AP PHOTOS: Ukraine endures a second year of war with scenes of grief, suffering and also joy
AP PHOTOS: Ukraine endures a second year of war with scenes of grief, suffering and also joy
A Ukrainian police officer takes cover in front of a burning building in Avdiivka, Ukraine, Friday, March 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A message written on a dirty, broken mirror reads “Ukraine will prevail” inside a badly damaged school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Soviet-era statues are discarded outside a glass workshop in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An elderly woman wrapped in a blanket watches people dance in a subway station during an air raid alarm in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Priests walk to the cemetery during the funeral of Vladyslav Bondarenko in Kozyntsi, near Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 6, 2023. Bondarenko, a paratrooper, died near Bakhmut. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A Ukrainian serviceman who recently returned from the trenches of Bakhmut smokes a cigarette in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A photograph of a Ukrainian serviceman is placed on his grave in the Alley of Glory section of the cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An injured Ukrainian soldier lies on a stretcher during an evacuation in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Smoke rises from buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, the site of heavy battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
The body of a woman who died after an attack on Uman, central Ukraine, lies on a bed on Friday, April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Mykhayl Shulha, center, cries next to the coffin of his sister Sofia Shulha during a funeral prayer in Uman, central Ukraine, Sunday, April 30, 2023. Sofia Shulha, 11, was killed in an attack on a residential building during the war with Russia. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A man plants sunflowers in his garden between a damaged Russian tank and its turret in the village of Velyka Dymerka, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar at Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Cadets practice trying on gas masks during a lesson in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A woman holds her pets after her house was flooded when the Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The body of a Russian soldier lies inside a building in the village of Blahodatne, Ukraine, Saturday, June 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect them from the sound of Russian shelling in a shelter on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
A group of recent high school graduates leap as they pose for photos to celebrate their graduation in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An officer in a special Ukrainian police unit falls as he fires a D-30 cannon towards Russian positions along the front line, near Kreminna, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
Two women with mock AK-47 rifles participate in firearms training for civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Hennadiy Techyna, a Ukrainian serviceman from the international legion, exercises at a rehabilitation center in Vynnyky, Ukraine, Thursday, July 20, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People swim in a lake near Druzhbivka in the Zhytomyr region in Ukraine, Friday, July 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An elderly woman walks out of her destroyed apartment in Odesa, Ukraine, Sunday, July 23, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman takes a nap on the lap of her husband on a bench at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench on the front line on the outskirts of Kreminna, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Dead bodies lie on the ground in front of a burning market after a rocket hit the city center of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A Ukrainian assault unit commander passes by a dead Russian soldier on the front line near Andriivka, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
A woman poses for a social media campaign in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. The sign reads, “Looking for a groom.” (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
A Ukrainian soldier talks on his radio during combat training in the north of Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A woman prays inside a church during Christmas celebrations in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Children sing traditional songs during a Christmas celebration in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The mother of a Ukrainian army officer cries during her son’s funeral in Krasnyk village, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A priest pays his respects during the funeral of Ukrainian serviceman and famous poet Maksym Kryvtsov in St. Michael Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Military medics give first aid to wounded Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Firefighters extinguish a blaze after an attack on a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Yevhen Titov)
A Ukrainian police officer takes cover in front of a burning building in Avdiivka, Ukraine, Friday, March 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A Ukrainian police officer takes cover in front of a burning building in Avdiivka, Ukraine, Friday, March 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A message written on a dirty, broken mirror reads “Ukraine will prevail” inside a badly damaged school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A message written on a dirty, broken mirror reads “Ukraine will prevail” inside a badly damaged school in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Soviet-era statues are discarded outside a glass workshop in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Soviet-era statues are discarded outside a glass workshop in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An elderly woman wrapped in a blanket watches people dance in a subway station during an air raid alarm in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An elderly woman wrapped in a blanket watches people dance in a subway station during an air raid alarm in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Priests walk to the cemetery during the funeral of Vladyslav Bondarenko in Kozyntsi, near Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 6, 2023. Bondarenko, a paratrooper, died near Bakhmut. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Priests walk to the cemetery during the funeral of Vladyslav Bondarenko in Kozyntsi, near Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 6, 2023. Bondarenko, a paratrooper, died near Bakhmut. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A Ukrainian serviceman who recently returned from the trenches of Bakhmut smokes a cigarette in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A Ukrainian serviceman who recently returned from the trenches of Bakhmut smokes a cigarette in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A photograph of a Ukrainian serviceman is placed on his grave in the Alley of Glory section of the cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A photograph of a Ukrainian serviceman is placed on his grave in the Alley of Glory section of the cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An injured Ukrainian soldier lies on a stretcher during an evacuation in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
An injured Ukrainian soldier lies on a stretcher during an evacuation in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Smoke rises from buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, the site of heavy battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
Smoke rises from buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, the site of heavy battles between Ukrainian and Russian troops, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
The body of a woman who died after an attack on Uman, central Ukraine, lies on a bed on Friday, April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
