February 24, 2022: country in shock:
Despite weeks of speculation about whether this will happen or not, February 24, 2022 Russia surprises Ukraine and the whole world by their decision to invade the neighboring former Soviet republic.
Shock showed on the bandaged face of Yelena Kurilo, a teacher who was injured in a shelling in the eastern town of Chuguev. Ukrainereflects the state of the whole country. His resistance too.
“I will never, under any circumstances, submit to Putin. It is better to die,” says Kurilo, whose photo becomes one of the symbolic images of the war.
| Fountain: AFP
March 7, 2022: Mass exodus:
As soon as the war starts, Ukrainians start leaving the country by car, bus, train or on foot, mostly towards the borders of Poland, Hungary and Romania.
Fighting-age men are ordered to stay, leading to scenes of heartbreaking goodbyes, such as this shot at the central station in the port of Odessa on March 7, in which a father watches his daughter leave.
| Fountain: AFP
April 2, 2022: horror in Bucha:
A month after the start of the war, the Russian army announces its withdrawal from the north. Ukraine after an unsuccessful attempt to take Kyiv. Thus arises the horror of what happened in the cities and villages occupied by it.
On April 2, AFP was one of the first international agencies to arrive in newly liberated Bucha in the suburbs of Kiev, where reporters found the bodies of at least 20 civilians, some with their hands tied behind their backs, strewn along a residential street.
The images, taken by AFP photographer Ronaldo Schemidt, spark worldwide outrage and accuse Russia of war crimes, which Moscow denies.
| Fountain: AFP
April 12, 2022: Mariupol in ruins:
One city above all symbolizes the suffering of the first part of the war: the southern port of Mariupol, destroyed during a brutal three-month siege.
This photo, taken during a visit organized by Russian troops on April 12, shows the ruins of a theater that was leveled to the ground during a Russian attack when hundreds of people took refuge inside.
| Fountain: AFP
June 15, 2022: Battle for Donbass:
After the withdrawal in the north, Russian forces are concentrated in the Donbass, the eastern region has been partly in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
Ukrainians, deprived of weapons, are asking the West for more powerful weapons to repel the attack.
France is sending several truck-mounted Caesar systems, such as this one, which AFP photographer Aris Messinis captured in action near the town of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.
| Fountain: AFP
October 8, 2022: Bridge blown up in Crimea:
Prestige Russia October 8 suffers a major blow when the 19-kilometer bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the annexed Crimean peninsula across the Kerch Strait, the pride of President Vladimir Putin, is partially destroyed.
Ukrainian social media is flooded with images of the bridge — a despised symbol of Russian annexation — in flames and thick black smoke.
The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the attack.
This photo was taken in the city of Kerch in Crimea by an amateur photographer who did not want to reveal his identity.
| Fountain: AFP
October 17, 2022: Explosive drones appear:
The response to the attack on the Kerch Bridge is taking the form of deadly missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other cities, with the primary goal of destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
On October 17, the people of Kiev are awakened by Iranian-made drones that are aimed at their targets.
AFP photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba captured one as it flies over his head and explodes a hundred meters away.
| Fountain: AFP
November 13, 2022: Kherson released:
Russia suffers a major setback on November 9 as its forces withdraw from the southern city of Kherson. Ukraineand occupied since the beginning of the war and the object of a strong counteroffensive.
Days later, the people of Kherson are celebrating the arrival of Ukrainian troops, though the euphoria is limited to the fear that Russia will continue to advance on the city, which it has done repeatedly.
| Fountain: AFP
December 21, 2022: Zelensky in Washington:
War offers actor-turned-president UkraineVladimir Zelensky, the biggest role of his life as a tireless commander in chief trying to rally support in his country’s epic battle against the mighty Russian army.
Without leaving Kyiv, he goes on a virtual tour of the parliaments of his Western allies to ask for more weapons and help.
His diplomatic offensive culminates in December with his first trip from his country to the United States, where he addresses Congress. “Ukraine never give up,” he says there, drawing applause from everyone present.
| Fountain: AFP
February 1, 2023: Trench Warfare:
As the months passed, the fighting mimicked the trench style of World War I as soldiers on both sides endured harsh conditions in the dead of winter.
This image, also taken by Yasuyoshi Chiba, shows Ukrainian soldiers digging a trench near the eastern town of Bakhmut, the subject of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
| Fountain: AFP
Source: RPP
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.