Ukrainian photographer Olga Ivashchenko explained why she spends much more time with people than is necessary for high-quality photography, and why photos from the war have deeper meanings than meets the eye.

This week, Russia continued its missile and drone terror against Ukrainian cities. Hundreds of Shahed-type UAVs and dozens of tactical missiles were launched every day — from the well-known Iskanders to the latest Grom-1 models. The targets of the attacks were not military facilities, but residential areas, hospitals, schools, metro stations, train stations, and even passenger trains. Between June 23 and 28 alone, dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded, including children. The most massive strikes hit Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa. These events once again refute any false claims by the Kremlin about “precision strikes.” In reality, the goal remains the same — to intimidate, destroy, and leave Ukrainian cities deserted.

The return of servicemen from Russian captivity is a positive event, which the Ukrainian and Russian delegations were able to agree on at the talks. However, not a single defender from “Azov” was given by Russia. The Kremlin continues to hold Azov prisoners as their prey. The Kremlin is trying in every possible way to break Ukrainian resistance, because the topic of the return of captured Azov is a powerful lever for manipulating emotions, a painful topic. Because they are the ones who have been waiting for a very long time in Ukrainian families.

Минулого тижня українці пережили одну з наймасовіших і найтрагічніших атак з початку 2025 року. Найбільше постраждали Київ, Одеса, Суми, Полтавщина й Донеччина. Росія випустила десятки ракет і сотні ударних безпілотників, навмисно вражаючи житлові будинки, цивільну інфраструктуру та енергетичні об’єкти. Внаслідок обстрілів загинули щонайменше 30 людей, понад 170 дістали поранення. Найбільш руйнівною стала атака 17 червня, коли уламки російської ракети знищили багатоповерхівку в Києві. 

The light lives longer than the one whose hand lit it in the dark

During the week from June 9 to 15, 2025, Ukraine experienced the most large-scale attacks during the entire period of the full-scale invasion. Russia has deployed hundreds of kamikaze drones, missiles of various types and guided air bombs, concentrating strikes on Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy, Odessa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava region. The Russian Federation purposefully attacked civilian infrastructure: residential quarters, maternity hospitals, cultural monuments, energy facilities. Dozens of civilians were killed and injured, including children.