The body of a woman who died after an attack on Uman, central Ukraine, lies on a bed on Friday, April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Mykhayl Shulha, center, cries next to the coffin of his sister Sofia Shulha during a funeral prayer in Uman, central Ukraine, Sunday, April 30, 2023. Sofia Shulha, 11, was killed in an attack on a residential building during the war with Russia. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Mykhayl Shulha, center, cries next to the coffin of his sister Sofia Shulha during a funeral prayer in Uman, central Ukraine, Sunday, April 30, 2023. Sofia Shulha, 11, was killed in an attack on a residential building during the war with Russia. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A man plants sunflowers in his garden between a damaged Russian tank and its turret in the village of Velyka Dymerka, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A man plants sunflowers in his garden between a damaged Russian tank and its turret in the village of Velyka Dymerka, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar at Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar at Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Cadets practice trying on gas masks during a lesson in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Cadets practice trying on gas masks during a lesson in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A woman holds her pets after her house was flooded when the Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A woman holds her pets after her house was flooded when the Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The body of a Russian soldier lies inside a building in the village of Blahodatne, Ukraine, Saturday, June 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The body of a Russian soldier lies inside a building in the village of Blahodatne, Ukraine, Saturday, June 17, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect them from the sound of Russian shelling in a shelter on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect them from the sound of Russian shelling in a shelter on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
A group of recent high school graduates leap as they pose for photos to celebrate their graduation in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A group of recent high school graduates leap as they pose for photos to celebrate their graduation in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An officer in a special Ukrainian police unit falls as he fires a D-30 cannon towards Russian positions along the front line, near Kreminna, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
An officer in a special Ukrainian police unit falls as he fires a D-30 cannon towards Russian positions along the front line, near Kreminna, Ukraine, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
Two women with mock AK-47 rifles participate in firearms training for civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two women with mock AK-47 rifles participate in firearms training for civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Hennadiy Techyna, a Ukrainian serviceman from the international legion, exercises at a rehabilitation center in Vynnyky, Ukraine, Thursday, July 20, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Hennadiy Techyna, a Ukrainian serviceman from the international legion, exercises at a rehabilitation center in Vynnyky, Ukraine, Thursday, July 20, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People swim in a lake near Druzhbivka in the Zhytomyr region in Ukraine, Friday, July 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People swim in a lake near Druzhbivka in the Zhytomyr region in Ukraine, Friday, July 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An elderly woman walks out of her destroyed apartment in Odesa, Ukraine, Sunday, July 23, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An elderly woman walks out of her destroyed apartment in Odesa, Ukraine, Sunday, July 23, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman takes a nap on the lap of her husband on a bench at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman takes a nap on the lap of her husband on a bench at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench on the front line on the outskirts of Kreminna, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench on the front line on the outskirts of Kreminna, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Dead bodies lie on the ground in front of a burning market after a rocket hit the city center of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Dead bodies lie on the ground in front of a burning market after a rocket hit the city center of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A Ukrainian assault unit commander passes by a dead Russian soldier on the front line near Andriivka, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
A Ukrainian assault unit commander passes by a dead Russian soldier on the front line near Andriivka, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
A woman poses for a social media campaign in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. The sign reads, “Looking for a groom.” (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
A woman poses for a social media campaign in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. The sign reads, “Looking for a groom.” (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
A Ukrainian soldier talks on his radio during combat training in the north of Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A Ukrainian soldier talks on his radio during combat training in the north of Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A woman prays inside a church during Christmas celebrations in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A woman prays inside a church during Christmas celebrations in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Children sing traditional songs during a Christmas celebration in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Children sing traditional songs during a Christmas celebration in Kryvorivnia village, Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The mother of a Ukrainian army officer cries during her son’s funeral in Krasnyk village, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The mother of a Ukrainian army officer cries during her son’s funeral in Krasnyk village, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A priest pays his respects during the funeral of Ukrainian serviceman and famous poet Maksym Kryvtsov in St. Michael Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A priest pays his respects during the funeral of Ukrainian serviceman and famous poet Maksym Kryvtsov in St. Michael Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Military medics give first aid to wounded Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Military medics give first aid to wounded Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Firefighters extinguish a blaze after an attack on a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Yevhen Titov)
Firefighters extinguish a blaze after an attack on a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians. Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war. (AP Photo/Yevhen Titov)
The second year of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion brought no respite for Ukrainian soldiers or civilians.
Associated Press photographers documented the past 12 months of death and destruction, agony and grief — as well as the glimpses of joy — that are staples of life during war.
The countryside in eastern areas of Ukraine — an industrial region bordering Russia where some of the most intense fighting has unfolded since the war began on Feb. 24, 2022 — is now punctuated with splintered and smashed trees reminiscent of a World War I battlefield.
Along the front line, soldiers battled from trenches and relied heavily on artillery, in another echo of the 1914-18 conflict.
Away from it, bodies littered ruined buildings, forests and roadsides during the war’s second year. Russian barrages repeatedly blasted civilian targets, frequently reducing apartment buildings to rubble, flames and smoke.
Communities disappeared, replaced by grim desolation. Relatives wept over the open coffins of their loved ones. The young and old, and their pets, lost their homes or fled them.
The conflict has killed more than 10,000 civilians and wounded nearly 20,000 others, the United Nations says. The cost of reconstruction is likely to run into hundreds of billions of dollars.
Among the casualties, Ukraine expects that more than 20,000 people, many of them soldiers, will have a limb amputated. Many are victims of anti-tank mines, aerial bombs, missiles and artillery shells.
Images of women learning to fire guns and cadets trying on gas masks are a reminder that Ukraine would like to get still more people in arms. Amid war weariness and the physical and emotional strains on families, a broader mobilization to push back Moscow’s forces is a sensitive issue.
Despite the bleakness, there are snatched moments of joy: dancing in a subway station, students celebrating graduation, people taking a dip in a peaceful lake, a couple sitting on a park bench, and Christmas celebrations.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine