In 1990, Steele was transferred to ITN's Moscow Bureau as cameraman/editor, where he worked until 1994. While based in Moscow, Steele became internationally recognized for a body of work covering the collapse of social and governmental institutions throughout the former Soviet Union. His footage of the fall of Sukhumi during the civil war in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia (September, 1993) was the basis of a ten-minute report on ITV's News at Ten called "The Last Flight from Sukhumi. "The report was honored as 'Story of the Year' by the Royal Television Society and Steele received a citation for bravery from The citation also included ITN reporter Julian Manyon and ITN Moscow producer Oleg Yuriev. Steele's footage of the Russian military crackdown during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis won 'Cameraman of the Year' from the Royal Television Society, as well as a BAFTA for factual television photography. He shared the award with fellow ITN cameraman Eugene Campbell. Steele was also awarded the Golden Nymph Award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in the same year.