Category
War in Ukraine

How It Began. Defending Ukraine Through a Soldier’s Lens on One Roll of Film

Defending Ukraine Through a Soldier’s Lens

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Heorhii—now a UNITED24 Media project manager—joined the territorial defense and later volunteered in the army. Three years later, he shares the moments he captured when it all began: war’s raw reality—resilience, camaraderie, and defiance—with a middle finger raised to the invading force.

2 min read
Authors
Iva Kucherenko
Iva Kucherenko
Art Director
Vlada_Toporkova
Vlada Toporkova
Author

“The first day is a blur. An explosion near my home. Confusion. The urgent need to make rational decisions. No one around me seems to know what to do. Some packed what they could and fled west by car. Others spent their days underground in the subway, sheltering from the relentless air raid sirens.”

February 24, 2022 – “Civilians take shelter in Kyiv’s subway, as air raid sirens wail.”
February 24, 2022 – “Civilians take shelter in Kyiv’s subway, as air raid sirens wail.”

“Next day I call my friend. We decide—we’ll join Kyiv’s Territorial Defense to defend our city. Enlisting in any military unit at that time isn’t easy—thousands of volunteers are already lining up, eager to stand their ground. On the fourth day, we succeed. We are now part of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade.”

March 26, 2022 – “My friend stands guard at the combat position.”
March 26, 2022 – “My friend stands guard at the combat position.”
March 21, 2022 – “My comrades and I hold our combat position.”
March 21, 2022 – “My comrades and I hold our combat position.”

“We begin constructing a fortified company outpost on the outskirts of Kyiv. It becomes our home for the next month and a half.”

March 9, 2022 – “My comrade ‘adapts’ the combat position to his needs.”
March 9, 2022 – “My comrade ‘adapts’ the combat position to his needs.”
March 22, 2022 – “My comrades and I survey our combat position through a drone’s eyes.”
March 22, 2022 – “My comrades and I survey our combat position through a drone’s eyes.”
April 18, 2022 – “Breakfast, right on schedule.”
April 18, 2022 – “Breakfast, right on schedule.”

“What unfolded in those weeks was nothing short of extraordinary—a collective spirit unlike anything I’d ever witnessed. New recruits keep arriving, ready to stand beside us. Locals cook and deliver food, weave camouflage nets, and dig trenches. Strangers quickly become family.”

March 21, 2022 – “My comrade and I at the frontlines.”
March 21, 2022 – “My comrade and I at the frontlines.”
March 16, 2022 – “A brief moment of sleep in the daylight.”
March 16, 2022 – “A brief moment of sleep in the daylight.”

“And now, three years later, Ukraine’s resistance continues.”

March 29, 2022 – “A message to the Russians from my comrade.”
March 29, 2022 – “A message to the Russians from my comrade.”
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