Doomed from start: US invasion of Afghanistan was a 'bad idea', says last Soviet leader Gorbachev
Taliban taking control of the presidential palace
Former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet Union forces from Afghanistan in 1989 after Moscow's failed decade-long campaign there, on Tuesday said that NATO's deployment to the country had been doomed from the beginning.
Talking to theRIA Novosti news agency,Gorbachev said that "from the very start (the US invasion) was a bad idea, although Russia initially supported it,".
LIVE Afghanistan crisis: India brings back ambassador, embassy staff from Kabul
"Failure should have been admitted earlier," 90-year-old Gorbachev said.
"Now it is important to learn from the situation and at least not repeat such mistakes," he added.
Taking advantage of US troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan, Taliban militants completed a military takeover of the country on Sunday.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
In 2001, after the September 11 attacks, the US invaded Afghanistan following the Taliban refusal to hand over Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Similarly, conducted by the Soviet Union, the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was aimed at supporting an Afghan communist government at odds with Muslim guerrilla fighters.
Soon after coming into power in 1985, Gorbachev formally ended Soviet involvement in Afghanistan.
Soviet presence in Afghanistan at a time when the Soviet Union was experiencing what turned out to be its last days was perceived by Gorbachev as a political mistake wasting precious resources.
After Moscow withdrew its main forces from Afghanistan, the Soviet-backed regime survived for three years, but never recovered from a Russian decisionto cut off aid to them.The Soviet Union collapsed in 1992 and the regime later that year.
Over the course of a decade, as many as two million Afghans were killed by Soviet troops in their Afghanistan conflict. Additionally, seven million Afghans were forced from their homes. The Soviet Union also lost approximately 14,000 soldiers.
It was fighters of the anti-Soviet Mujahideen who helped to establish the Taliban in the early 1990s.
(With inputs from agencies)