William Keo, In the hall of the station, a station employee manages the crowd. Lviv, Ukraine. 2 March 2022 © William Keo | Magnum Photos

Magnum Photographers are on the ground in Ukraine documenting the Russian invasion and its impact on life in the country. Here, we are gathering the coverage as it is published alongside stories that report on the international response to the conflict.

William Keo | Odesa/Mykolaiv, March 11

Keo’s photos appear in Libération. “In the landlocked port, the activity of the morgue bears witness to the violence of the fighting to prevent the town from falling and opening the road for the Russian army to the strategic Odessa,” reports Pierre Alonso.

William Keo, In a hotel where the Moscow time has been removed. Odesa, Ukraine. 11 March, 2022 © William Keo | Magnum Photos

William Keo, North of Mykolaiv, in Ternivka, buildings destroyed by the Russian aviation. Ukraine. 11 March 2022 © William Keo | Magnum Photos

Emin Ozmen | Odesa, March 11

Emin Özmen has been photographing the people of Odesa as they prepare for an attack. His photos appear in Der Spiegl in an article which asks: “This is how the inhabitants of Odessa are preparing for war They fill sandbags, collect food and medicine: In Odessa, Ukraine, people are preparing for the attack by Putin’s troops. Yet many feel closely connected to Russia. How can they stand it?”

Emin Özmen, Sandbag barricades constructed in a school as part of defense preparations. Odesa, Ukraine. March 2022 © Emin Özmen  | Magnum Photos

Chien-Chi Chang | Mostyska, March 4

“In a small public school in the western metropolis, for the moment spared by Russian bombs, men and women with no military experience are familiarising themselves with weapons of war to be ‘ready to receive Putin’s soldiers’,” reports L’Obs with photos by Chang.

Chien-Chi Chang, A checkpoint on the outskirts of Lviv. Lviv, Ukraine. 8 March, 2022 © Chien-Chi Chang | Magnum Photos

Chien-Chi Chang, Civilians learn how to use rifles at an unspecified location in Lviv. Lviv, Ukraine. 7 March 2022 © Chien-Chi Chang | Magnum Photos

William Keo | Odesa, March 5–7

William Keo has photographed the citizens of Odesa as they prepare to defend the city. In Libération, where Keo’s photos appear, Pierre Alonso writes:

“On this Monday afternoon, men in khaki are setting up a barricade with heavy concrete blocks in Odessa’s majestic shopping avenue. Anti-tank obstacles are already blocking the usually busy street, with its chic restaurants, elegant kiosk square and finely crafted colourful facades. Residents are either holed up in their homes or have already left. According to local authorities, nearly 150,000 people have left the large Black Sea port city, which had about a million residents until the Russian invasion began on 24 February. They have fled to the west of their country, which has so far been spared by the war, and across the border, mainly to nearby Romania and Moldova. Behind them, they leave a feverish city, worried about an upcoming attack.”

William Keo, On the beaches of Odessa, civilians mobilize to bring sand and prepare the siege of the city. Odesa, Ukraine. 5 March 2022. © William Keo | Magnum Photos

Jerome Sessini | Irpin, March 6

Jérôme Sessini photographed civilians dodging mortars as they tried to escape the Russian advance on the city of Irpin. Sessini spoke to The New Yorker, which published his images.

“Early on Sunday afternoon, Jérôme Sessini, a French photographer on assignment for The New Yorker in Ukraine, arrived in Irpin, a small town of sixty thousand people about a half hour’s drive west of the capital, Kyiv. Sessini, who is based in Paris and has covered conflicts around the world for the Magnum photo agency, was travelling with three companions: a Ukrainian driver and two photographers. Their destination was a bridge on the Irpin River which Ukrainian troops had destroyed to slow Russian forces advancing on Kyiv. The day before, Sessini had witnessed civilians huddled under what was left of the bridge, trying to make their way across the river, fleeing Russian troops. He had returned to see how the evacuation was progressing.”

