In this episode, David returns to Ukraine in late summer. He crosses the border from Poland before taking the night train to Kyiv. He tells the story of what has happened since April, checking off key events such as the Russian withdrawal from around Kyiv, the capture of Mariupol and the sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva.
David describes the international situation and how Russia has attempted to use the energy supply to the west, the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear plan
and the control of grain shipments, to isolate Ukraine and blackmail the international community into backing down. He visits Borodyanka, a town to the north of Kyiv that contains areas which were devastated by Russian strikes, where he meets Natalya, a woman from the town who has lost her husband in the fighting.
In the village of Moschun, David meets local man Vadym, who describes how the villagers assisted the Ukrainian army in their defence of the village by giving the positions of Russian troops by mobile phone and helping Ukrainian solders navigate the forests.
David then travels to Bucha, where he meets three gravediggers who assisted with the recovery of bodies following the murder of hundreds of civilians by Russian troops. He also speaks to Alena Grom, a photographer from Donetsk who has turned from street art and portraiture to war photography. They talk about the impact of the war and how photographers cover conflict.
Back in Kyiv, David comes across dozens of destroyed or captured Russian armoured vehicles that have been placed on the main street off Maidan Square. It is a dark satirical gesture of defiance by Zelenskiy, a parody of the victory parade which Putin expected to be holding. He then speaks to Valentyn, a volunteer Ukrainian soldier who fought in Donbas in 2014 and took up arms again in 2022. Valentyn describes how he is fighting for his family and future.
David ends his journey where it began, in Kyiv, January 2023, as the war continues on.
févr. 20, 2023
