Nobody knows what will happen a moment from now. But there are people whose job is to be constantly ready. They're the first to encounter disaster, rescue, and help.
It's demanding work, yet absolutely essential.
We notice them most in moments of extreme danger.
But how much do we truly understand about their lives?
What occupies their thoughts, their conversations?
How are they navigating the challenges of this war?
Moments
Before
This photo project is about the lives of rescuers and police officers from Mykolaiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia
Take a moment Step into their world Hear their stories Feel their experiences
Dnipro is regularly hit by missiles and drones.
We spent a day with rescuers at one fire station and saw their day-to-day lives during "quiet days", i.e., the rare days when they don't have any calls.
Vitalii, the unit's chief, has been a firefighter for 17 years. But lately, the job has been pushing the limits of what's possible.
A room where the entire wall — from floor to ceiling — is occupied by shelves lined with rows of defused ordnances on display.
Anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Mangled drones. Missile fragments.
We're met by Stanislav, a police officer and explosives technician.
Zaporizhzhia. A frontline city that has become a symbol of invincibility in this war. Dilapidated houses stand as silent witnesses.
Oleh, the head of the rescue department, helped extinguish the fire here. A photo of him looking tired after hours of work once went viral online. In the photo, you can see a colored bracelet that doesn't fit the scene. We can still see this bracelet on Oleh's wrist today.
Zaporizhzhia's paramedic team consists of nearly 20 trained police officers. Three of them meet with us: Ruslan, Andrii, and Oleksandr. Oleksandr remembers his first call, a traffic accident on the road headed into Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The injured party is the driver, who has an open fracture and is bleeding heavily.
Yuliia, a K9 inspector, is rushing to a meeting at the Mykolaiv Oblast Police Canine Centre.
Yuliia previously worked as an investigator, but accidentally found her calling working with canines. She's been raising he four-legged colleagues for five years now.
July. Summer heat. The burnt fields in the Mykolaiv Oblast were once a 'gray zone' where fierce battles took place.
Now, they're sown with mines and other explosive devices.
Dust is rising on the horizon — this is special remote-controlled equipment from the State Emergency Service at work.
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