Volchansk is a city in Kharkiv region, located 4 km from the border with the Russian Federation and almost 50 km from Kharkiv itself. For the sixth day in a row, the city does not leave the front pages of the world media. Shelling, fire and destruction. Today, the city is under constant fire from the Russians. For the second time in the entire period of the Russian full-scale invasion, Volchansk may be captured. The invaders are trying to surround Volchansk, approaching it from different sides. Currently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine control the city, but the Russians are already occupied certain positions in the northern part of it. Thousands of Ukrainians have been forced to evacuate from Volchansk and other border settlements due to intense shelling.
Around 5 a.m. on Friday, May 10, the enemy tried to break through the Ukrainian defenses in Kharkiv region in two places. The Ukrainian Defense Forces met the Russians with fire. The Armed Forces keep the defense. According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky's Armed Forces, “the situation at the front remains aggravated.” The Russians are actively attacking units of the Armed Forces in several directions in order to advance deep into Ukraine.
American media The New York Times writes that Russian troops mostly advanced through poorly defended and almost deserted territory, which explains the relatively rapid advance. The border in northeastern Ukraine was regularly shelled by the Russians throughout the war, which made it difficult to establish fortified positions.
“The enemy does not stop trying to advance in the Volchansk direction. On the northern outskirts of the city there are active gun battles. Our soldiers are doing everything possible and impossible to stabilize the situation in all directions and destroy the enemy, clearing Volchansk from the Russian DRG,” — reports Oleg Synegubov, Head of the Kharkiv Military Administration.
Georgy Ivanchenko went to Volchansk three days in a row to document the events. He says the Russians are covering the city with all means: artillery, “Grad”, drones and Cabs. From the first hours of the Russian offensive, the locals began to leave, but there were also those who found it difficult to persuade to leave the hot zone. Even though the city and district had been without light for more than three weeks before the invasion of the occupiers due to enemy shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation.
“Not everyone reacted so quickly to the events,” says Georgy. “For example, Ms. Tatyana said that she was ready to leave, but first she had to clean and close the windows with plywood. After all, her house was damaged. She worries about her property and at the same time for the future, so that there is somewhere to return to. I left her my phone number in case she changed her mind.”
In the end, it happened. On the third day, Tatyana asked for evacuation after one of her loved ones was injured as a result of Russian attacks.
“I called the policeman with whom we were evacuating people that day. I heard explosions on the phone. I said, “She's ready. Come and pick her up, please.” This story went well, she was evacuated, - says Georgy. “These three days were crucial for many people to understand whether to leave or stay. Because many hoped that maybe everything would change and the situation would be calm.”
Documentary filmmaker Yakov Lyashenko, who also worked in Volchansk, says it feels like he returned to Bakhmut in 2022. “The Russians are pouring heavily. There are many locals who did not want to leave their homes.”
Despite the fire in the pine mined forests, the fog of smoke on the road, volunteers from Kharkiv and other regions of the country rushed to save the locals.
However, on the fifth day, volunteers were forbidden to enter Volchansk itself, the evacuation is carried out exclusively by the police and military. Law enforcement officials confirmed information about the disappearance of two volunteers from Kyiv region, who drove their own car to evacuate a local family from there.
“They never got to the address — they disappeared. We are already investigating this case, and unfortunately, according to preliminary information and data from witnesses, the boys were shot by the Russian military. One of them is probably injured, the second did not survive,” said the head of the investigative department of the Kharkiv region police Serhiy Bolvinov.
George says that it is precisely because of this case that neither journalists nor volunteers can work in a certain part of the city.
Evacuated people are allowed to stay in Kharkiv at the humanitarian center. There they are provided with all the necessary assistance, including legal and psychological. Most of the evacuees are elderly and people with low mobility.
“At the point of temporary stay, refugees are actually given absolutely everything: medicine, temporary housing, food, water, money. That is, this camp actually looks very professional. I was surprised. It's very good. Also there is a lot of attention paid to animals. After all, many people refuse to leave home without their animals, so volunteers evacuate everyone together. And that's super right. There I saw frightened animals,” says Georgy.
