On February 26, 2022, on the third day of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv was no longer asleep. The Russian army was striking at the capital, trying to break the resistance. The streets were almost empty - people had either left the city or were hiding in shelters. Tension, panic, and fear were in the air.

Over the past week, Russian forces have systematically attacked residential areas of Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles, causing significant material damage and human tragedies. The most severe consequences of the shelling were in Odesa, Kherson, and Kryvyi Rih, which led to large-scale power outages and disruption of utility infrastructure.

The beginning of 2014 was marked by tumultuous events that have been shaping the lives of Ukrainians for 11 years. The Russian Federation, taking advantage of the change of power in Ukraine as a result of the Revolution of Dignity, intensified separatist unrest in the south and east of the country. Under the guise of “people's revolutions” Russia managed to seize the Crimean peninsula and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In the rest of Ukraine, the separatist movement was stopped.

Over the past week, Russian troops have carried out a series of missile and air strikes on Ukrainian cities. On February 7, Russian aircraft attacked Myropillya in Sumy region, killing three people. On February 12, a missile strike on Kyiv killed one person and damaged infrastructure in several districts of the capital. On February 13, Russians shell 13 villages in Sumy region, injuring five people. On February 14, it was reported that a drone attack on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant damaged the new safe confinement over the fourth power unit. Although radiation levels remained normal, the attack posed a threat to environmental safety. On the same day, Russia launched 133 Shahed attack drones, of which 73 were shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces.

Sednaya prison was one of the most famous prisons of the Bashar Assad regime. It was popularly called the “country house of the uncle” or “the meat grinder for the people.” Any mention of this place, even in informal conversation, could result in arrest and imprisonment. Built in 1986, it was used to hold political prisoners, military personnel and civilians suspected of opposing the regime. According to Amnesty International, there could be between 10,000 and 20,000 prisoners in Sedna at the same time. It has gained a terrible reputation due to systematic violations of human rights. Former prisoners have testified to brutal torture, sexual abuse and mass executions.

UAPP member, photojournalist Olexandr Magula spent a week in Syria documenting the country's life after the overthrow of Bashar Assad's regime. He has seen a country that has gone through years of war, mass repression and destruction, but continues to live. Have Syrians really felt freedom after the overthrow of the dictatorship? How do they treat the Russians and Ukraine? Why can Ukrainian flags be found in liberated cities? And what can Syria tell us about the future of Ukraine? About this and much more in a candid interview.