Eternal memory to the brave and talented photographers who died while documenting the Russian invasion, or while defending their country with a rifle in their hands instead of a camera.
According to verified data from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) and the International Federation of Journalists, as of March 10, 2026, since the beginning of the full‑scale invasion Russia has killed at least 145 media workers in Ukraine. Among the dead, 21 were killed while performing journalistic duties, 114 were killed as combatants, and 10 were civilian victims.
As of March 2026, at least 39 Ukrainian photographers have been killed over the 12 years of the Russian‑Ukrainian war. Some were carrying out editorial assignments, while others went to the front as volunteers.
Civilian photographers killed by Russians:
Serhii Nikolaiev — photographer who worked for the Kyiv daily newspaper “Segodnya.” He was killed on February 28, 2015, during crossfire between Ukrainian forces and pro‑Russian separatists in the village of Pisky, Donetsk region.
Ihor Hudenko — photographer and video blogger, went missing during the shelling of Kharkiv on February 26, 2022. His body was found on February 27. At the beginning of the full‑scale invasion, he documented Russian crimes in the suburbs of Kharkiv, where fighting was taking place.
Yevhen Sakun — photojournalist for LIVE and correspondent for EFE. He was killed on March 1, 2022, as a result of a missile strike on the Kyiv TV tower. At the moment of the strike, he was walking nearby. People who were on the street at that time had no chance of survival. Yevhen’s burned body was identified only thanks to his press card.
Viktor Diedov — video operator and photographer who was killed in Mariupol on March 11, 2022, as a result of intense Russian shelling.
Maks Levin — photojournalist who went missing on March 13, 2022, in the Kyiv region. He was found dead near the village of Huta‑Mezhyhirska on April 1. The investigation confirmed that the photojournalist had been tortured and executed. His photographs were published by some of the world’s most well‑known media outlets. Most of his documentary projects were connected to the war in Ukraine.
Photographers who were servicemen and were killed by Russians:
Viktor Hurniak — photojournalist, fighter of the 24th Territorial Defense Battalion “Aidar,” Plast scout, Hero of Ukraine. He was killed on October 19, 2014, while rescuing wounded soldiers near Shchastia in Luhansk region. Viktor Hurniak always carried the Ukrainian flag with him. At the moment of his death, he was holding the blue‑and‑yellow flag, which was soaked with his blood.
Iryna Tsvila — photo artist, teacher, civic activist, and servicewoman. She documented events during the Revolution of Dignity. Since 2014, she served in the “Sich” Battalion. From the beginning of the full‑scale invasion, she and her husband Dmytro defended the Kyiv region from occupiers. She was killed in the battles for Kyiv on February 25, 2022, at the age of 52.
Oleksii Chernyshov — serviceman who accompanied photographer Maks Levin while documenting events in the Kyiv region. Both went missing on March 13, 2022. It later became known that Russians had killed them. Before joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Chernyshov, like Levin, worked as a photojournalist. During the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, both photographers were wounded.
Yurii Oliinyk — camera operator and photographer for Channel 24 from Lviv. He was a soldier of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine named after King Danylo and was killed on March 23, 2022, in battles near Popasna in Luhansk region. At the start of the full‑scale invasion, he already had combat experience from fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014–2015. His greatest passions were photography and hiking in the mountains.
Roman Solonynka — photographer originally from Zhytomyr who lived and worked in Kyiv for many years. He was the author of logos for the ATO Veterans and Their Families Center “Poruch.” From the first days of the war, Roman joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians. His life was cut short on May 5, 2022, in a battle with occupiers near the village of Peremoha in the Kharkiv region.
Kostiantyn Kits — photographer who was killed on May 17, 2022, near the settlement of Yakovlivka in Donetsk region. Before the war, he worked as a video operator and photographer for the Lutsk TV channel “AVERS.” In 2014–2015, he fought in eastern Ukraine, and when Russia launched its full‑scale invasion, he went to the front for the second time.
Roman Zhuk — photographer, environmental activist, video operator from Mukachevo, one of the founders of the volunteer project Chysto.de, serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was killed on May 26, 2022. The life of the junior sergeant of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade ended in battles with occupiers near Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia region.
Stanislav Horbovtsov — photographer who had a solo exhibition titled “Chornobyl — A Reminder for the Living.” He served in Kyiv’s Territorial Defense Forces and later as a machine gunner in the 204th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The 30‑year‑old Stanislav Horbovtsov was killed while carrying out a combat mission near Bakhmut in Donetsk region on December 23, 2022.
Mykola Anatskyi — photographer for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, killed on January 18, 2023, in a plane crash in Brovary, Kyiv region. Nine people were on board, all of whom died. Mykola Anatskyi was originally from Bakhmut, took part in the ATO, and helped liberate the Kyiv region during the full‑scale invasion.
Maksym Burda — a 25‑year‑old photographer from Kovel who defended Ukraine as part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, where he operated drones. He was killed near Bakhmut on January 26, 2023.
Oleksandr Popovskyi — photographer from Zhmerynka, killed on February 19, 2023, while defending Ukraine near Vuhledar. From October 2021, he served in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk and was a squad commander. Before the war, he worked in commercial photography.
Oleh Drobotskyi — artist, painter, photographer, exhibition organizer. His exhibition “20/242: Donetsk. Airport” was created based on photographs by Serhii Loiko. Drobotskyi began defending Ukraine in 2018 and returned to the front at the start of the full‑scale war. At the age of 26, he was killed while carrying out a combat mission in Donetsk region on March 6, 2023.
Yaroslav Shapochka — journalist, photographer, documentarian, active participant of the Maidan, volunteer fighter. He defended Ukraine from the beginning of the full‑scale invasion and was killed near Soledar on March 21, 2023.
