On January 30, 2017, the Armed Forces took control of the Avdeyev industrial zone, knocking out the Russians from there.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of photojournalist Oleksandr Klymenko, who documented the stay of Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka industrial zone.
On the anniversary of the Battle of Kruty at 5 am on January 29, the enemy began intensive shelling of Ukrainian positions in the Avdiivka industrial zone. The Russians fired small arms and mortars. A group of fighters of the 1st Battalion of the 72nd Brigade took the fight and moved on to the counterattack. Their actions were covered by a battery of 120 mm mortars of the brigade art group, and a diversionary maneuver was carried out on the left flank at the same time. The assault group of 8 fighters was led by Lieutenant Andriy Verkhozhda “Livsha”. At 7 o'clock, two groups of militants of up to 30 people moved into the assault. The defense forces were able to fight back. Then three Ukrainians were killed in the fighting, and another received torture. Among the losses of the enemy: about 40 personnel and the commander of the battalion “DPR” with the nickname “Greek”, who also tried to storm the positions of ATO forces in the Avdiivka industrial zone.
Avdiyivka is an industrial city 13 kilometers from Donetsk, there was even a direct trolleybus. Before the beginning of the Russian aggression in 2014, about 40 thousand people lived there. It was from Avdiivka that it was possible to control: the northern outskirts of Donetsk and Yasinovataya, the southern outskirts of Horlivka, as well as the strategic route M04 “Donetsk — Horlivka”.
In April 2014, militants proclaimed a “Donetsk People's Republic” in Avdiivka, but on 28 July the Ukrainian defence forces liberated the city during a general offensive on Donetsk. However, the situation was somewhat more complicated with the industrial zone. There were no Ukrainian strongholds, although the industrial zone is within Avdiyivka. This is what loosened the hands of the militants, who crossed the demarcation line and attacked Ukrainian positions, in particular, shooting civilians. The Ukrainian military decided to de-occupy the industrial zone for the sake of the safety of civilians.
At the beginning of 2016, the 16th battalion of the 58th brigade took the Avdiyivsk industrial zone, so space was opened for the destruction of enemy vehicles on the Donetsk-Horlivka highway. However, from March of the same year, militants began to actively shell Avdiyivka.
The greatest aggravation of the situation in the Avdiyivka area came on the anniversary of the battle near Kruty, January 29, 2017. Due to active Russian shelling, local residents were left without light, water and heating, for whom the Ukrainian side deployed heating points.
After its liberation and until the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Avdeyev industrial zone remained one of the hottest points on the map of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The fighting here has practically not subsided for several years at any time of the day. In some places, the positions of the Russian-separatist forces were only a few meters away.
Photojournalist Oleksandr Klymenko repeatedly documented the newly occupied positions of Ukrainian troops from 2016 until the invasion. Sometimes he stayed overnight with the boys, slept in the basement.
“I went there many times in 2016, and in 2017, and in 2018, and in 2019. The last time I was there was in February 2022 on the eve of the invasion. There was then the 25th Brigade. Paratroopers. They said, “We are ready!” They all talked about it!” — recalls Oleksandr Klymenko, “Foreign journalists always went there, because Avdiivka industrial zone has always been a place where some battles took place, shelling continued or ceasefire was declared and again shelling, etc. Conventionally, then it was the closest place to the enemy.”
For almost 10 years, the Russians tried to occupy Avdiyivka, and after more than 3,100 days of defense, the city fell. February 17, 2023, Armed Forces of Ukraine came out from Avdiivka to avoid the surroundings. The defense forces moved to more favorable frontiers.
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
Life as a Deadline: 10 Years of War in the Photos of Alexander Klymenko
Oleksandr Klymenko was born in Chernihiv region. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. From 1991 to 2024 — photocorrespondent of the newspaper “Voice of Ukraine”. In 1992, he documented events in Transnistria, then in the former Yugoslavia, as well as Lebanon, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During the Revolution of Dignity, being in the very epicenter of events, Alexander was wounded. Since the beginning of the Russian military aggression in 2014 in the East, he has been filming events at the front. Oleksandr is the author of several photo albums, including: “Ukraine. 10 years of progress” (2001), “Peacekeeping activities of the Ukrainian army. The First Decade” (2004), “Through Fire and Tears” (2009), “Front Album” (2016). “The latest history of Ukrainian journalism. From Maidan to Maidan” co-authored with Yuriy Nesteryak, Julia Nesteryak (2022). Had personal photo exhibitions at UN Headquarters in New York (2012), NATO Headquarters in Brussels (2012, 2013, 2014), Lithuania (2015), Poland (2015, 2016, 2023), Luxembourg (2015), Norway (2023), Latvia (2022), participated in collective exhibitions on the war in Ukraine in the parliaments of Great Britain (2015) and Denmark (2014).
