The longest and bloodiest battle of the war in Ukraine is raging in Bakhmut. Probably also the most pointless. The strategic importance of the city, where thousands of soldiers and mercenaries lost their lives, is disputed. The battle there is entering the decisive phase. The photographer Christopher Occhicone is right in the middle.
The exact location where photographer Christopher Occhicone is currently working has to be kept secret for security reasons. Located in a former government building in a suburb of Bakhmut, currently the most hotly contested place in Ukraine, it has long since become a symbol of victory and defeat in this war. “It’s really hell here. I’m wading through blood. On every corner I see people who are missing limbs, injured people without arms, without legs – some have lost an eye,” says the photographer on the phone. The connection is weak. But explosions can be heard in the background. The front is just two kilometers away.