News Stories

“Hungry. Exhausted. Happy.” Photographers Konstantin and Vlada Liberov showed in what condition Ukrainians are returning from Russian captivity

30.6.2024
2
min read

On June 25, another 90 Ukrainians returned home from Russian captivity: 32 National Guardsmen, 18 border guards, 17 representatives of the Navy, 15 soldiers of the Armed Forces, 8 terrorists. Among them — 59 defenders of Mariupol, 52 of whom left Azovstal. Also, 5 fighters of the NGU, who at the beginning of the invasion guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, set foot on their native land.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Photographs of photographers Vlada and Konstantin Liberov have been covered by Ukrainian and world media. Documentarians recorded the state in which Ukrainian servicemen returned from captivity.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“The boys kissed the ground, cried when they heard the native language. And we were happy to be there at this moment,” the photographers commented briefly.

After meeting at the border, Kostya and Vlad went to a hospital, where the military was examined by doctors before being sent for further rehabilitation.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“Hungry. Exhausted. Happy. On June 25, Ukraine returned home 90 more prisoners of war, - Liberov wrote. - Like last time, we cannot and will not comment on anything. These photos speak for themselves. Russian captivity kills, and every return to our homes is a great happiness with a taste of great pain. After all, thousands of Ukrainian defenders and defenders, as well as civilians, are still there, in the clutches of the fascist regime of Russia.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked all partners who help in the release of these prisoners of war.

“Home is not just words. At home, this is Ukraine. We remember all our people in Russian captivity. We continue to work for the release of each and every one. We seek the truth about all who can be held by the enemy. Thank you to our team that deals with exchanges: Budanov, Yermak, Malyuk, Klimenko, Lubinets. To all partners who help, the UAE for assisting in the release of these of our people. Together we can achieve even the most difficult results,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Today, 3300 Ukrainians have been returned. This is the 53rd exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“In the future, we will monitor the observance of the rights of returnees, in particular regarding medical examination, rehabilitation, receipt of the necessary documents, bank cards,” the Ombudsman noted Dmytro Lubinets. He also addressed the families who are still waiting for relatives from captivity: “Do not lose faith! Ukraine is working to return all our citizens home!”

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Konstantin and Vlada Liberov. A couple of photographers from Odessa. They began their journey 4 years ago, focusing initially on creative and emotional engagements. In a few years, they have become one of the most recognizable photographers in the field and have moved on to active teaching activities, have thousands of grateful students around the world. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, they changed the vector of their work, focusing on feature documentaries: their photos from hot spots in Ukraine go viral on social networks, gaining hundreds of thousands of reposts, they are published by influential media such as BBC, Welt, Vogue, Forbes, and also take to their social networks the President of Ukraine and others high-ranking persons.

Website Instagram

On June 25, another 90 Ukrainians returned home from Russian captivity: 32 National Guardsmen, 18 border guards, 17 representatives of the Navy, 15 soldiers of the Armed Forces, 8 terrorists. Among them — 59 defenders of Mariupol, 52 of whom left Azovstal. Also, 5 fighters of the NGU, who at the beginning of the invasion guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, set foot on their native land.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Photographs of photographers Vlada and Konstantin Liberov have been covered by Ukrainian and world media. Documentarians recorded the state in which Ukrainian servicemen returned from captivity.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“The boys kissed the ground, cried when they heard the native language. And we were happy to be there at this moment,” the photographers commented briefly.

After meeting at the border, Kostya and Vlad went to a hospital, where the military was examined by doctors before being sent for further rehabilitation.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“Hungry. Exhausted. Happy. On June 25, Ukraine returned home 90 more prisoners of war, - Liberov wrote. - Like last time, we cannot and will not comment on anything. These photos speak for themselves. Russian captivity kills, and every return to our homes is a great happiness with a taste of great pain. After all, thousands of Ukrainian defenders and defenders, as well as civilians, are still there, in the clutches of the fascist regime of Russia.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked all partners who help in the release of these prisoners of war.

“Home is not just words. At home, this is Ukraine. We remember all our people in Russian captivity. We continue to work for the release of each and every one. We seek the truth about all who can be held by the enemy. Thank you to our team that deals with exchanges: Budanov, Yermak, Malyuk, Klimenko, Lubinets. To all partners who help, the UAE for assisting in the release of these of our people. Together we can achieve even the most difficult results,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Today, 3300 Ukrainians have been returned. This is the 53rd exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

“In the future, we will monitor the observance of the rights of returnees, in particular regarding medical examination, rehabilitation, receipt of the necessary documents, bank cards,” the Ombudsman noted Dmytro Lubinets. He also addressed the families who are still waiting for relatives from captivity: “Do not lose faith! Ukraine is working to return all our citizens home!”

Photo by Vlada and Konstantin Liberov

Konstantin and Vlada Liberov. A couple of photographers from Odessa. They began their journey 4 years ago, focusing initially on creative and emotional engagements. In a few years, they have become one of the most recognizable photographers in the field and have moved on to active teaching activities, have thousands of grateful students around the world. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, they changed the vector of their work, focusing on feature documentaries: their photos from hot spots in Ukraine go viral on social networks, gaining hundreds of thousands of reposts, they are published by influential media such as BBC, Welt, Vogue, Forbes, and also take to their social networks the President of Ukraine and others high-ranking persons.

Website Instagram

Continue reading

News Story
14.10.2024
Photo series by Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov won the Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Award
News Story
14.10.2024
Bombed schools, kidnapped children: how Russian propaganda covers up the Kremlin's crimes
News Story
14.10.2024
“It's impossible to look at this, but everyone should see it!” Crimes of the Russian army in Izyum in the photos of Ukrainian documentary filmmakers
View all news

Our partners

We tell the world about Ukraine through the prism of photography.

Join and support the community of Ukrainian photographers.

UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.

UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.

UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.

Support and join us