On January 30, 2017, the Armed Forces took control of the Avdeyev industrial zone, knocking out the Russians from there.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of photojournalist Oleksandr Klymenko, who documented the stay of Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka industrial zone.
On the anniversary of the Battle of Kruty at 5 am on January 29, the enemy began intensive shelling of Ukrainian positions in the Avdiivka industrial zone. The Russians fired small arms and mortars. A group of fighters of the 1st Battalion of the 72nd Brigade took the fight and moved on to the counterattack. Their actions were covered by a battery of 120 mm mortars of the brigade art group, and a diversionary maneuver was carried out on the left flank at the same time. The assault group of 8 fighters was led by Lieutenant Andriy Verkhozhda “Livsha”. At 7 o'clock, two groups of militants of up to 30 people moved into the assault. The defense forces were able to fight back. Then three Ukrainians were killed in the fighting, and another received torture. Among the losses of the enemy: about 40 personnel and the commander of the battalion “DPR” with the nickname “Greek”, who also tried to storm the positions of ATO forces in the Avdiivka industrial zone.
Avdiyivka is an industrial city 13 kilometers from Donetsk, there was even a direct trolleybus. Before the beginning of the Russian aggression in 2014, about 40 thousand people lived there. It was from Avdiivka that it was possible to control: the northern outskirts of Donetsk and Yasinovataya, the southern outskirts of Horlivka, as well as the strategic route M04 “Donetsk — Horlivka”.
In April 2014, militants proclaimed a “Donetsk People's Republic” in Avdiivka, but on 28 July the Ukrainian defence forces liberated the city during a general offensive on Donetsk. However, the situation was somewhat more complicated with the industrial zone. There were no Ukrainian strongholds, although the industrial zone is within Avdiyivka. This is what loosened the hands of the militants, who crossed the demarcation line and attacked Ukrainian positions, in particular, shooting civilians. The Ukrainian military decided to de-occupy the industrial zone for the sake of the safety of civilians.
At the beginning of 2016, the 16th battalion of the 58th brigade took the Avdiyivsk industrial zone, so space was opened for the destruction of enemy vehicles on the Donetsk-Horlivka highway. However, from March of the same year, militants began to actively shell Avdiyivka.
The greatest aggravation of the situation in the Avdiyivka area came on the anniversary of the battle near Kruty, January 29, 2017. Due to active Russian shelling, local residents were left without light, water and heating, for whom the Ukrainian side deployed heating points.
After its liberation and until the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Avdeyev industrial zone remained one of the hottest points on the map of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The fighting here has practically not subsided for several years at any time of the day. In some places, the positions of the Russian-separatist forces were only a few meters away.
Photojournalist Oleksandr Klymenko repeatedly documented the newly occupied positions of Ukrainian troops from 2016 until the invasion. Sometimes he stayed overnight with the boys, slept in the basement.
“I went there many times in 2016, and in 2017, and in 2018, and in 2019. The last time I was there was in February 2022 on the eve of the invasion. There was then the 25th Brigade. Paratroopers. They said, “We are ready!” They all talked about it!” — recalls Oleksandr Klymenko, “Foreign journalists always went there, because Avdiivka industrial zone has always been a place where some battles took place, shelling continued or ceasefire was declared and again shelling, etc. Conventionally, then it was the closest place to the enemy.”
For almost 10 years, the Russians tried to occupy Avdiyivka, and after more than 3,100 days of defense, the city fell. February 17, 2023, Armed Forces of Ukraine came out from Avdiivka to avoid the surroundings. The defense forces moved to more favorable frontiers.
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
Life as a Deadline: 10 Years of War in the Photos of Alexander Klymenko
Oleksandr Klymenko was born in Chernihiv region. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. From 1991 to 2024 — photocorrespondent of the newspaper “Voice of Ukraine”. In 1992, he documented events in Transnistria, then in the former Yugoslavia, as well as Lebanon, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During the Revolution of Dignity, being in the very epicenter of events, Alexander was wounded. Since the beginning of the Russian military aggression in 2014 in the East, he has been filming events at the front. Oleksandr is the author of several photo albums, including: “Ukraine. 10 years of progress” (2001), “Peacekeeping activities of the Ukrainian army. The First Decade” (2004), “Through Fire and Tears” (2009), “Front Album” (2016). “The latest history of Ukrainian journalism. From Maidan to Maidan” co-authored with Yuriy Nesteryak, Julia Nesteryak (2022). Had personal photo exhibitions at UN Headquarters in New York (2012), NATO Headquarters in Brussels (2012, 2013, 2014), Lithuania (2015), Poland (2015, 2016, 2023), Luxembourg (2015), Norway (2023), Latvia (2022), participated in collective exhibitions on the war in Ukraine in the parliaments of Great Britain (2015) and Denmark (2014).
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.
