These films expose Russian war crimes and showcase Ukrainian resilience through stories of survival, volunteering, art creation amid destruction, and resistance that directly contradict Moscow’s propaganda about Ukraine.
From: Euromaiden Press BY VIRA KRAVCHUK
A scene from the Ukrainian Oscar-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol. A journalist Mstyslav Chernov and his Associated Press team remained the last international reporters in the besieged city of Mariupol, risking their lives to capture evidence of Russian war crimes that Moscow dismissed as “fakes.” Seven Ukrainian war documentaries Russia doesn’t want you to see
War fundamentally reshapes what filmmakers choose to document, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 transformed an entire generation of storytellers overnight.
As lives were upended—some rushing to the frontlines, others volunteering for humanitarian missions, many losing loved ones and homes—Ukrainian and international filmmakers began capturing stories that reveal both the devastating human cost of defending democracy and the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.
From Oscar-winning footage of bombed maternity hospitals and killed children to heartwarming rescue missions of animals amid the war chaos, these films have earned unprecedented global recognition—including Ukraine’s first-ever Academy Award, along with BAFTAs, Sundance prizes, and countless festival honors.
These documentaries expose Russian war crimes while showcasing how Ukrainians find hope, create art, maintain faith, and build communities even in the darkest circumstances, proving that creativity, love and compassion can flourish alongside destruction and death.
Voice of Ukraine 