38 photographs · 8 chapters · in the order of the journey
Photo story
My journey day by day, city by city. Each image comes with its place, its date and what it shows. Click on a photo to open it full screen.
Monday 18 May 2026
Discovering Kyiv and the memorial on Maidan Square. A soldier pauses in remembrance before the portrait of a brother-in-arms.
A young Ukrainian pauses in remembrance before the portraits of his compatriots killed at the front.
One of the paths of the memorial on Independence Square.
A Russian armoured artillery vehicle on display, used to support troops on the battlefield.
After my interview with Misha, Podil Square. A street where students and Kyiv’s young generation spend their time and meet.
Tuesday 19 May 2026
On the way to Kharkiv with Benjamin. A sign towards Kharkiv, covered over to hold up the Russian army’s advance by hiding the directions.
Example of the damage caused by a ballistic strike, with the view of this hotel that was destroyed in a bombing, which wrecked the top 3 floors of the building.
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Storage building for the goods brought from Europe by members of the NGO “Voices of Children”. Budy, a small village near Kharkiv.
↓ Back to Kyiv
Wednesday 20 May 2026
This photo shows the French section of the memorial on Maidan Square. Through this shot, I want to show the involvement of international soldiers in this conflict, including France’s. This corner is set aside for French soldiers who died for Ukraine.
St Andrew’s Church, which overlooks Kyiv and can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. It is one of the city’s main monuments. It represents the Orthodox faith and Ukrainian culture.
Thursday 21 May 2026
On Podil Square I met Sokol (left), his girlfriend and a brother-in-arms, who came to ask me to take a souvenir photo of them.
Back in the centre of Kyiv after meeting Sophia and Varvara.
Friday 22 May 2026
On the morning I leave for Irpin and Bucha, I come across this woman at a women’s protest against the war, at the heart of the march, furious at a speech by a city councillor.
On the morning I leave for Irpin and Bucha, I come across these women at a women’s protest against the war. Their looks sometimes dark, sometimes lost, they express through their words and their attitude all the frustration and exhaustion the war inflicts on every household.
↓ Off to Irpin and Bucha, 25 km away
Friday 22 May 2026
Traces of the violence of the fighting.
A piece of street art on a ruined building in Irpin. A lifeline in the colours of Ukraine, drawn by two children. The work is a message of survival in this city that went through the hell of the fighting.
Bucha.
One of Bucha’s main streets, leading to St Andrew’s Church, in the middle of reconstruction. This huge building site bears witness to how hard the fighting must have been in this martyred town, sadly known for the massacres committed there by Putin’s army.
↓ Back to Kyiv
Saturday 23 May 2026
The Independence Monument, built on Maidan Square. It represents Ukrainian sovereignty, with the national symbol of Berehynia crowning the statue.
A game of hide-and-seek around the Russian tanks on display on St Michael’s Square.
A Russian T-64 tank on display, a tank used to bring troops to the front line and support them in combat.
One of the emblematic weapons of this war on display: the Shahed, a drone that terrorises the Ukrainian population with daily strikes on homes.
Sunday 24 May 2026
A last moment in Kyiv before leaving for Odesa. The destroyed Samsung headquarters building.
↓ Night train to Odesa
Sunday 24 May 2026
Arrival in Odesa. Arcadia Beach.
A first look around Odesa and its centre. A view of the Black Sea and the destroyed Odesa Hotel.
One of the two main memorials in Odesa, honouring the city’s soldiers who fell for the freedom of their country.
Monday 25 May 2026
A poster displayed in one of the liveliest streets in Odesa. It conveys the general feeling of the population as America withdraws its support in this war.
This is the memorial in Victory Park, where the soldiers of Odesa who died for their homeland are honoured all along the avenue.
Tuesday 26 May 2026
After my meeting with O. Pakunov, I come across this building devastated by a Russian strike.
Wednesday 27 May 2026
A photo of the Black Sea and of young Ukrainians making the most of the summer to swim in the Black Sea, paying no attention to the air-raid alerts and the constant Russian threat.
↓ Off to Dnipro
Thursday 28 May 2026
One of the city’s many concrete shelters, which says a lot about how close the war is here. Dnipro, 50 km from the front line.
A little child playing on his bike next to one of the memorials of one of the most threatened cities in the country. This contrast perfectly illustrates Ukrainian society, which keeps fighting to live a normal life alongside the harsh reality of war. The young, facing those who gave their lives so that they could live.
This photo shows shrapnel damage on a building after a Russian bombardment.
Friday 29 May 2026
A soldier back from the front.
A statue of a soldier and of a little girl offering him a bouquet has been put up next to the Second World War museum, in the middle of the site devoted to the current war. Surrounded by photos of military victories, Russian military equipment and signs bearing witness to fierce fighting, the statue represents the support of Ukraine’s young people for these soldiers.
Saturday 30 May 2026
A memorial site for soldiers killed at the front.
↓ Back to Lviv
Sunday 31 May 2026
“SLAVA UKRAINI”. In the streets of Lviv, I come across this tag, which translates as “Glory to Ukraine”. Over time, these few words have become the slogan Ukrainians use to support their fighters. This photo shows that even in the far west of the country, where attacks are very rare, the war remains deeply rooted in the collective consciousness.
Two old men peacefully playing chess in one of Lviv’s busy streets, not worrying about any possible attack.