By June 2021, the United States and its allies had withdrawn most of their military forces from Afghanistan. According to official figures, approximately 650 U.S. troops remained in the country, primarily tasked with securing the American embassy. The Western withdrawal led to the rapid advance of the Taliban, while the pace at which the Afghan central government and armed forces collapsed surpassed even the most pessimistic expectations. The fall of the government was evident—first in rural areas in July, then in major cities and Kabul during the first half of August.
The speed of events is well illustrated by the fact that only nine days passed between the fall of the first provincial capital, Zaranj, and Kabul (August 6 to 15). This rapid collapse posed a significant challenge to the United States and its allies, who were forced to organize and carry out evacuation operations as the situation deteriorated. This was especially significant because NATO found itself, for the first time, in a position where it had to evacuate large numbers of people from a distant region within the framework of a non-combat operation—making the lessons learned critically important for the future.
This brief analysis aims to provide an overview of how the first phase of the evacuation operations in Afghanistan unfolded following the Taliban’s advance and the fall of Kabul. It does not seek to assess the outcomes or failures of the Afghan war, nor to examine the collapse of the Afghan government forces. Instead, it summarizes—based on available data, press reports, and eyewitness accounts—what forces and capabilities the affected NATO member states deployed in the evacuation operations. The paper also offers some conclusions regarding the execution of these operations and the evacuation capabilities of European countries.
Given the still-evolving nature of the situation in Afghanistan, all data presented should be treated with appropriate caution, as they are subject to change with daily developments.
