Ukraine in Pictures

      As the war is carried out in Ukraine by armed forces of the largest country in the world, news reporters continue to provide stark evidence of the inhumanity of Russya in photographs. The NY Times provides many of these graphic pictures of scenes from a nightmare the entire world as witness. While locations are generally included, they are not identified by grid coordinates, but by broad designations such as " near Bahkmut, or a mile from the front lines in eastern Ukraine, or north of Bahkmut, etc. Some describe scenes of a burial in process in Kviv and other cities where citizens gather to bury the dead soldier(s).

      Many of the pictures include those of soldiers participating actively by running to and fro, firing weapons, and shielding themselves in sloppy, muddy, deep trenches. They are all uniformed in camouflage and heavy winter clothing, befitting the season of the ongoing combat operations. Disturbing images of wounded civilians demonstrate the indiscriminate shelling of urban centers as part of the tactical efforts of Russyan forces. None of these photos depict invading forces anywhere. No doubt, those images will surface later, when the Steppe peoples retreat from Ukraine.

     as always, photographers take chances to tell their stories to the world. No, a viewer does not experience combat. No, the viewer does not understand combat. No, the viewer is not "on scene". The viewer absorbs only the graphic image as a small part of the entire story, told in words remote from these scenes by journalists working their craft elsewhere, as always.