On April 30, 2018, the large-scale anti-terrorist operation in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine was completed. The ATO was restructured into the Joint Forces Operation. General Serhiy Nayev became the commander of the operation.
On April 30, 2018, President of Ukraine and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Petro Poroshenko signed a decree “On the Approval of the Decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the Large-Scale Anti-Terrorist Operation in the Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions.” Thus, the war transitioned from the control of the Security Service of Ukraine to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On February 24, 2018, the law “On the Features of State Policy Regarding Ensuring the State Sovereignty of Ukraine in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions” came into force. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine developed documents for the start of the Joint Forces Operation instead of the ATO in accordance with this law.
“From today, April 30, 2018, the large-scale anti-terrorist operation in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is ending. We are beginning a military operation under the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure the protection of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of our state,” stated President Petro Poroshenko. He added that over the four years of the anti-terrorist operation, all tasks had been completed and expressed hope that the new format would help reclaim territories seized by pro-Russian militants.
"The interaction between the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the National Police, and the National Guard is fundamentally different from what is stipulated in the law on the reintegration of Donbas, and the leadership transitions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The AFU gains additional powers to respond to aggression, with parts and units of the National Guard, SBU, border guards, and the National Police coming under its command," explained Petro Poroshenko.
"If the enemy launches a large-scale offensive, the primary responsibility for repelling the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation falls on you," Poroshenko addressed the Commander of the Joint Forces. The President emphasized that this is not just a change of format, but new opportunities for protecting Ukrainian territory and citizens. "We will do everything possible to ensure that the occupied lands of Donbas return under the sovereignty of Ukraine as soon as possible," Poroshenko stressed. The Joint Forces Operation lasted four years—from April 30, 2018, until the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion.
On February 24, 2022, military units and divisions participating in the Joint Forces Operation formed the Joint Forces grouping, which includes the operational and tactical groupings "East" and "North," as well as units of direct subordination. The Joint Forces grouping, together with other forces and means directly participating in current combat operations, is subordinate to the Commander of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Ukrainian documentary photographer Danylo Pavlov captured the beginning of the Joint Forces Operation. He spent several days with the Commander of the Joint Forces, who at that time was General Serhiy Nayev. "We traveled with him to the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, flew by helicopter, visited the 'zero' line, in Marinka, and also at the headquarters. I photographed the tactical exercises of the military involved in the Joint Forces Operation," says Danylo Pavlov, "I shot military personnel who were helping the local hospital, taking care of it. They arrived, unloaded beds and humanitarian aid."
Danylo Pavlov recalls the moment when General Nayev gifted his watch to a soldier he met at a position in Marinka. "The enemy trenches were very close to the positions of the Ukrainian military near Marinka, about three to four hundred meters away. We were looking at them through a special binocular. Nayev asked the soldier when the Russians most often fired in our direction. The soldier couldn't answer accurately, and then the general took off his watch and gave it to the soldier," the photographer shares his memories.
The mood among the soldiers at that time was uplifted. Danylo says that the Ukrainian army had changed significantly by 2018—uniforms and equipment had improved.
"Inside the country, there was a vibe that the war was very far away and not felt at all. A ceasefire was in effect in the east. Of course, there were shootouts, but there were no offensive actions from the RF; positions were fixed," says Pavlov. "Marinka was peaceful. Business had returned to the city, and there were many shops and cafes on the central street. Everything looked quite optimistic."
Danylo Pavlov has been a photojournalist since 2009, working in regional media in Donetsk and later for the media holding "Segodnya" and the UNIAN agency. He also worked as a commercial photographer for several Ukrainian companies. In photojournalism, he focuses on creating social photo stories and illustrating long-read reports. In addition to his work in traditional media, Danylo also contributed to the online magazine The Ukrainians and later became responsible for the visual direction of the separate publication Reporters, which currently exists both online and in print. Danylo continues to photograph and cover events after the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. He reports from liberated territories and military positions, and is currently working on a long-term photo project documenting the impact of war on servicemen and civilians in need of plastic surgery. He also collaborates with the State Emergency Service, for which he was awarded the state honor last year.
Photographer's social media:
Instagram
Facebook
We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has launched a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where they publish memories and photographs from Ukrainian documentary photographers.
