Database of 305 videos exposes the horrors of war in Ukraine
On Feb. 24, as Russian forces rolled into Ukraine and missiles began to strike Kyiv, civilians picked up their phones and pressed record. For eight months, they have documented the war, allowing the world to witness the conflict in Ukraine through the eyes of its people.
New videos emerge each day, taken by local residents, soldiers and public officials. They show the trails of rockets streaming through the sky and the smoldering ruins of towns. Footage has shown slain civilians, some bearing signs of torture, lying in neighborhood streets or unearthed from mass graves.
A growing body of visual evidence has become instrumental for war crimes prosecutors, while also propelling global outrage against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
Video location
The Washington Post’s visual forensics team has been verifying and cataloguing videos since the start of the invasion. This work is searchable in a database that continues to be updated, though at a slower pace than in the first months of the war, with the emphasis more recently on key events. The videos have been uploaded in raw format; graphic content is clearly marked.
Amid the onslaught of death and rubble in this database, certain trends are apparent:
- Little has been spared. Houses, apartment buildings and playgrounds have been destroyed across Ukraine. See videos of residential areas
- Patients seeking care became victims of war. A maternity hospital, a cancer ward and a children’s dental clinic are among hundreds of health facilities that have been struck. See videos of medical facilities
- Bombardments are routine. Security cameras and citizens filming from their windows have captured moments when strikes reduce structures to rubble. See videos of military strikes
- Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and officials in Kyiv warn of a difficult winter ahead. See infrastructure attacks
- Ukrainian soldiers have recorded their successes — from the battles that saved the capital in the spring to the recent counteroffensive that has forced Russia to retreat in parts of the east and south. See counteroffensives
If you’re in Ukraine and have footage you recorded of what is going on, please send it to us on Telegram at 202-580-1002. The Post will continue to verify videos of the Russian invasion.