Also in Kharkiv, the photographer met the family he evacuated with the police from Volchansk: “I made several portraits of 84-year-old Mr. Viktor. He has hip problems, so he is immobile. We also evacuated his son Valika and his wife Olga. And when I returned to Kharkov, I met them at this point and made shots here. They said that the attitude towards them is just great, but they plan to go to their relatives in Balakliya, because there is somewhere to live.”
For the first time, the Russians occupied Volchansk on February 24, 2022. During the September offensive of Ukrainian forces, the city was de-occupied. On September 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered the city.
George says that after talking with the locals, it was hard not to notice their concern, because now the situation looks very different than it did in 2022 during the eight-month occupation. “Then the occupation of Volchansk passed relatively calmly, if so to speak. However, now Volchansk ----This is the front point. Active fighting continues there. The situation is very dangerous. The city is being destroyed.” Photographer Yakov Lyashenko adds that it feels like the Russians are erasing Volchansk, as well as Avdiyivka and Bakhmut, in order to take these positions to advance further.
Heorhii Ivanchenko— Ukrainian photographer, who since February 2022 works as a freelance reporter in the field of documentary and journalistic photography. From the first months of the invasion, he began filming for the Associated Press and the European Pressphoto Agency. Starting from Borodyanshchyna, where Georgy was born, continuing his journey through the front line: Mykolaiv, Kharkiv region, Kherson region, now his attention was concentrated on Donetsk region. The turning point in his photography was almost a month spent in Bakhmut. Throughout December and January, he documented the lives of the townspeople, carrying a backpack and sleeping bag, sharing life with locals in basements, volunteers, medics, military and firemen. In April, while working on material about Chasiv Yar in Donbas, his car was shot and destroyed by a Russian shell. Now the author continues his reflection on the numerous situations that have happened on his way and is working on the creation of his first project “Way of War” (working title).
Yakov Liashenko— Ukrainian photographer from Kharkov. He began his professional career in 2012. After the beginning of a full-scale invasion, he worked as a fixer for famous photographers and in parallel documented the events of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently a freelance photojournalist at EPA Agency.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Bildeditor: Olga Kovalyova
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
Volchansk is a city in Kharkiv region, located 4 km from the border with the Russian Federation and almost 50 km from Kharkiv itself. For the sixth day in a row, the city does not leave the front pages of the world media. Shelling, fire and destruction. Today, the city is under constant fire from the Russians. For the second time in the entire period of the Russian full-scale invasion, Volchansk may be captured. The invaders are trying to surround Volchansk, approaching it from different sides. Currently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine control the city, but the Russians are already occupied certain positions in the northern part of it. Thousands of Ukrainians have been forced to evacuate from Volchansk and other border settlements due to intense shelling.
Around 5 a.m. on Friday, May 10, the enemy tried to break through the Ukrainian defenses in Kharkiv region in two places. The Ukrainian Defense Forces met the Russians with fire. The Armed Forces keep the defense. According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky's Armed Forces, “the situation at the front remains aggravated.” The Russians are actively attacking units of the Armed Forces in several directions in order to advance deep into Ukraine.
American media The New York Times writes that Russian troops mostly advanced through poorly defended and almost deserted territory, which explains the relatively rapid advance. The border in northeastern Ukraine was regularly shelled by the Russians throughout the war, which made it difficult to establish fortified positions.
“The enemy does not stop trying to advance in the Volchansk direction. On the northern outskirts of the city there are active gun battles. Our soldiers are doing everything possible and impossible to stabilize the situation in all directions and destroy the enemy, clearing Volchansk from the Russian DRG,” — reports Oleg Synegubov, Head of the Kharkiv Military Administration.
Georgy Ivanchenko went to Volchansk three days in a row to document the events. He says the Russians are covering the city with all means: artillery, “Grad”, drones and Cabs. From the first hours of the Russian offensive, the locals began to leave, but there were also those who found it difficult to persuade to leave the hot zone. Even though the city and district had been without light for more than three weeks before the invasion of the occupiers due to enemy shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation.
“Not everyone reacted so quickly to the events,” says Georgy. “For example, Ms. Tatyana said that she was ready to leave, but first she had to clean and close the windows with plywood. After all, her house was damaged. She worries about her property and at the same time for the future, so that there is somewhere to return to. I left her my phone number in case she changed her mind.”
