Tragic photos of the aftermath of Russia's massive combined strike on Kyiv on the night of April 24 have caused outrage among former MP Iryna Podoliak and Ukrainian director Iryna Tsilyk.
"Apostrophe" will tell you more about this later.
Former People's Deputy Iryna Podoliak wrote on Facebook:
"I wouldn't want my naked, bloody, mutilated, and possibly already dead body to be seen in photos on social media when it arrives. Even if these photos are taken by an Oscar winner. And I understand that Yevhen Maloletka doesn't care. And I understand that we don't feel comfortable naming names, but I don't care either, because it's just as hopeless and without any compassion as with Trump and Putin, because it's not the first time..."
She responded to a post with photos that Ukrainian photojournalist Yevhen Maloletka published on his Facebook page. The pictures show the consequences of the Russian attack - destroyed objects, injured and dead. The photos were published without editing and without blurring faces.
Ukrainian director Iryna Tsilyk also commented on the photojournalist's photos:
"I just saw another post, and I wanted to write the same thing word for word. I sleep almost completely naked, I can't sleep with my clothes on, I don't care. So, if someone flies into my house and my naked, bloody body is pulled out from under the rubble, I wouldn't want Maloletka or any other celebrity photographer to take pictures of me at that moment. I understand that they won't hear my words. And I can't forbid them anything. But there are some very subtle things... Something about respect for human dignity, privacy, etc."
He points out that sometimes the boundaries of making such decisions are very blurred : "To film? Not to film? To show others? Or not? Who decides which of the frames, where you can recognize a specific person at the moment of their greatest vulnerability, are suitable for publicity, and which are "too much"? But shouldn't the heart at least tell you something, right? This is someone's son or daughter. Father or mother. A work colleague. And so on. Would you like your loved one, who could not say "no" to the photographer during the shooting, to be shown to the whole world in exactly THIS way?"
Finally, she noted that in a pinch, you can always at least blur the face.
Additionally, we note that Yevhen Maloletka gained wide popularity with a photo reportage about the blockade of Mariupol during Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, winner of the 2022 Knight International Journalism Awards from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine (2024).
Recall that on the night of Thursday, April 24, Russia carried out a massive combined attack on 9 regions of Ukraine. Kyiv suffered the most - there are known deaths and injuries.