The 25th anniversary of Soviet troops withdrawal from Afghanistan

President of the Academy of Military Sciences Makhmut Gareyev and Chairman of All-Russian Public Organization of Veterans of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Viktor Ermakov on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan remembered how events unfolded back then.

The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988, in accordance with the Geneva Agreements on the political settlement of the situation around Afghanistan adopted in April 1988. The Soviet Union pledged to withdraw its contingent in the nine-month period, i.e. until February 15 the following year.

According to reports, in the first three months 50,183 soldiers left Afghanistan. Another 50,100 people returned to the USSR in the period from August 15, 1988 to February 15, 1989.

The withdrawal was being constantly attacked. According to The Washington Post, a total of 523 Soviet soldiers were killed during this period.

On February 15, 1989, Lieutenant-General Boris Gromov, according to the official version, was the last Soviet miliary to cross the border on the Friendship Bridge. In fact, Soviet soldiers captured by the enemy and units of border guards stayed in Afghanistan, as well as the divisions of border guards who were to cover the withdrawal of troops. They didn't return to the territory of the Soviet Union until February 15 afternoon.KGB border guards performed tasks for the protection of the Soviet-Afghan border by individual units in Afghanistan until April 1989.