Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

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Part of the Soviet war in Afghanistan

A column of Soviet BTR-80s during the withdrawal.

Date	May 15, 1988 - February 15, 1989
Location	Afghanistan
Result	Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan; Afghan Civil War continues.

Belligerents

Soviet Union

Afghan Mujahideen

Commanders

Boris Gromov

Various

Casualties and losses

523 killed^[1]

Unknown

v • d • e Soviet war in Afghanistan

U.S. involvement – Storm-333 – Khost – Panjsher – Maravar Pass – Badaber Uprising – Zhawar – Jaji – Magistral – Hill 3234 – Arrow – Soviet withdrawal

Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Accords of 14 April 1988, signed three instruments-on principles of mutual relations, in particular noninterference and non-intervention, on the voluntary return of Afghan refugees, and on interrelationships for the settlement, which provided for phased withdrawal of foreign troops to begin on 15 May. The United States and the USSR also signed a declaration on international guarantees, stating they would both refrain from any form of interference and intervention.

In the first three-month period, it was reported that some 50,183 foreign troops had withdrawn. Another 50,100 left between 15 August 1988 and 15 February 1989.

The whole time during the withdrawal over the border troop convoys were coming under attack by Afghan fighters. In all 523 Soviet soldiers were killed during the withdrawal.

The total withdrawal of all Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed on 15 February 1989, in compliance with the terms of the Geneva Accords signed 10 months earlier.

In a symbolic move, Lt. Gen. Boris Gromov walked from Afghanistan back into Soviet territory.