I arrived in the Ukrainian city called Luhansk in the early summer of 2014 and it was then a peaceful town but the feeling of impending disaster was already in the air and every day, it was getting even stronger. The conflict between separatists and the official Ukrainian authorities gradually escalated into the war. Full-scale hostilities errupted in the south-east of Ukraine. This summer became the bloodiest time for the strategically important city of Luhansk. The locals had to survive without any water and electricity under the daily shelling. And each new day could have become their last. There are always at least two armed fighting sides in any war. For me, as a journalist, the most interesting side in this conflict was the third one – ordinary civil people. Disaster came into their lives unexpectedly. These people found themselves in the middle of the military confrontation against their will. They experienced the most terrible things: the death of their friends and relatives, destroyed houses and ruined lives of thousands of people. I stayed in the Luhansk region for more than a month documenting the dramatic recent events in Ukrainian history.
This series of photos reflect the most awful events I witnessed in the summer of 2014.