Ukrainian photojournalists share stories about war

In three years since Russia launched its full invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of photographers documented the human influence of the war on the front line and in civilian areas.

Some of them shared stories about their photos that appeared in the BBC coverage since February 2022.

Before the full war, this husband and wife worked as a wedding and portrait photographer at the port of the Black Sea Odessa. They soon moved “from the recording of love stories, to documenting Russian war crimes,” the Government recalls.

She knows firsthand the risk in her work. Explosion to visit Donjecsk region In 2023, he left it with Srapnel lowered deep into the side, for which doctors decided not to be removed.

This strong shot that was recorded in the summer of 2024 by Kostuantyn Libera Paul Adams report About the Ukrainian offensive over the Russian border in Kurska.

The soldier is seen to comfort his desperate colleague after returning from the attack in which a fellow fellow soldier was killed.

For libera, the image mirrors some confusion within the army during surgery.

“Losing his friend in an attack within Russia, not to defend our country in Ukraine, it is very difficult,” he said. “I took this photo because of the emotional influence he had on me. He talks a lot about the situation and how difficult it was for them.”

Photography so deeply influential scenes took its toll on local photojournalism. “It’s not something we talk about with colleagues because it’s painful,” the Government says. “You are in a very difficult situation and no one understands what the solution can be.”

One of her 2023. Her photograph includes a member of the Ukrainian Police Unit of White Angels after a failed attempt to convince one of the last residents to leave the eastern city of Avidvka before the Russian forces came in.

The story was part BBC article on a devastating Russian bombing of 24 hours.

The man asked the police unit to evacuate his brother from the basement of the burned building, and yet he still refused to leave.

“The next day we couldn’t go back because of hard shelling,” the government remembers. “The situation got worse and I’m not sure he could survive. It hurts knowing you can’t go back to those places.”

Docting so much loss and suffering, the couple found a deeper respect for the moments of joy.

Dmytro, who fought in Ukraine for more than a decade, was photographed after his wife gave birth in March 2024.

“We used to take pictures of him in the trenches. And then you see this big, brave soldier crying while he takes his little daughter in his hands, and you understand that soldiers like him fight for these moments. Not only for himself, but for himself all in Ukraine. “

Since 2016, Valeria Demenko has been chronicled by Ukrainian State Emergency Room (DSNA) in the northeastern Sumy region, and is now joining the rescue teams deployed to areas that hit Russian shelling.

“It’s always difficult … you never know what danger awaits you. It’s especially difficult when residential buildings attack.”

One moment engraved in her memory included a striking picture presented in The story in March 2024 Showing the emergency workers at the site of a five -story building that collapsed after Russian shelling, and residents are still inside.

Valeria recalls that in an emergency workers attended the location for four days straight. They found four dead but never recovered the body of a missing girl.

“On one of the upper floors was a doll … It meant that the baby was living there, and maybe there were more.”

Although all her colleagues are emotionally stretched, she wants the world to see their work: “We give every last power of strength to document Russian crimes against peaceful Ukrainians.”

Alexander Ermochenko has spent the last 11 years documenting the war of Ukraine as a photojournalist in the Eastern Donjecsk region.

He often reported in the territory under the control of Russian and “I never thought I would photograph the war in my home.”

“The fear on the face of the owner of a destroyed house is the same on both sides of the front. It is always important to show that blood has the same red color.”

The BBC has a smaller approach to photos reports from Russia, because Kremlin limits access to international journalists, and Russian news agencies are generally state.

The BBC approached the Russian photographer to contribute to this story, but did not receive an answer.

In the picture above, Ermochenko captured jubilee pro -Russian activists on February 21, 2022 after Vladimir Putin declared his eastern region independently. Was published as part of the BBC coverage that fateful moment.

He describes how the photo was made “accidentally” – a strong reminder of the potential impact of the decision on the separated second of the photographer to pick up his camera.

Ukraine said 300 people were killed when Russian planes bombed the Mariupol Theater in March 2022.

Next month Alexander Ermochenko captured this picture presented in Report of Hugo Bachegain which the photographer conveys the consequences of the massacre with daily life.

“The destruction was absolutely,” he remembers, “with nine floors destroyed that looked like a Hollywood set. But they are real, and recently people are inhabited.”

“What surprised the most was that life continued, despite the fighting on the adjacent streets. People looked calm, but in fact they were deeply shocked by what was happening.”

This photo, used In our live reporting From the shelling of the Nuclear Plant Plant Plant in November 2022, it illustrates difficulties in photographing war.

“Pictures of the plant were rare at the time,” says Ermochenko. “He is constantly under the guard, although the soldiers themselves illustrate the situation perfectly.”

Despite the challenges that his colleagues face, he says, “War is not only part of my professional career, but also a large part of my whole life … No matter how difficult it is, I will continue.”

With the headquarters in Kiev, Alina Smutko understands the human influence of this war with his work of photojournalists and from personal experience.

“I have experienced Russian missiles and attacks of drones on the city for almost a non-stop for three years. During that time, I kept taking care of my parents, child, friends and colleagues.”

She feels happy that her home is intact and her favorite alive after witnessing a rocket attack on her neighborhood from the bedroom window.

Initially, she and her friends and family would apply daily with each other after a full Russian invasion.

But the frequency of attacks forced residents to learn to live with war and maintain as normal as possible.

Toll in her profession was difficult.

“We see our colleagues – especially photojournalists – during this invasion killed or wounded. We lost one of our team members and the other colleague was badly wounded.”

Smutko tries not to “overcome” what he does, but believes that it is important to share the effects of war with the world.

“I think it somehow helps, but I don’t believe the idea that a picture can stop the war. To be able to, we wouldn’t lose so many lives here.”

“I still believe that documentation is important. Because if something is not photographed, it didn’t happen.”

“This job has to be done … I just do my best.”

The top image shows a member of the emergency services that attended the fire due to a Russian strike at a gas depot, near the northeast of Sumy in May 2024.