A Ukrainian military and emergency reached its highest level by combat, invasion, long-term strategy. The front line stretches across a vast landscape, in a beautiful country, from Kharkiv all the way to Kherson. Russian advance in the Donetsk region has deadly consequences, where Ukrainian fighting spirit is challenged to the maximum. For four years, Ukraine has stood its ground against Russia in war. A new era, where reconstruction is estimated costs 588 billion dollars by the United Nations Development Programme – UNDP, when they see the country.
Made in collaboration with UNDP Ukraine.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Serhii, Veteran: Pottery in the Dark: Kyiv. 28 years. In a pickup truck, they ran over an anti-tank mine on a mission. Donetsk Oblast. 2 years of rehabilitation. It’s still ongoing. Twice a week he goes to rehabilitation. He also needs to have his face operated on.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Serhii’s new work with artistic ceramics is both a hobby and a profession that helps him to be better off financially. It helps to get in touch with people. To increase his social life. The buyers use them, some are better than others of the cups, they are very loyal to him, those who buy, and his own videos of pottery are engaging. He hopes more and more people will use his stuff. Some use it as decoration. The work of a veteran. Some ask for more artistic works, so that they are not too neat.
AWAKE
On the outskirts of Lviv, the Superhumans Center is located, which helps Artem with his war injury. Artem is 8 years old, and when he lived in his hometown of Kherson, he, his brother and mother were shot by a tank. Their home was destroyed. Their car, where they were when the shot hit, caught fire. Fortunately, the mother managed to transport Artem and his brother out of the car. October 2025. The photograph is from February 13, 2026. As they sat in the car after they had been shot, Artem suddenly says that he cannot feel or move his legs.
AWAKE
Liubov arrives and stands at her husband’s grave, in Lviv, a new grave site, near the Lychakiv Cemetery. Her husband, Senior Sergeant Liubinskyi Volodymyr Romanovych, died two months ago. He was a proud soldier, and died in the border area of Sumy, in the war with Russia. Ukrainian flags and military banners hang around all the graves, here and in Ukraine, where many graves have a picture of the dead soldier. February 8, 2026. Ukraine. Liubov came walking with a single flower, in deep sorrow, in sub-zero temperatures, where snow is falling. Her Ukrainian name means “love”. She looks at her husband’s picture for a long time, and makes the sign of the cross, several times. Her husband, from Lviv, turned 50.
Many of the dead soldiers, close to here, are young soldiers. You can see the ages around 20-22 years old.
AWAKE
Alina 16 years old: Alina makes camouflage nets. At her school. Her brother is at the front. He is 37 years old. He has been fighting since 2022. Among others, near Sloviansk. At first, she was not told that he was there.
They make white nets so that they work as a cover for technical things, for drones, over the winter. She lives and is from Lviv. Like her brother. The situation is difficult at the front. There is a shortage of people.
Suddenly, the alarm is active. On Telegram, they say that the giant missile, Oreshnik, is in play again. Children and teachers go to shelters.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Oleksandr, Ukrainian Warrior: Kharkiv Oblast. Oleksandr: Before the war he tried his hand at various things, including furniture making and selling furniture, then the war came: Then he joined the Army. He tried five times to get in and then he was accepted by the Army.
Klishciivka. In this position. They had losses. They have to change positions. A soldier loses both legs. Evacuation. Then he loses his own leg, he steps on a mine. Takes a tourniquet. They crawl 200 meters away anyway. Waits 7 hours for their evacuation. Then he got tourniquet syndrome: it’s been on too long. Then the leg dies. Rehabilitation for a year. Now he has created a veteran hub, and helps people who come back from the war.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Dnipro, Drone Attack: Attack in Dnipro. Woman unable to get out due to metal bars at window. Tents are provided. Rubble removal.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Kharkiv Hospital: Surgery on a man’s hand. No one goes to the basement when there’s an air raid. The man’s heart had to be checked. He may have had a heart attack. 12-14 patients in the evening, sometimes none.
Would like a huge list of needs, they lack at the hospital. When the power goes out, they have power supply from Norway, and in the summer, they have solar, during surgery there is a connection to a generator: can work for five days.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Victoria, Community Resilience: 30 years. House of Culture. Voznesensk, Mykolaiv Oblast. Here they will create new places for young people: to improve the youth environment, renovation and exchange. Victoria: Manager of Charity. In the city for 9 years, working for the development of civil areas, business support: they found their way with business development, because this place has a potential.
Russian forces were here for a week. 700 houses hit during that period. Shahed drones continue to come here, every night. There haven’t been any major attacks since summer 2024.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
Energy Work In Frontline: Working in duality. We have experienced Russian cluster bomb attacks in this part of Kharkiv, and the gas station has also been subjected to violent acts. The gas station is responsible for the Kharkiv Oblast. It provides heat. Right now, there is a blackout in electricity. We are being hit by Russians, due to the importance. Pressure pipes, for the use of the population. The welder (in the middle of the photograph) has many years of experience. They check for leaks – the energy goes to all the houses around. The houses’ own supply is connected to this. It is difficult sometimes, but they always find a solution. If there is an attack, they go and fix it on the spot. Then they have long working hours. Other days are normal working hours. It is important for all families. Especially for struggling families.
AWAKE
Artem goes to rehabilitation, which starts right after a minute of silence at 9 AM in the morning to honor the soldiers and those who have fallen. Artem will then have to attend online classes with his classmates, whom he only sees online. The “bomb”, as his mother tells about, exploded only 3-5 meters from her car when the accident happened. The ambulance arrived quickly, only 9 minutes later. Artem has undergone 15 operations. Artem’s brother has undergone about 10 operations. Artem dreams fervently that his left leg will be fully saved. Another dream for him is to have a little brother, who fortunately survived, in the belly of his mother, who is still 26 weeks pregnant. The mother concludes from Artem’s situation that it really helps him that he is a warrior.
Tunnel Of Hopeful Vision
A Farm Became A Battlefield: Mykolaiv Oblast. The territory was a command post of Russian forces: here they gave orders to shoot. The wall symbolizes it. Trenches are here too with the possibility of working underground. There was a sniper in the tower from Russia. No farm employees would be here. He observed from there. Russian equipment found in the field. A cover from a Ukrainian tank. Equipment from a paratrooper. RPG equipment. Missile equipment is here too. FAB-5000. The soldiers are Yurii’s heroes, the owner of the agricultural area with many hectares. There have been mines everywhere here after the liberation. The worst thing for him was the first explosion under a tractor. Nobody would work here. He finds bones of Ukrainian soldiers. People saved his life: five operations: his arm and nerves are good now, but it was really bad. He himself was hit by an explosion. The air raid siren goes off.
Bombing in the background. They came to kill, but they had candles and Jesus to pray to. A farm that turned into a battlefield. He wants the world to see what has happened. Many weapons in the field, which he gave to the defense with a truck.