On the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, we asked Ukrainian and foreign documentary photographers to share one photo taken over these four years — a shot that, for one reason or another, has become meaningful to them. This material shows Russian aggression through human stories. Each photo is a separate lens, a separate point of pain and experience. Together, they form a multifaceted portrait of war: loss and resistance, destruction and love, fear and responsibility. These photos are a testament to time and at the same time a perspective that allows us to see what this war is like and what it brings with it.
Railway station in Lviv, February 24, 2022
The main railway station in Lviv, February 24, 2022. Photo: Jędrzej Nowicki
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“19:31, February 24, 2022. Sixteen hours ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The electronic scoreboard above the platform turns red — two, four, zero, two. A train to the Polish-Ukrainian border is at the Lviv station. Inside — hundreds of people waiting to depart. Ahead — 70 kilometers and an hour and a half of travel to the first relatively safe station. Behind — home, family, friends, work, usual life. In the new reality, their homes are destroyed by Russian missiles and bombs. At 03:40 on February 24, 2022, the world that seemed stable and understandable ceased to exist,” — Jędź Nowicki, @jnowickiphoto.
A man cries over the body of a deceased family member, February 24, 2022
A man cries over the body of a relative — one of the first victims of the war — after a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Chuguiv, February 24, 2022. Photo: Wolfgang Schwan
“On the morning of the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I and two colleagues documented the aftermath of a missile strike on a residential area of Chuguev. This photo was taken shortly before 8 a.m. It shows one of the first civilian victims of this war. This photograph most accurately conveys the essence of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. It shows the price civilians pay every day. Even far from the front line, people live under constant threat of missile attacks. This has been the reality from the first hours of the invasion to this day. For what? So that Russia can claim rights to Donbas or expand its borders? Over the past four years, I have seen such scenes hundreds of times – and there is still no end in sight,” — Wolfgang Schwan, @wolfgang_schwan.
Rescuers evacuate a woman from a destroyed house, March 14, 2022
Evacuation of a resident of a destroyed house in the Obolonsky district of Kyiv, March 14, 2022. Photo: Pavlo Petrov
“The photo was taken at the beginning of the full-scale invasion – after one of the first massive strikes on residential buildings in the capital. At that time, emergency workers managed to save more than 20 people. Most of them could not leave their apartments on their own: the explosion destroyed the stairwell, and smoke from the fire, which engulfed about ten apartments, rapidly filled the corridors. For me, this day became a starting point for the large-scale destruction in Kyiv and the new reality that firefighters and rescuers have been working with every day since then. Today, the consequences of such strikes have become a familiar part of their service, and clearing the rubble and eliminating damage is everyday work,” – Pavlo Petrov, @petrovp.photo.
Evacuees from occupied territories, May 2, 2022
A family arrives from territories occupied by Russian troops to Zaporizhia, May 2, 2022. Photo: Lynsey Addario
“As Russian troops tightened their grip on settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine, people there lived in constant fear for months. They spent days and nights in basements and shelters, often without daylight. Some were under constant shelling, while others tried again and again to escape the occupation to reach a registration point in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhia. When they finally succeeded, their faces showed exhaustion and deep trauma. These looks were forever etched in my memory — they could see everything they had experienced without words,” — Lynsey Addario, @lynseyaddario.
“Donbas, baby”, summer 2022
A young fighter in positions in Donbas, Donetsk region, summer 2022. Photo: Albert Lores
“A young Ukrainian soldier, a nineteen-year-old boxer from Troyeshchyna, whom I photographed in Donbas. Against the backdrop of the sunset, he performs an acrobatic cartwheel just in the dust. The picture was taken in the summer of 2022, when I worked with the “Pride” unit for several weeks. One evening, two fighters were joking and fooling around. Suddenly, one of them jumped up, did a cartwheel and exclaimed: “Donbas, little one!” I chose this photo because it aptly conveys the character of this war: the boy combined youthful carelessness and responsibility for the time in which he had to grow up. In this gesture, I saw not only a soldier, but also a teenager who should not have been here, but consciously took on this duty. This frame reminds us of who is fighting today: young men, parents, ordinary people whose lives should have turned out completely differently,” — Albert Lores, @albertlores.
