American freelance photographer Steve Andre has been documenting Ukraine for over a decade, witnessing the country both before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion. In this interview with Defence Blog, he shares his experiences, from photographing the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in 2010 to entering liberated Kherson and rescuing animals from the frontlines.
You’ve witnessed Ukraine both before and after the full-scale Russian invasion. What first drew you to the country before 2022, and what was your impression of Ukraine back then?
I first came to Ukraine in 2010 to photograph the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. I had no idea what the country would be like. My friend and I arrived on May 8 and stayed at a small hostel near the city center. The next day was the 9 May celebrations — it was just so cool seeing the big celebration.
Afterwards, we were jetlagged, so we decided to wander the streets at around 3 or 4 a.m. I was amazed to see people sweeping up the streets and cleaning everything. I live in Detroit, and even today there’s still trash that takes a long time for people to clean up.
Going to Chornobyl was amazing. The landscape of northern Ukraine is beautiful; I love the endless fields and pine forests. What really stuck out to me was that people kept and fixed things in Ukraine, or at least they did back then. There’s also a sense of community there that I don’t particularly get anywhere else. I also remember seeing St. George ribbons in the center of Kyiv and a lot of Soviet and communist symbols.
How would you describe the changes you’ve seen in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022?
I remember the first week of the new invasion. I was a stupid foreigner living in the city center. I didn’t keep food in my fridge… I ate at restaurants. So for the first three or four days, I couldn’t buy food because nobody knew what was going to happen. I basically survived on drinkable yogurt, water, and iced tea until a friend told me that a store was finally open and stocked with food.
I also won’t forget about the gasoline and diesel shortages. The addition of trains to the EU is another huge change.
You were among the first foreign journalists to enter liberated Kherson. What did you see there, and how did it reflect the broader impact of Russian occupation?
I saw a Ukrainian city that was filled with propaganda and huge crowds of people celebrating. We basically couldn’t get any work done because people constantly ran up to us saying thank you and hugging us.
I went to Chornobaivka and the airport there. Everything was just completely destroyed. One surreal moment was during a trip to a vehicle repair or storage site that the Russians used. Amongst the destroyed tanks, artillery pieces, and trash the Russians left behind, there were two cows just grazing and wandering through the area.
The villages and towns we drove through were all extremely happy to see us.
You’ve previously documented Russian covert activity in Donbas before 2022. From your perspective, how did Russia’s hidden presence in eastern Ukraine shift into a direct and open war?
I feel that the Russians’ presence in Donbas prior to 2022 was a test to see how the world would react to a full-scale invasion.
Sure, we as Americans sent some aid and trainers for the military, but it was far from a complete or even half-measure response. I remember when the U.S. State Department finally authorized Javelin anti-tank missiles, the Russians were quick to stop using tanks to sporadically shell our positions.
Yet there wasn’t a complete condemnation from the world — just “thoughts, prayers, and deep concern.”
In your view, did Ukraine do anything that could be perceived as provoking Russia, or was the full-scale invasion entirely unprovoked?
Ukraine was attacked. There wasn’t any direct provocation. The Russians tried to manufacture a few incidents in Luhansk Oblast by attacking a school and other areas, but anyone with two neurons could see what was happening.
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Do you think Ukraine was prepared for the scale of the war that broke out in 2022?
To an extent, but I don’t think any country would ever be fully prepared for this scale of war, especially in 2022.
How do ordinary Ukrainians you’ve met view their own Armed Forces? Has that perception changed since the early stages of the war?
Every ordinary Ukrainian I’ve met, both in Ukraine and in the U.S., is very thankful for the armed forces.
I’ve gotten free coffees for being in the MM14 uniform. People helped me get thermal underwear in 2022 when I couldn’t find it. Because I’m known as “Cat-Steve,” people even sent me cat food for the cats I took care of.
The gratitude Ukrainians have shown me was overwhelming. I don’t think that has changed with the general population since the start of the new invasion.
As someone who’s worked on the ground, what have you personally witnessed Russian forces doing in occupied areas?
Complete destruction of anything Ukrainian. The land, the language, the people — everything that isn’t Russian.
They apparently had a torture chamber at a prison in Kherson Oblast that I visited. They’ve executed civilians and turned Kherson and Donbas into a human safari. Even when there aren’t destroyed homes, schools, or hospitals, the Russians still find ways to make people suffer.
From everything you’ve seen, what do you think needs to happen — politically, militarily, or diplomatically — for this war to end sooner rather than later?
Europe needs to rise up, build new and better arms factories, and help provide for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
I also feel that some of the leadership should probably be changed to better reflect a Western way of thinking and less of a rigid Soviet style. Even when everything ends, Russia needs to pay for what they’ve done. They need to become a pariah state, ignored and left to rot.
You’ve become known not only for your frontline photography but also for your compassion for animals, especially cats. Can you share the story behind rescuing and evacuating injured or abandoned cats from war zones in Ukraine?
Even on my first trips to Ukraine in 2010, I would feed cats and kittens in the Chornobyl zone.
Once I started going to the ATO zone, I’d do the same with cats if I could. I had a thing where I’d find a kitten and put it in one of the pouches on my armor vest. Tactical kittens, if you will.
In August 2022, I found three kittens at a factory where I was staying with Ukraine’s 59th Brigade. They were basically my children there. I fostered the cats until they got used to people. One was adopted by an office worker, and the other two are still cared for by factory workers.
I even brought a white cat with yellow and blue eyes back to Detroit with me.
Why do you keep coming back to Ukraine? What does this country now mean to you, personally and professionally?
Ukraine at this point is everything to me. It’s one of the most beautiful nations on Earth with amazing people and food. Almost all of my friends are there, and I feel a serious connection to the country.
Professionally, I’ve taken some of my best photos there. Even now I plan on returning, despite people telling me not to. I have a sense of duty to help the people and animals I love there.