May 29th is the official founding day of the “Donbas” Special Purpose Battalion. It was during this time in 2014 that the unit officially joined the National Guard of Ukraine. It is one of the first and best-known volunteer formations in Ukraine. The unit has passed through the hottest spots in eastern Ukraine, and its fighters participated in the liberation of Donetsk region and the fierce battles near Ilovaisk.
Ukrainian photographer and serviceman Yakov Liashenko has been documenting the lives and work of the fighters of the “Donbas” Special Purpose Battalion for the past two years. His photographs capture the portraits and daily life of the military personnel who are currently defending one of the most difficult sectors of the front—in Chasiv Yar and its surrounding areas.
“I Photograph So That the Battalion Is Remembered”
The volunteer battalion, and today the “Donbas” Special Purpose Battalion of the 18th Sloviansk Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, was created in 2014. The unit's fighters participated in battles in Pisky, Avdiivka, Debaltseve, Ilovaisk, and many other hot spots in eastern Ukraine. With the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the battalion defended the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and also took part in the Kharkiv offensive operation. The battalion's servicemen liberated Volokhiv Yar, Zarichne, and Kupiansk, among others.
“For the past few years, the ‘Donbas’ battalion has been holding positions in one of the hottest sectors of the front—in Chasiv Yar and on the approaches to the city. Thanks to the unit's fighters, the city is holding on. I photograph so that the battalion is remembered,” says Ukrainian photographer and serviceman Yakov Liashenko.
He joined the battalion in 2024 and manages its media component.
“Before me, the media work in the unit was handled by people who were not professional photographers. Consequently, the battalion doesn't have many photographs, particularly from the time of the anti-terrorist operation,” Liashenko recounts. “In the modern world, events not captured in photographs are as if they never existed.”
Yakov Liashenko says that being part of the battalion brings many advantages for a photographer. For instance, there is no need to waste time establishing contact with the military personnel.
“I am constantly among my own: I know many people, and they know me. A true moment of trust emerges. The fighters see me as part of the team, not as a stranger who came to take a few shots for a report or for the media,” Liashenko explains. — “I try to show everything as it is, regardless of whether I'm shooting at a training ground or on combat positions,” the photographer says. “I don't stage shots, I don't direct the filming, but I try to catch opportune moments.”
Yakov Liashenko publishes most of his shots, but there are frames taken "for later"—for security reasons, they cannot be shared yet.
“The Sun of Ukraine Rises in Donbas”
Despite the war becoming more technologically advanced, the infantry remains the core of the battalion. However, today it is very difficult to photograph infantrymen in combat conditions due to the high intensity of fighting, the massive use of drones, and artillery fire.
“Recently, I photographed mortar operations. I spent four days there because there was no opportunity to leave earlier,” Yakov Liashenko recalls. — “In today’s conditions, leaving combat positions sometimes requires waiting for a minimum of a week.”
The war currently taking place is no longer the same as it was at the beginning of 2022, let alone in 2014. Everything has fundamentally changed due to technology and new tactics on both sides. Changes have also occurred within the “Donbas” Special Purpose Battalion. However, the unofficial motto of the unit remains the phrase “The Sun of Ukraine Rises in Donbas,” symbolizing that the struggle for the territorial integrity of the state began in the east. Despite the battalion being a regular unit, it maintains a high percentage of recruits. People consciously choose to come here because of the combat experience of the commanders and the reputation of the unit.
Yakov Liashenko met a fighter who had served in the battalion since 2014.
“We had a serviceman from the first composition of ‘Donbas.’ He went through Ilovaisk, was a prisoner of war. We traveled with him to Chasiv Yar. His eyes were very tired; you could feel the deep impact of the war on him,” Liashenko says. — “He met a girl, fell in love, and was discharged from military service.”
“We Have a New Story Every Day”
Yakov Liashenko’s photographs feature many portraits of servicemen from the “Donbas” battalion. He also records short videos with them. The photographer says he tries to value every moment of communication with the fighters.
“Fighters often ask for the photographs I take of them—it’s history and memory,” Yakov Liashenko shares. — “We have a married couple — serviceman Satan and medic Panda — who met while serving. During a combat mission, Satan lost his arm. Panda, despite her own injury, managed to save him and herself,” Yakov Liashenko recounts. “The fighter proposed in the hospital, and they got married. Satan underwent rehabilitation, received a prosthesis, and remained in the unit.”
Yakov Liashenko adds that Panda’s entire family is in the military. Her two sons from a previous marriage are also fighting.
Yakov Liashenko currently photographs the daily life of the military extensively. Routine is also a part of the war that is worth documenting. For himself, he shoots landscapes and people of the Donetsk region on film. Today, there is much talk that war photographs have become monotonous, and the subjects constantly repeat.
“Perhaps this argument holds true from a media perspective. However, when documenting the life of the battalion, we have a new story every day,” Yakov Liashenko replies. — “We have been holding the line in Chasiv Yar for more than two years. It is a very difficult sector, but it holds thanks to the fighters of the ‘Donbas’ battalion. That is why I am confident that the battalion is worth talking about.”
The material was created with the support of the British Council's "Grants for Creative Economy Development" program
Yakov Liashenko— a Ukrainian photographer from Kharkiv. He began his professional career in 2012. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he worked as a fixer for well-known photographers while also documenting the events of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is currently a freelance photojournalist with EPA Agency.
Photographer's social media: Instagram, Facebook.
The Team That Worked on the Material:
Topic Researcher, Text Author: Kateryna Moskalyuk
Image Editor: Vladyslav Krasnoshchok
Literary Editor: Yuliia Futei
