Photos

Coming of age amidst war (PHOTO)

At Chornobyl's edge, Ukrainian soldiers brace for a potential threat from Belarus (Photos)

Since June 2024, the 78th Air Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with other units, has been stationed in the Chornobyl exclusion zone, north of Kyiv. The regiment has been part of the latest group of forces Ukraine transferred closer to the border with Belarus, following ongoing threats

Ukrainian athletes win 82 medals at Paris Paralympics, securing 7th place (Photos)

Ukrainian athletes have won 82 medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, securing seventh place in the medal score, as the competition wrapped up on Sept. 8. Ukraine’s medal count includes 22 gold, 28 silver, and 31 bronze medals. China topped the list this year with 220

Amid missile strikes, fashion takes the stage in Kyiv (Photos)

The Ukrainian Fashion Week returned to Kyiv for its 55th season from Sept. 1-4 for the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Over the past two and a half years, Ukrainian designers put out showcases in cities like London, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Lisbon, and Berlin

End of summer in Kyiv: Longing for normalcy amid Russian attacks, blackouts (Photos)

As the summer is coming to an end, Kyiv residents are trying to enjoy glimpses of normalcy amid the never-ending threats of Russian missile and drone attacks and the blackouts, which often follow large-scale strikes that target critical infrastructure across Ukraine. On Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day, celebrated on Aug. 24,

Ukrainian Valkyries: Women embrace military training to learn to defend their homeland (Photos)

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Kyiv announced a general mobilization, thousands of Ukrainians have been called up to defend their homeland. In Ukraine, conscription is mandatory only for men. Despite that, more than 45,000 women have voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Land on fire: Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast brings destruction to new towns (Photos)

Since February, Russian forces have steadily advanced across multiple sectors of the front in Donetsk Oblast. They have occupied villages previously liberated by Ukraine, wiped out entire towns, and introduced new threats to the region's overall defense. Alongside Chasiv Yar, Niu York, and other towns, Russia aims to capture Toretsk,

Deadly Monday attack on Kyiv in photos: Children hospital hit, 25 killed, rescue works continue on attack sites

Editor's note: Some of the following images are graphic in nature and might be disturbing. For Kyiv residents, Monday morning started with loud explosions throughout the city. Russia launched a large-scale missile attack targeting the capital as well as cities in Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts on the morning of July

Ivana Kupala: Ukrainians celebrate midsummer amidst war (Photos)

In stark contrast to the grim reality of air raid sirens and blackouts amid Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians gathered to celebrate one of the most magical and ancient rituals of their ancestors that dates back to pagan times. Ivana Kupala falls on June 24, during the summer solstice, on the

Generation of fighters: An intimate look at Ukraine's fearless youth (Photos)

In the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the resilience of the Ukrainian people shines in the photographer Brett Lloyd's photo essay, "Ukraine Today." Commissioned by Vogue Ukraine, this series captures the vibrancy of life persisting amid war, offering an intimate look into the lives of Ukrainians. “'Ukraine

‘You stay because you're needed.’ Foreigners volunteering in wartime Ukraine (Photos)

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, volunteers from around the world have come to Ukraine to support the country’s struggle. They have not only joined the foreign battalions to fight on the front line but have also helped various volunteer initiatives: from weaving camouflage nets for the

'Saints:' Photographer Sasha Maslov on documenting self-sacrifice in Ukraine during war

Sasha Maslov is a Ukrainian-American photographer who divides his time between Kyiv and New York. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Kyiv to document the war. His work, which has been showcased in galleries and art spaces across Europe and the United States, includes regular contributions

Looking back at the Kakhovka Dam explosion one year later (Photos)

KHERSON OBLAST - When Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Dam on June 6, 2023, they changed the landscape of southern Ukraine permanently. The breach unleashed nearly 20 cubic kilometers of water from the Kakhovka reservoir, a massive body of freshwater spanning three oblasts. Water levels in several cities in

As their parents refuse to evacuate, these Ukrainian children grow up on the front line (Photos)

Since the summer of 2023, local Ukrainian authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from multiple front-line areas due to the intensification of hostilities. The orders apply to several districts in Kharkiv Oblast, which borders Russia and has been heavily bombarded throughout the full-scale invasion, and the entirety

Russian missile strike reduces Kharkiv printing press to ashes, killing 7 (Photos)

Editor's note: This article features graphic photos. Russian forces destroyed one of Ukraine's largest printing presses amid a mass missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on the morning of May 23. According to regional authorities, Russia used S-300 missiles, fired from inside Russian territory, to strike the factory belonging

12 never-before-seen photos from Azovstal defense (Photos)

The defense of the Azovstal steel plant, Ukraine's last stronghold during the Russian siege of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, remains one of the most heroic operations carried out by the Ukrainian soldiers to date. The plant was under constant Russian bombardment for nearly two months, and those stuck

