As the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev sought to reform the Communist state and infuse greater transparency. But his efforts unleashed a wave of unstoppable forces that led to the nation’s demise, reshaping the geopolitical landscape and leaving the US as the world’s sole superpower.
Russia’s state news agencies cited Moscow’s central clinical hospital as saying he had died aged 91. A representative for Gorbachev confirmed his death.