Jérôme Sessini, Civilians are evacuated from Irpin under Russian army mortar shelling. At least 3 civilians were killed during the evacuation. Irpin, Ukraine. 6 March, 2022 © Jérôme Sessini | Magnum Photos

Jérôme Sessini, Civilians are evacuated from Irpin under Russian army mortar shelling. At least 3 civilians were killed during the evacuation. Irpin, Ukraine. 6 March, 2022 © Jérôme Sessini | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni | Irpin, March 6

People evacuated under heavy shelling by the Russian army on the outskirts of Irpin, a city about 20km from Kyiv.

Lorenzo Meloni, People evacuated under heavy shelling by the Russian army on the outskirts of Irpin, a city about 20km from Kyiv. Ukraine. 6 March, 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni, People evacuated under heavy shelling by the Russian army on the outskirts of Irpin, a city about 20km from Kyiv. Ukraine. 6 March, 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Thomas Dworzak | Paris, March 5

Demonstration against the Russian invasion of Ukraine at Place de la République in Paris.

Thomas Dworzak, Demonstration against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Paris, France. 5 March, 2022 © Thomas Dworzak | Magnum Photos

Chien-Chi Chang | Mostyska, March 4

Ukrainians escape war-torn hometowns in south Ukraine via train from Odesa and make a stop for food before heading to Poland to seek shelter and protection.

Chien-Chi Chang, Ukrainians escape war-torn hometowns in south Ukraine via train from Odesa and make a stop for food before heading to Poland to seek shelter and protection. Mostyska, Ukraine. 4 March 2022 © Chien-Chi Chang | Magnum Photos

Chien-Chi Chang, Ukrainians escape war-torn hometowns in south Ukraine via train from Odesa and make a stop for food before heading to Poland to seek shelter and protection. Mostyska, Ukraine. 4 March 2022 © Chien-Chi Chang | Magnum Photos

Chien-Chi Chang, Ukrainians escape war-torn hometowns in south Ukraine via train from Odesa and make a stop for food before heading to Poland to seek shelter and protection. Mostyska, Ukraine. 4 March 2022 © Chien-Chi Chang | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni | Kyiv, March 3–4

“Kyiv now experiences two parallel and opposite dimensions. On the surface, young men and women prepare for battle, while in the basement of buildings and metro tunnels, families seek shelter. From hour to hour the mood changes, there are moments when everything seems to be going well and then suddenly for reasons beyond logic the tension rises. The tanks are still at the gates of the city. Yesterday I went to take pictures on the front line, it seemed relatively calm, but it seems that tomorrow I won’t be able to return to the same place because the Russian Army have advanced.” –Lorenzo Meloni

Meloni is being supported by the Emergency Reporting Commission, a new initiative that supports reporters covering breaking news in conflict areas, independently of media outlets. Initiated by Obscura, photographers are funded by the sale of NFTs. 100% of the proceeds of the Emergency Reporting Commission are distributed amongst selected active photographers on the ground to support their efforts to document during moments of conflict. Find out more here.

Lorenzo Meloni, Mother and daughter sleep in a bomb shelter under a school on the outskirts of Kyiv. Kyiv, Ukraine. 3 March 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni, A metro car used as a dormitory to shelter from the artillery strikes that hit the city’ especially at night. Kyiv. Ukraine. 4 March 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni | Kyiv, March 1

“Today I spent an hour or two on the streets of Kyiv. The logistics are very complicated as most of the fixers have left or decided to fight. The same goes for having a driver or just a car. Apart from the bombing of a TV antenna the situation is tense but calm. It’s probably the calm before the storm, as I can see on the news that there is a 40 miles-long column of tanks at the gates of Kyiv.

