▁but ▁they ▁never ▁took ▁any ▁serious ▁steps ▁in ▁that ▁direction ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁Early ▁Soviet ▁military ▁reports ▁confirm ▁the ▁difficulties ▁the ▁Soviet ▁army ▁had ▁while ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁mountain ous ▁terrain , ▁for ▁which ▁the ▁Soviet ▁army ▁had ▁no ▁training ▁what so ever . ▁Par alle ls ▁with ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁were ▁frequently ▁referred ▁to ▁by ▁Soviet ▁army ▁officers . ▁ ▁Policy ▁fail ures , ▁and ▁the ▁st alem ate ▁that ▁en su ed ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁inter vention , ▁led ▁the ▁Soviet ▁leadership ▁to ▁become ▁highly ▁critical ▁of ▁K arm al ' s ▁leadership . ▁Under ▁Mik h ail ▁G orb ache v , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁dep ose ▁K arm al ▁and ▁replace ▁him ▁with ▁Moh amm ad ▁Naj ib ul lah . ▁K arm al ' s ▁leadership ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁failure ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁violence ▁and ▁crime ▁during ▁his ▁administration . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁Soviet ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁Afghan istan , ▁tro op ▁con vo ys ▁came ▁under ▁attack ▁by ▁Afghan ▁re bel ▁f igh ters . ▁In ▁all , ▁ 5 2 3 ▁Soviet ▁soldiers ▁were ▁killed ▁during ▁the ▁withdraw al . ▁The ▁total ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁all ▁Soviet ▁troops ▁from ▁Afghan istan ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁The ▁last ▁Soviet ▁soldier ▁to ▁leave ▁was ▁Lieutenant ▁General ▁Bor is ▁G rom ov , ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁military ▁operations ▁in ▁Afghan istan ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet