The Soviet–Afghan War had an important impact in popular culture in the West, due to its scope, and the great number of countries involved.
The Russian-Ukrainian film The 9th Company,[1] for example, became a blockbuster in the former USSR earning millions of dollars and also representing a new trend in Russia in which some domestic films are "drawing Russian audiences away from Hollywood staples.
[3] Some of this attention focuses on comparisons of the conflict with other modern wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
[4] Other work focuses on the war and fictional accounts of it in the context of Soviet military culture.
[5] Even when not directly portrayed, service in the war is sometimes used as a backstory for Russian characters to explain their combat prowess, such as in the manga and anime series Black Lagoon.