Along the streets, I found many barricades and checkpoints set up by citizens. I saw many young people, especially in the suburbs, protecting their neighborhoods. I don’t know if they know or not that those barricades won’t stop any tanks. But I didn’t feel I had to tell them that if they want to hope so” –Lorenzo Meloni

Meloni is being supported by the Emergency Reporting Commission, a new initiative that supports reporters covering breaking news in conflict areas, independently of media outlets. Initiated by Obscura, photographers are funded by the sale of NFTs. 100% of the proceeds of the Emergency Reporting Commission are distributed amongst selected active photographers on the ground to support their efforts to document during moments of conflict. Find out more here.

Lorenzo Meloni, From the main streets leading to the city centre of Kyiv, self-organised groups of young people prepare to defend the city from advancing Russian tanks. Kyiv, Ukraine. 1 March 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Emin Ozmen | Lviv, February 26

“In wintry temperatures, people try to flee the Ukrainian city of Lviv. According to UN figures, more than half a million people have left Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. ‘Over 500,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries,’ wrote UN Refugee Commissioner Filippo Grandi on Twitter,” reports Der Spiegel, with photographs by Emin Özmen

Emin Özmen, Children seen through the window of an evacuation train traveling towards the border with Poland as thousands of people try to escape Russia’s invasion. Lviv, Ukraine. 26 February 2022 © Emin Özmen | Magnum Photos

Emin Özmen, Hundreds of people trying to escape Russia’s invasion wait for a train to Poland at the central train station in Lviv. Lviv, Ukraine. 26 February 2022 © Emin Özmen | Magnum Photos

Rafal Milach | Poland, February 25–26

“Thousands of Ukrainians arrive at the border crossings to the eastern EU countries; there could be millions. They are given a friendly welcome. But many refugees ask themselves: What happens now?” asks an article in Der Spiegel that uses Rafał Milach’s photos to show the activity at the Polish border.

Rafał Milach, Poland-Ukraine border crossing. Ukrainian refugees cross the border to Poland. Dorohusk, Poland. 25 February 2022 © Rafał Milach | Magnum Photos

Rafał Milach, Poland-Ukraine border crossing. Ukrainian refugees cross the border to Poland. Dorohusk, Poland. 25 February 2022 © Rafał Milach | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni | Mariupol, February 24

Lorenzo Meloni was in the the city of Mariupol as the city was shelled by the Russian navy. “On the morning of Friday 25 February, Russian forces had still not broken through the Ukrainian lines. But the risk of being caught off guard and subjected to a siege has become obvious to everyone. Between the rumours of an amphibious landing west of the city, the fear of aerial bombardments and the rapid advance of Russian troops from Crimea to Melitopol (170 kilometres to the west), the nerves of the Mariupolitans are being put to the test,” wrote Emmanuel Grynszpan in Le Monde where these photos were first published here and here.

Lorenzo Meloni, A Russian strike on a Ukrainian air defence position. Mariupol, Ukraine. 23 February, 2022 © Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Paolo Pellegrin | Donbas, August 2021

Paolo Pellegrin traveled to the Donbas region where he documented life on the front lines of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Since 2014, Ukrainian government forces have fought Russian-backed separatist groups – the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics – for control of the eastern part of the country. While many residents have been displaced by the conflict, some have decided to take their chances by remaining in their towns.

Paolo Pellegrin, Ukrainian military. Donbas, Ukraine. August 28, 2021 © Paolo Pellegrin | Magnum Photos

Paolo Pellegrin, Ukrainian military. Donbas, Ukraine. September 1, 2021 © Paolo Pellegrin | Magnum Photos

Paolo Pellegrin, Ukrainian military. Donbas, Ukraine. September 1, 2021 © Paolo Pellegrin | Magnum Photos

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paolo Pellegrin, Thomas Dworzak, Lorenzo Meloni, William Keo, Stuart Franklin, Rafał Milach, Emin Özmen, Lorenzo Meloni, Chien-Chi Chang, Susan Meiselas, Jérôme Sessini.

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