Stabilization point and surviving soldier, April 2023
The 93rd Brigade stabilization point near Bakhmut and Denis, a survivor, April 2023. Photo: Yulia Kochetova
“This is a photo about the fact that my freedom is held in the hands of ordinary — and at the same time extraordinary — people. About the fact that everyone can cry; that there are no superheroes or “iron” men, and men have the right to be vulnerable. And also — about the responsibility to share someone's tears and stay by their side,” — Yulia Kochetova, @seameer.
Wounded soldier in a trench, September 5, 2023
A wounded soldier in a trench in the Donetsk region, September 5, 2023. Photo: Vlada and Konstantin Liberov
“The zero positions of the infantry of the Third Assault Brigade in the Donetsk region. During the shelling, a soldier runs into the trench to his wounded comrade. Before the artillery strike, Russian forces used gas discharges,” — Vlada and Konstantin Liberov, @libkos.
“White Angel”, October 2023
Evacuation of a wounded woman by the White Angel group, Avdiivske village, Donetsk region, October 2023. Photo: Conall Kearney
“Members of the White Angel police evacuation team help evacuate a wounded elderly woman whose village house was hit by a Russian Grad rocket moments before this photo was taken. I chose this photo because it demonstrates both the brutality and resilience of this war. Despite shrapnel wounds and the whistling of shells overhead, the woman insisted on first getting herself in order — neatly tucking her hair under a scarf — before agreeing to be evacuated to hospital,” — Conall Kearney, @cocobongo666.
Two brothers in Kurakhove, Donetsk region, February 2024
Two brothers in their home in Kurakhovo on the eve of evacuation, Donetsk region, February 2024. Photo: Josh Olley
“In the photo are two brothers playing in their house. They lived with a family of eight near Kurakhove in the Donetsk region in 2024. At that time, the city was under constant shelling, and Russian troops were rapidly advancing. I was helping friends from the public organization Base UA. Together with a private donor, they purchased a house for this family in a much safer place in the Kyiv region. We came to help with the final preparations for departure – the family was probably leaving their home forever. By mid-January 2025, Kurakhove was completely occupied by Russian troops. That night was forever etched in memory. A cold, dark February evening in the Donetsk region. Explosions could be heard continuously in the distance – a dull and unrelenting background to the war that was going on very nearby. However, the children paid little attention to this. As is often the case when new people appear, they arranged an improvised performance, turning the room into a stage, and a tense moment into something brighter,” — Joshua Olley, @joshua.olley.
Servicemen before a mission to storm, June 2024
Servicemen of the 3rd separate assault brigade before going on an assault, Boriv direction, Kharkiv region, June 2024. Photo: Alex Babenko
“Servicemen of the 2nd mechanized battalion of the 3rd separate assault brigade smoke on the stairs of the command post before going on an assault. There is almost no air inside. Dozens of fighters spend days and nights underground, because any movement during the day can be noticed by enemy drones. It smells of sweat, dampness, and earth. Groups go on missions one after another. I try not to get close to the newcomers, not to remember their faces, so as not to experience the loss of someone I knew personally again. Later, I find out that one of the fighters has gone missing. My photos were the last ones where he was captured alive. I chose this photo because the contribution of the infantry is decisive, and documenting their work is becoming increasingly difficult. On the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, I remember everyone I lost in this war,” — Alex Babenko, @alexxbabenko.
Alice in kindergarten, Poltava region, 2024
Alice (center) in kindergarten on the first day of the new school year. Poltava region, 2024. Photo: Anastasia Taylor-Lind
“This photo is from the series “5K from the Frontline” – a long-term joint project with Ukrainian anthropologist and writer Alisa Sopova. I have been photographing Alisa's large family since 2018. Until 2022, they lived in Avdiivka, and with the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, they moved to the central part of the Poltava region. Alisa's father serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as do all the men of draft age in their family. This photo is especially close to me – because of the attention to detail in her festive dress and shoes chosen for the First Bell, and the concentration with which young children savor the treat. I photographed Alisa when she was a baby, and seeing her grow up and already go to kindergarten is a real joy,” – Anastasia Taylor-Lind, @anastasiatl, @5kfromthefrontline.
