The victims of the Afghan war were commemorated on Saturday in Chisinau, marking 36 years since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Representatives of the country’s leadership, war veterans, and relatives of those who fell in battle laid flowers at the "Feciorilor Patriei - Sfanta Amintire" memorial complex in the capital, IPN reports.

Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu stated that the role of veterans is essential and that their voice is needed today, especially when a bloody war is taking place near Moldova. “No one else but you can explain what peace means,” the Speaker noted.

Igor Grosu expressed his support for the veterans. “We have done some things. We know there is more to do, but together, by maintaining calm and peace in our country, we will succeed,” said the Speaker of Parliament.

Chisinau Deputy Mayor Irina Gutnic mentioned that Moldovans who fought in the war sacrificed their destinies, youth, health, and sometimes even their lives. They will forever remain heroes in the collective memory. Afghan war veterans were among the first to resist separatist attacks from the left bank of the Dniester, defending the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova as true heroes.

Mihai Mocanu, president of the Union of Afghan War Veterans, emphasized that the need for state support for veterans is increasingly acute.

On February 15, 1989, Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan after 10 years of war. “More than 12,500 Moldovans were thrown into a fight that was not theirs. 301 never returned. Hundreds more came back with wounds that never heal, be they physical or emotional,” President Maia Sandu wrote today, urging everyone to preserve peace and not to remain indifferent to the tragedy unfolding near us.