The material was created by:
Topic researcher and author: Katya Moskaliuk
Photo editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager Vladislav Kukhar
On April 30, 2018, the large-scale anti-terrorist operation in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine was completed. The ATO was restructured into the Joint Forces Operation. General Serhiy Nayev became the commander of the operation.
On April 30, 2018, President of Ukraine and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Petro Poroshenko signed a decree “On the Approval of the Decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the Large-Scale Anti-Terrorist Operation in the Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions.” Thus, the war transitioned from the control of the Security Service of Ukraine to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On February 24, 2018, the law “On the Features of State Policy Regarding Ensuring the State Sovereignty of Ukraine in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions” came into force. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine developed documents for the start of the Joint Forces Operation instead of the ATO in accordance with this law.
“From today, April 30, 2018, the large-scale anti-terrorist operation in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is ending. We are beginning a military operation under the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure the protection of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of our state,” stated President Petro Poroshenko. He added that over the four years of the anti-terrorist operation, all tasks had been completed and expressed hope that the new format would help reclaim territories seized by pro-Russian militants.
"The interaction between the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the National Police, and the National Guard is fundamentally different from what is stipulated in the law on the reintegration of Donbas, and the leadership transitions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The AFU gains additional powers to respond to aggression, with parts and units of the National Guard, SBU, border guards, and the National Police coming under its command," explained Petro Poroshenko.
"If the enemy launches a large-scale offensive, the primary responsibility for repelling the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation falls on you," Poroshenko addressed the Commander of the Joint Forces. The President emphasized that this is not just a change of format, but new opportunities for protecting Ukrainian territory and citizens. "We will do everything possible to ensure that the occupied lands of Donbas return under the sovereignty of Ukraine as soon as possible," Poroshenko stressed. The Joint Forces Operation lasted four years—from April 30, 2018, until the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion.
On February 24, 2022, military units and divisions participating in the Joint Forces Operation formed the Joint Forces grouping, which includes the operational and tactical groupings "East" and "North," as well as units of direct subordination. The Joint Forces grouping, together with other forces and means directly participating in current combat operations, is subordinate to the Commander of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Ukrainian documentary photographer Danylo Pavlov captured the beginning of the Joint Forces Operation. He spent several days with the Commander of the Joint Forces, who at that time was General Serhiy Nayev. "We traveled with him to the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, flew by helicopter, visited the 'zero' line, in Marinka, and also at the headquarters. I photographed the tactical exercises of the military involved in the Joint Forces Operation," says Danylo Pavlov, "I shot military personnel who were helping the local hospital, taking care of it. They arrived, unloaded beds and humanitarian aid."
Danylo Pavlov recalls the moment when General Nayev gifted his watch to a soldier he met at a position in Marinka. "The enemy trenches were very close to the positions of the Ukrainian military near Marinka, about three to four hundred meters away. We were looking at them through a special binocular. Nayev asked the soldier when the Russians most often fired in our direction. The soldier couldn't answer accurately, and then the general took off his watch and gave it to the soldier," the photographer shares his memories.
The mood among the soldiers at that time was uplifted. Danylo says that the Ukrainian army had changed significantly by 2018—uniforms and equipment had improved.
"Inside the country, there was a vibe that the war was very far away and not felt at all. A ceasefire was in effect in the east. Of course, there were shootouts, but there were no offensive actions from the RF; positions were fixed," says Pavlov. "Marinka was peaceful. Business had returned to the city, and there were many shops and cafes on the central street. Everything looked quite optimistic."
Danylo Pavlov has been a photojournalist since 2009, working in regional media in Donetsk and later for the media holding "Segodnya" and the UNIAN agency. He also worked as a commercial photographer for several Ukrainian companies. In photojournalism, he focuses on creating social photo stories and illustrating long-read reports. In addition to his work in traditional media, Danylo also contributed to the online magazine The Ukrainians and later became responsible for the visual direction of the separate publication Reporters, which currently exists both online and in print. Danylo continues to photograph and cover events after the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. He reports from liberated territories and military positions, and is currently working on a long-term photo project documenting the impact of war on servicemen and civilians in need of plastic surgery. He also collaborates with the State Emergency Service, for which he was awarded the state honor last year.
Photographer's social media:
Instagram
Facebook
We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has launched a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where they publish memories and photographs from Ukrainian documentary photographers.
The material was created by:
Topic researcher and author: Katya Moskaliuk
Photo editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager Vladislav Kukhar
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.