“Sofia and Echo”, Kharkiv region, October 24, 2024
Sofia and Bohdan “Echo” during training at the training ground, Kharkiv region, October 24, 2024. Photo: Nicoletta Stoyanova
“In the photo are my close friends Sofia and Bohdan “Ekho”, who are training to shoot at the shooting range. They are a young couple, serving together in the 3rd Assault Brigade. Their story began a long time ago. They went through Bohdan's injuries, separation, and front-line everyday life. Despite everything, their desire to be together only grew stronger. Sofia left volunteering in evacuation medicine and joined the brigade to be near her beloved. For me, this frame is evidence that even in the reality of war, young people find love, support, and the strength to stay together. This is a photograph about tenderness and a conscious choice to be together — despite danger, fatigue, and uncertainty. It reveals another dimension of war — not only losses, but also the ability to love, grow, and stay connected in the most difficult circumstances,” — Nikoletta Stoyanova, @okumena.
Solomiya returns to her mother from the occupied territories, June 2025
Solomiya returns to her mother from the occupied territories, June 2025. Photo: Oksana Parafenyuk
“The photo shows nine-year-old Solomiya (at the time of the shooting), who fell asleep on the bus on the way to Kyiv, where she was supposed to meet her mother after more than three years of separation. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she has been under Russian occupation with her grandmother. Immediately after crossing the border, volunteers handed her a small Ukrainian flag, and the girl stuck it to the bus window on her own. The grandmother recalled that just a minute after returning to Ukraine, Solomiya quietly asked if she could speak Ukrainian anymore,” — Oksana Parafenyuk, @oksana_par.
Offshore gas production platform in the Black Sea, 2025
A gas production platform in the Black Sea, which the GUR forces returned to Ukrainian control, 2025. Photo: Vitaliy Yurasov
“The Black Sea is home to a network of gas production platforms occupied by Russia back in 2014. Until the summer of 2022, the enemy was extracting Ukrainian gas there and using the facilities as military observation posts. After the start of the full-scale invasion and the liberation of Zmiiniy Island, the Ukrainian Defense Forces began a systematic operation to return them. Control over the platforms means control over part of the water area, shipping safety, and the operation of the “grain corridor.” While working on Oleksandr Nebylovych's film “Fights near Crimea,” I documented the service of the fighters of the “Timur Special Unit” at these facilities. It was the GUR that played a key role in the return of the “Tavrida” and “Ukraine” rigs and continues to displace the enemy from other platforms. Service there is a constant risk: the platforms are located 100 km from the coast, evacuation takes up to 8 hours, enemy drones and aviation. For the third year now, fighters have been holding and clearing these facilities, not allowing the enemy to dominate the Black Sea. Unlimited respect to everyone who is leading this fight,” — Vitaly Yurasov, @yurasov.pro.
Mom's apartment after Russian shelling, July 2025
The photographer's mother's student ID card, lying in the rubble in her damaged apartment after Russian shelling, July 2025. Photo: Sasha Maslov
“I've been to many destroyed apartments, but returning to one where you remember every corner is a particularly eerie feeling. The “Shahed” hit the ninth floor of the neighboring entrance of the house where I grew up. An elderly woman died, two floors were destroyed. This time the building survived – the explosion did not cause a complete collapse. The woman was sleeping. I want to believe that she didn't feel anything. My mother's apartment is covered in glass. The windows are broken, the doors are damaged, family photos are scattered. I hear another explosion – black smoke rises a few kilometers away. I put my things in boxes, take a few of the most important ones to Kyiv – it's safer there. I show my mother the damage via video link, trying to quickly move the camera past the worst. I think: “Maybe now she'll stop wanting to return to Kharkiv.” As I say goodbye, she asks if it will all be over by September. The next morning I wake up on the train, scroll through the messages about “Anxiety. A colleague writes that in the Solomyansky district of Kyiv, an entrance collapsed – a house like ours, which was less fortunate,” – Sasha Maslov, @maslovsaslov.