The hardest thing is watching your hometown being destroyed

Oleksandr, a rescue worker from Bakhmut “You look around — a building’s collapsed, people you know have been killed. What keeps you going is your own land. The thought that we have to start rebuilding all of this.”

Oleksandr, rescue worker “We’re like brothers, we do everything together.” “A strike can hit anywhere at any moment, but I get up and go — it’s my job. I’m always ready for it.”

Viktor, rescue worker “We’re used to it. We have no choice — if not us, then who.” “Imagine: a nine-story building, with five more floors collapsed into the basement. You find a crack, and you crawl in toward the sound of a person’s voice. That’s the hardest part of my job.”