On February 15 1989, the last troops of the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, bringing an end to nearly a decade‐long occupation. This departure marked a pivotal turning point in the Cold War context, as well as for Afghan national sovereignty. The withdrawal followed years of intense fighting between Soviet forces and Afghan Mujahideen fighters. The event gave the Afghan people a symbolic moment of liberation and initiated a new phase of internal conflict and reconstruction. Though Soviet military presence ended, decades of instability and insurgency followed.