In the end, it happened. On the third day, Tatyana asked for evacuation after one of her loved ones was injured as a result of Russian attacks.
“I called the policeman with whom we were evacuating people that day. I heard explosions on the phone. I said, “She's ready. Come and pick her up, please.” This story went well, she was evacuated, - says Georgy. “These three days were crucial for many people to understand whether to leave or stay. Because many hoped that maybe everything would change and the situation would be calm.”
Documentary filmmaker Yakov Lyashenko, who also worked in Volchansk, says it feels like he returned to Bakhmut in 2022. “The Russians are pouring heavily. There are many locals who did not want to leave their homes.”
Despite the fire in the pine mined forests, the fog of smoke on the road, volunteers from Kharkiv and other regions of the country rushed to save the locals.
However, on the fifth day, volunteers were forbidden to enter Volchansk itself, the evacuation is carried out exclusively by the police and military. Law enforcement officials confirmed information about the disappearance of two volunteers from Kyiv region, who drove their own car to evacuate a local family from there.
“They never got to the address — they disappeared. We are already investigating this case, and unfortunately, according to preliminary information and data from witnesses, the boys were shot by the Russian military. One of them is probably injured, the second did not survive,” said the head of the investigative department of the Kharkiv region police Serhiy Bolvinov.
George says that it is precisely because of this case that neither journalists nor volunteers can work in a certain part of the city.
Evacuated people are allowed to stay in Kharkiv at the humanitarian center. There they are provided with all the necessary assistance, including legal and psychological. Most of the evacuees are elderly and people with low mobility.
“At the point of temporary stay, refugees are actually given absolutely everything: medicine, temporary housing, food, water, money. That is, this camp actually looks very professional. I was surprised. It's very good. Also there is a lot of attention paid to animals. After all, many people refuse to leave home without their animals, so volunteers evacuate everyone together. And that's super right. There I saw frightened animals,” says Georgy.
Also in Kharkiv, the photographer met the family he evacuated with the police from Volchansk: “I made several portraits of 84-year-old Mr. Viktor. He has hip problems, so he is immobile. We also evacuated his son Valika and his wife Olga. And when I returned to Kharkov, I met them at this point and made shots here. They said that the attitude towards them is just great, but they plan to go to their relatives in Balakliya, because there is somewhere to live.”
For the first time, the Russians occupied Volchansk on February 24, 2022. During the September offensive of Ukrainian forces, the city was de-occupied. On September 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered the city.
George says that after talking with the locals, it was hard not to notice their concern, because now the situation looks very different than it did in 2022 during the eight-month occupation. “Then the occupation of Volchansk passed relatively calmly, if so to speak. However, now Volchansk ----This is the front point. Active fighting continues there. The situation is very dangerous. The city is being destroyed.” Photographer Yakov Lyashenko adds that it feels like the Russians are erasing Volchansk, as well as Avdiyivka and Bakhmut, in order to take these positions to advance further.
Heorhii Ivanchenko— Ukrainian photographer, who since February 2022 works as a freelance reporter in the field of documentary and journalistic photography. From the first months of the invasion, he began filming for the Associated Press and the European Pressphoto Agency. Starting from Borodyanshchyna, where Georgy was born, continuing his journey through the front line: Mykolaiv, Kharkiv region, Kherson region, now his attention was concentrated on Donetsk region. The turning point in his photography was almost a month spent in Bakhmut. Throughout December and January, he documented the lives of the townspeople, carrying a backpack and sleeping bag, sharing life with locals in basements, volunteers, medics, military and firemen. In April, while working on material about Chasiv Yar in Donbas, his car was shot and destroyed by a Russian shell. Now the author continues his reflection on the numerous situations that have happened on his way and is working on the creation of his first project “Way of War” (working title).
Yakov Liashenko— Ukrainian photographer from Kharkov. He began his professional career in 2012. After the beginning of a full-scale invasion, he worked as a fixer for famous photographers and in parallel documented the events of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently a freelance photojournalist at EPA Agency.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Bildeditor: Olga Kovalyova
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
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.
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