage models. The models of the first type proceed from the micrononuniformity of the elastic and strength properties of the material, resulting in dispersed microdamages under loading, which are modeled by microcracks or micropores. The damage equations are derived from the theory of deformation of structurally inhomogeneous media and certain failure criteria for microvolumes of the material. The models of the second type formally introduce a damage parameter as a measure of discontinuity of the material but do not indicate its physical meaning and postulate an evolutionary equation that relates the damage rate and the applied stress. The models of the third type describe damage by thermodynamic (rather than structural) parameters, which contribute, together with stresses and strains, to the laws of thermodynamics. This gives formal relationships among stresses, strains, and damage parameters.It is obvious that the models of the first type most adequately represent real damage processes. The ideas and methods of the mechanics of stochastically inhomogeneous media make it possible to describe the coupled processes of deformation and short-term damage of both homogeneous [11,12] and composite [14][15][16][17] materials and to study these processes over a wide range of mechanical properties, including thermal effects [10,12,[18][19][20][21] and physically nonlinear deformation [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35].However, experimental data on and observations of the behavior of structural members and structures suggest that damage can be either short-term (occurring inst...