The war unleashed by Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine is about to be one year old. The brutality of the attacks and the massacre spread across the length and breadth of the Ukrainian territory has shocked the world through the images of photographers such as John Moore, from the Getty agency, an award-winning graphic reporter who sensitively handles his lens to portray the human dramas around the planet.
Moore arrived in Ukraine a month after the invasion began and was able to tour cities devastated by bombing, accompany the cries of parents burying their children and witness the resilience of Ukrainians.
“When I arrived in Ukraine in April, the conflict had already entered its second month. Even then, many Ukrainians were beginning to worry that the world would forget about them and their suffering. In general, they welcomed international photojournalists, especially American ones like myself, to tell their story. They want us to document these terrible atrocities so that the world and history will never forget them,” he recounted.
“Another unique aspect of working in the Ukraine is the dangers. In this conflict, the main danger is shrapnel from shelling, especially for photographers working in frontline areas. In Afghanistan and Iraq, there was a great risk of kidnapping, something that does not happen so much in Ukraine, where the front lines are more defined, ”explained Moore, with years of coverage of armed confrontations around the world.
“As in most countries, in Ukraine before the war there were very deep political divisions, and many citizens were not supporters of President Zelensky. The Russian invasion of the country, of course, changed everything and united the majority of Ukrainians around the former comedian and actor. Even many inhabitants of southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russian is the mother tongue, supported the kyiv government.”
“As a photojournalist, I had pretty open access to photographing people in difficult conditions and they were open to showing that reality. People let me into their homes and showed me how they lived in the rubble of their previous lives. Many were very open to photographers covering the funerals of their loved ones. They were grieving, but proud of their pain, and they wanted the world to see it.”
“One day I was flying my drone and taking photos of the widespread destruction of a neighborhood in Hostomel, located on a former front line on the outskirts of kyiv. From the air, I observed someone removing belongings from a badly damaged house. So I landed the drone, walked over to the house, and met with Oksana. She led me up the dilapidated staircase of her house to the mess that had been the top floor of her house. It looked like it had been hit by a tornado, but no, she said it was a Russian rocket. Her mother and her grandmother were home at the time, but they survived. She was now picking up what she could salvage. The frankness and naturalness with which she told the story of her family impressed me. No hyperbole or melodrama, just the facts.”
“I have learned how strong and resilient people can be, despite incredible adversity, tragedy and pain. When people see that their cause is just, they can be much stronger and endure much more than they ever imagined.”
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