“Now the task is to stay alive.”
Most of the injured soldiers have been wounded by artillery or drone attacks. Svitlana, a nurse at the rehabilitation ward for war amputees keeps an eye on Serhy trying to get stronger.
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Crimea, 2014.
The start of a war.
A young girl I Donetsk is taken by surprise when local police surround the administrative building to protect it from an approaching mob. Russia invaded the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula with special forces without insignias supported by local militia in February and march of 2014 – and annexed it. In many ways it marked the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine. From the Russian side it was fought by proxy - by an array of armed groups mainly in the Luhansk and Donetsk region. The Russian aggression led to thousands of people getting killed and losing their homes. Eight years later, in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, escalating the conflict into a full fledged war, killing hundred of thousands of people.
‘And the war continues.
Happiness is when grandma Tatjana brings home a balloon and play with five year old Dana. Jablunska street in #Kyiv was hard hit during the #russian occupation. Today life is slowly returning, in the midst of war.
Tetiana Shapir reviews what is left of her house after the devastating flood that was a result of the Russian attack on the Nova Kakhovka dam.The Shapir family is in desperate need of assistance and if there is anyone willing, email me and I will put you in contact with the family.
Natalia Bilousova, 69 years old was injured in her leg when a Russian artillery shell exploded outside her hourse. The local Red Cross society in Kherson evacuates her and other injured to a hospital in Vinnytsia for safety reasons and better care.
The war rages on with people getting killed every day. At the same time life continues. “He wants to get lucky” - my interpreter says - “And by the sound of it, he might”. Andriy Shchehol and Daria Shelest is on their way home after a night on the town in Kyiv. In the midst of war normality is an act of defiance against Russian aggression. Love’s eternal summer will not fade.
2014 - Avdiivka
The war in Ukraine did not start in February 2022 - it started eight years ago. This photograph is taken in may of 2014 after at battle close to Donetsk. Six people were killed by armed men supported by Russia. The dead separatists were taken by lorry to be buried but their victims were left in the street. One of them had his heart cut out.
2022 - Zhytomyr
Oleksander Kruk lost his wife Lyudmyla when Russian missiles hit his house in Zhytomyr. Four people were killed in the close knit neighborhood. Oleksander talks to his wife every day, tells her that their nine year old son is doing good, that he loves and miss her.
”A cold month”
Tetiana Diachenko is happy that he hasn’t had breakfast yet. Today, as responsible for the Trostanyets hospital morgue, she is inspecting the state of three dead soldiers. The stench of death hits us when she opens the door to the morgue – but not as bad as expected.
“Thank God that it has been cold this last month.”
Tetiana stayed in the hospital during all the Russian occupation. There were nine severely sick patients that could not be moved. Russian forces often shelled the hospital and she spent a lot of time in the basement bomb shelter. One day, when she moved the patients to the shelter she suddenly stood face to face with four Russian soldiers who aimed their automatic rifles at her face.
“After living through something like that I will never be frightened again.”
Russian forces occupied the sity of Trostanyets from February 28th until March 27 and when they withdrew they left their dead behind. Normally the Russian soldiers would have been buried immediately but the Ukrainian security service has not allowed it. Elena Volkova, the deputy mayor thinks the reason has been that they want to exchange the dead with Ukrainan dead, or POW:s.
“But now it’s too late. It is getting warmer. They will have to buried today or tomorrow.”
Taras Obruchnikov and his colleagues help a man who got the lower part of his right leg severely injured when Russian artillery started shooting at a civilian area in Kharkiv. So far close to 5 000 people have been killed.
Death in the afternoon.
The Russian artillery north of Kharkiv randomly shoot into civilian areas, killing scores of people. There are no military installations here, just people walking their dogs, hanging out with friends strolling by. This day three people were killed and seven wounded in the Saltivka neighborhood. According to a responding ambulance driver, “A quiet day.”
Taras cries when he says farewell to his son Matviy. His wife Kristina has written a heart on the train door. Together with the couples other son eight year old Ustyna she is leaving for Poland. Taras is forced to stay behind.
No men between the age of 18 and 60 are allowed to leave the country. They are expected to fight the Russian invasion. The departing trains are packed, way beyond their limit, with women and children – leaving devastated fathers in their wake. Fathers that head for the frontlines.
Four million people, so far, has fled Ukraine and according to estimates from the UN the number can reach five million.
Police at the Lviv train station are trying to organize the flow of refugees trying to catthc the departing trains for Poland. Many are packed, way beyond their limit, with women and children. So far, four million people has fled the violence in Ukraine.
Stalemate in Kiev.
The air is thick with smoke from campfires and burning tires along the streets of Kiev.
The Majdan revolution against Viktor Janukovytj started on november 21 when he declared that he would not sign a partnership deal with EU. November 30 the Berkut riot police and snipers killed many people along Hrusjevskyj and other streets in the Ukranian capital. During a lull in the clashes a local priest tries to intervene, but whithout any success.
Soon the fighting broke out again.
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A country, divided by war.
Sixty two year old Alla Segeda lives in the village of Krasnohorivka, a few kilometers outside the by separatist controlled city of Donetsk. The frontline is five hundred meters away. The distance to the capitol Kiev is 700 kilometer. But that is just logistics. In Alla Segeda´s mind it is far more distant.
”Our part of the village is abandoned. Cast away. Like it never existed. Kiev feels like another planet, above the clouds.”
The seven year old war in Ukraine has, so far claimed 13 200 lives. And there is no peace in sight. The slow and deadly stalemate in the east continues.