Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 25 December 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan with the aim of propping up a faltering communist government. In the months that followed, Afghan mujahideen fighters mounted a rapidly growing resistance, operating across the country and from neighbouring Pakistan. The invasion was widely condemned internationally and led to a US‑led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The conflict intensified Cold War tensions and caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing millions of Afghans. Presented here is a series of ITN reports covering the first year of the Soviet–Afghan War.
#SovietAfghanWar #Afghanistan #SovietUnion #USSR #Soviet #Soviets #Afghan #ColdWar #Communism #Communist #Invasion #Mujahideen #Kabul #SovietWave #Russia #Insurgency #GuerrillaWarfare #MilitaryHistory #WorldHistory #1980 #1980s #Eighties
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On 25 December 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan with the aim of propping up a faltering communist government. In the months that followed, Afghan mujahideen fighters mounted a rapidly growing resistance, operating across the country and from neighbouring Pakistan. The invasion was widely condemned internationally and led to a US‑led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The conflict intensified Cold War tensions and caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing millions of Afghans. Presented here is a series of ITN reports covering the first year of the Soviet–Afghan War.
#SovietAfghanWar #Afghanistan #SovietUnion #USSR #Soviet #Soviets #Afghan #ColdWar #Communism #Communist #Invasion #Mujahideen #Kabul #SovietWave #Russia #Insurgency #GuerrillaWarfare #MilitaryHistory #WorldHistory #1980 #1980s #Eighties
To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/film?family=editorial&phrase=Afghanistan%20ITN&sort=mostpopular&recency=daterange&begindate=1980-01-01&enddate=1980-12-31
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - youtube.com/@FrontlinebyITN
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/ITNArchive
🎥 Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/ITNArchiveITNP
🎥 Check out our TikTok - tiktok.com/@itnarchive1955
