With the full out invasion of the Ukraine by Russian forces on February 24, 2022, the fourth stage of the Ukrainian crisis has tragically arrived. No longer hiding behind the pretense of veiled language like “peace keeping mission” for the newly “recognized” regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Russian troops were ordered to mount an invasion against the Ukrainian government. Continuing the work I had been doing since 2014, I witnessed the escalation of events as Putin’s misconceived and failed attempts to quickly replace Ukraine’s democratically chosen government turned into a war against the civilian population. With all the right reasons to defend their homes and their freedom, Ukrainians are fighting against an army whose reasons to fight their neighbors are diminishing rapidly.
Having had to come to terms with this violently sudden shift in their perception of what their Russian neighbors are prepared to do, Ukrainians, no longer reeling from the shock, are mobilizing their fury as well as their fear to fight for their lives.
2022-2025/Ongoing