Russia's invasion of Ukraine followed its occupation of Crimea and the destabilization of the Donbass by Moscow-directed so-called separatists eight years earlier. Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin had been emboldened by weak sanctions and new gas deals to go even further. Many people in Western societies only became aware of the danger posed by Russia's new imperialism with the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022: Moscow's attack on its neighbor is also an invasion of Europe.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I traveled to Ukraine several times to photograph. My photos from Kyiv during the siege, from Bucha immediately after the liberation, and from Bakhmut during the battle for the city are testimonies to Russian brutality. They should serve as a warning that Ukraine must not be left alone again. Once you have looked into the faces of people who have lost everything, you cannot look away.