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ConflictsUkraine

Ukrainian photographer who risked all to film Bucha massacre

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March 30, 2026

On March 31, 2022, Ukrainian troops liberated Bucha, a town near the country's capital. Some of the worst Russian war crimes took place here, and amateur photographer Vasyl Molchan risked his life to document the horror.

In 2022, Russian forces committed brutal atrocities in Bucha, a town not far from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Streets like Vokzalna and Yablunska becoming sites of mass killings.

Vasyl Molchan, a local photographer, secretly documented the violence. His footage was later used in investigations of Russian war crimes.

DW spoke with Molchan about his harrowing experience, how he experiences Russia's war in Ukraine and how he feels about politicians celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre.

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