Author of famous Azovstal photos on documenting Ukraine’s iron resistance in Mariupol

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. While hiding from almost non-stop Russian bombardment in the dark and cold bunkers of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Dmytro Kozatskyi took his most famous and arguably most valuable photographs. He showed the world what it was

Vyshyvanka: A Ukrainian tradition preserved through centuries (Photos)

Every year on the third Thursday of May, Ukrainians celebrate Vyshyvanka Day. Vyshyvanka is the Ukrainian word for an embroidered shirt or dress – a central piece to traditional Ukrainian clothing. Vyshyvanka is traditionally made from linen and embroidered with various symbols unique to each region of Ukraine. Throughout history, Ukrainians

The road from death to life: Medics evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers amid intensified fighting (Photo)

Editor’s Note: Soldiers and military medics are introduced by first names and callsigns only due to security reasons. DONETSK OBLAST – A sunflowers-painted bus drives fast toward Dnipro, clearing the way with sirens. From the front line to the rear, from death to life, it carries wounded Ukrainian soldiers, and

The man who refuses to leave his museum-like house in front-line Chasiv Yar

CHASIV YAR, DONETSK OBLAST – In the small town of Chasiv Yar, just several kilometers away from the eastern front of Russia's war in Ukraine, a rare house has remained intact. Most of the residents have fled to safer areas. Vitalii, 74, has lived in Chasiv Yar his whole life. He

Alone: Photo project shows wives of fallen soldiers coping with loss, shattered dreams (Photos)

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed by Russia’s war since 2022, leaving behind partners with shattered dreams of a shared future. As the full-scale Russian invasion nears its two-year mark, the number of fresh graves at cemeteries across Ukraine continues to grow, as does the number of those

Fury: Ukrainian military legends join photo project to raise money for drones (Photos)

"Fury" is a photo project that highlights 12 contemporary legends of the Ukrainian military. All the photos are featured in a calendar, with each soldier symbolizing a month of resilience and bravery in 2024. The project involves both veterans and those still in service. Initiated by the 1991 Fund, the

Ukrainians pay tribute to fallen soldier and poet Maksym Kryvtsov (Photos)

Despite the freezing temperature hundreds of Ukrainians gathered in central Kyiv on Jan. 11 to pay tribute to fallen Ukrainian serviceman and poet Maksym Kryvtsov. Going by the callsign "Dali," Kryvtsov was killed in combat at the age of 33, defending Ukraine against Russia's unprovoked aggression. He was a prominent

Ukrainians plunge into icy water on Epiphany (Photos)

For some Ukrainians, celebrating Epiphany is incomplete without taking a plunge into the icy waters of their nearest lake or river. Epiphany, the Christian feast day commemorating the Magi’s visit, Jesus’ baptism, and the wedding at Cana, was traditionally celebrated by Ukraine’s Orthodox Christians on Jan. 19 in

Ukraine celebrates New Year amid Russian drone attack (Photos)

Ukrainians navigated a spectrum of emotions as New Year's Eve unfolded, from taking part in joyous celebrations in central Kyiv to the somber aftermath of Russia's largest air attack since the start of the full-scale war a few days prior. While some celebrated with their friends and family far from

Ukraine's 2023 in photos

The year 2023 was another year defined by heartbreak and resilience for millions of Ukrainians as Russia continued its brutal war against Ukraine. The onset saw a massive Russian strike on a residential building in Dnipro that killed 46 people. Then there was a Kakhovka Dam destruction, which evidence suggests

Christmas on the front line (Photos)

Amidst Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine, numerous Ukrainian men and women are spending Christmas on the front lines, far from their homes and loved ones. Many of them, previously having civilian lives, are now adapting to the challenges of serving in the military. Valentyn Kuzan, a photographer newly enlisted in

In Avdiivka, Ukrainians hold Russians off for nearly 10 years (PHOTOS)

Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent agreed not to publish the names and/or last names of people who live or visit Avdiivka so as not to endanger them and their immediate family. The city of Avdiivka, in Donetsk Oblast, has been on the front line of Russia's war against Ukraine

Beach during the day, air raids at night: Summer comes to end in Odesa

Before Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian port city Odesa was a popular summer destination. Every year, tourists would flow from Ukraine and abroad, attracted by its beaches, bustling nightlife, history, and rich local cuisine. A year-and-a-half into the full-scale war, the city is getting back to its ways — with some

Ukraine bids farewell to legendary volunteer commander killed near Bakhmut

In a scene all too familiar for central Kyiv and for Ukraine as a whole, a large column of mourning soldiers and civilians walked through the capital’s streets on Aug. 28 to say goodbye to another high-profile commander killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Serhii Ilnytskyi, call sign