Volodymyr Mukan — a 35‑year‑old photographer, journalist, PR specialist, junior lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was killed on April 29, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission in Bakhmut. After his death, an exhibition of his photographs titled “Moments of War” was presented in Cherkasy — images he took as a serviceman.
Denys Kryvyi — nature photographer, author of numerous photo publications in media, serviceman of the Special Operations Forces. He was killed in battles for Bakhmut on May 11, 2023. Denys Kryvyi was published in National Geographic and was awarded the international FIAP prize, the most prestigious photography competition in Europe.
Roman Chornomaz — photographer and journalist from Uman, sniper of the “Svoboda” Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine, killed in combat in the Bakhmut direction on June 13, 2023. Before joining the National Guard, he worked as a photojournalist in Kyiv and documented the Revolution of Dignity on the Maidan.
Maksym Shvartsman — video operator and photojournalist for media outlets in Chernivtsi, killed on July 15, 2023, in the Bakhmut direction. He was a volunteer and served in the 92nd Battalion of the 107th Chernivtsi Territorial Defense Brigade.
Ihor Radchenko — photographer from Horishni Plavni who created still lifes and portraits. He was killed on July 17, 2023, during artillery shelling near the village of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia region. He held the rank of senior lieutenant and was 48 years old.
Volodymyr Myroniuk — photographer and volunteer fighter from Los Angeles, killed at the front on September 25, 2023. He was 59 years old. His last and most dangerous photo report was made during a battle near Kurdiumivka in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk region.
Maksym Kryvtsov — poet and photographer from Rivne. He was killed on January 7, 2024, in the Kupiansk direction. He joined the war as a volunteer and served in the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2023, he published a poetry collection titled “Poems from the Firing Port,” which was recognized as one of the best Ukrainian books of 2023 by Ukrainian PEN. After his death, an exhibition of his wartime photographs was presented.
Ihor Kaluhin — photographer from Kremenchuk. Russian troops killed him in battle near the village of Tabaivka, Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region, on January 23, 2024. Before the war, he was passionate about photography, including wedding photography.
Alla Pushkaruk — journalist for “Ukrainskyi Tyzhden” and “Chytomo,” photographer for the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, mortar operator. She was killed as a result of a missile strike on April 25, 2024, in Donetsk region.
Arsen Fedosenko — military photographer, died on June 10, 2024, from severe wounds caused by Russian guided aerial bomb strikes in the Kharkiv region. He served in the 518th Battalion of the 1st Separate Special Purpose Brigade named after Ivan Bohun and later transferred to the General Staff. He worked on the project “Stories of Those Who Chose to Fight.” Since 2010, he worked on artistic and cultural photo projects for the National Philharmonic of Ukraine and the Embassy of Italy in Ukraine. His works are held in private collections in Ukraine, Norway, and Germany.
Oleksii Sapuha — a well‑known wildlife photographer and ornithologist from Mykolaiv, killed in battles in Donetsk region on July 30, 2024.
Vadym Slipets — Kharkiv photographer. Several months earlier, he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine and fought in the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. Vadym was killed on August 11, 2024, defending Ukraine.
Yaroslav Levytskyi — cameraman for Channel 5 and the ASS TV and Radio Company, photographer, and entrepreneur from Chernivtsi. He joined the Territorial Defense Forces in Chernivtsi region from the first days of the full‑scale invasion. He went missing in action in the Pokrovsk direction on November 12, 2024. His death was confirmed in September 2025.
Ruslan Hanushchak — photographer and war correspondent who worked in the press service of Azov and later as a camera operator for TSN. During the full‑scale Russian‑Ukrainian war, he served in the 92nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was killed while carrying out a combat mission in the Kursk region on January 11, 2025.
Stanislav Humeniuk — photographer, volunteer, musician, activist, teacher, initiator of the “Save Polissia!” movement. He was mobilized in 2024. The 59‑year‑old Stanislav Humeniuk was killed as a result of a Russian missile strike in Kherson region on June 22, 2025.
Vadym Tykhonovskyi — photographer, cinematographer, author of a series of reportages from theater performances for Kyiv theaters and art exhibitions. He went missing during an enemy attack in Sumy region on July 22, 2025. In 2026, the death of the 29‑year‑old photographer was officially confirmed.
Kostiantyn Huzenko — photographer, media producer, member of the Ukraïner team. After the start of the full‑scale invasion, he documented stories of de‑occupied settlements and worked with the “War Archive” project. Kostia served in the 35th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a staff sergeant and press officer. He was killed during an enemy attack in the Dnipro region on November 1, 2025. He was 28 years old.
Valentyn Riabets — artist and photographer at the Lviv branch of the National Scientific Research Restoration Center of Ukraine since 2021. From August 2024, he served as an electronic warfare protection operator in Azov. The severely wounded 27‑year‑old Valentyn Riabets died at the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital named after I. I. Mechnikov on November 27, 2025.
Yurii Kostyshyn — photographer from Ternopil who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the ATO and after the full‑scale invasion, participated in the defense of Kyiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. He photographed life at the front and organized exhibitions. The 48‑year‑old Yurii Kostyshyn was killed in December 2025.
Volodymyr Siniichuk — photojournalist for the newspaper “Ridnyi Krai” (the settlement of Velyka Bahachka, Poltava region). He served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine from December 2022 and was killed in combat in Donetsk region on January 4, 2026.
Serhii Fisun — journalist, member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, photojournalist during the Revolution of Dignity. After the war in eastern Ukraine began, he obtained military education. The 47‑year‑old Air Assault Forces officer Serhii Fisun was killed by an enemy drone strike on the Sloviansk–Kharkiv highway on February 5, 2026.
Unfortunately, the Russian‑Ukrainian war is still ongoing, and the list of killed photographers may continue to grow…
