Database of 251 videos exposes the horrors of war in Ukraine
Updated Aug. 24 at 11:29 p.m.Originally published May 9, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is one of the most documented wars ever. Citizens, public officials and soldiers have regularly posted videos that show the dead bodies in neighborhoods, the trails of missiles streaking through the skies and the smoldering ruins of entire towns.
Six months later, the fighting shows no sign of ending. The violence has tinged every aspect of Ukrainian life. Prosecutors in the country have identified about 26,000 possible war crimes committed by Russian forces.
The Washington Post’s visual forensics team started to verify and catalogue videos from the war the day Russia’s invasion began. This work is searchable in a database that continues to be updated. The videos have been uploaded in raw format; graphic content is clearly marked.
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 dozens of health facilities that have been struck.
See videos of medical facilities
- An August strike on a Crimean air base sent beachgoers running. The attack, claimed by Ukraine, would be the country’s most audacious of the war.
See videos of the bombing
- It’s not always clear who is responsible. Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for a July blast in eastern Ukraine that killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war — a possible war crime.
See videos of the aftermath
- Bombardments are routine. Citizens filming from their windows and security cameras have captured moments when strikes reduce structures to rubble.
See videos of military strikes
5 ways Ukraine fought and saved its capital from Russian invaders
A months-long examination by The Washington Post of the Ukrainian military’s successful defense of Kyiv is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 people, including many of the country’s top political and military leaders. Here are some key findings:
1. In the run-up to the war, Ukrainian political officials downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale Russian invasion, but the Ukrainian military was making critical preparations.
The Post examined the lead-up to the Ukraine war. Here’s what we learned.