when did soviets leave afghanistan

The Soviet Union completed its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan on February 15, 1989, formally ending a nine-year military intervention that began in December 1979. The withdrawal process started on May 15, 1988, and was completed by February 1989 under the leadership of Soviet military officer Boris Gromov. This marked the end of the Soviet-Afghan War, which caused significant loss of life and destruction in Afghanistan and played a role in later political developments in the region.