A landmark of combat journalism, ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’ is a pummeling dispatch from Ukraine’s frontline

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It’s clear from recent news headlines that small technologies like drones have significantly altered the dynamics of warfare, particularly impacting Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to resist Russia. Interestingly, these advancements have also revolutionized the way wars are documented. For instance, Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov has demonstrated exceptional skill in capturing close-up, swift footage of such conflicts.

The Associated Press correspondent’s subsequent work, following his harrowing and award-winning “20 Days in Mariupol” that depicted the initial weeks of Russia’s invasion within a city under siege, offers another profound viewpoint on his nation’s destruction, but this time it comes directly from the battlefields of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive. More specifically, it focuses on one brigade’s harrowing journey to liberate a town occupied by Russia. With its breathtaking intimacy, thanks to helmet-cams, drones, and the bond between citizen soldier and hometown journalist, “2000 Meters to Andriivka” is an unprecedented account of war that stands alone.

Immediately, Chernov takes us into the disorder of war using footage from a Ukrainian soldier named Piro’s bodycam. The perspective is that of a dugout, showing how tranquility filled with laughter and cigarettes can be replaced by gunfire, screams, and explosions in an instant. The retreat is abandoned when their armored vehicle gets stuck. During the chaos that follows, fellow soldiers are injured, and one can hear a somber, “That’s it for me.” At this point, the scene seems less like one from a trench and more like a grave.

It’s not surprising that Chernov’s narrative has taken on a more somber tone. His initial fear from “Mariupol” has been supplanted by a fatigue born of facts. Alongside AP colleague Alex Babenko, he finds himself embedded with a battalion making a one-mile advance to recapture the town of Andriivka close to a Russian stronghold. Yet, their path is a narrow strip of forest concealing Russians in trenches, flanked on either side by open minefields.

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AP journalists found themselves recording the siege of Mariupol, Ukraine, only to discover their names appeared on a Russian list.

Furthermore, it appears that the term “forest” may be somewhat misleading: The twisted and denuded trees appear more akin to remnants of a desolate landscape rather than a lush battleground. These trees have undoubtedly witnessed a great deal of devastation and, by the conclusion of the film, will bear witness to even more destruction. Chernov informs us that one soldier described their unrecognizable homeland as similar to “landing on an alien planet where everything is out to get you.

The initial-perspective videos show the team moving forward, filled with rapid gunfire, shouts, and an intense feeling that every footstep will be a struggle towards hoisting the Ukrainian flag in Andriivka. From the drone angles, it’s clear that the place has already been severely damaged. (The movie is divided into sections to signify meters gained.) “I joined to fight, not to follow orders,” declares their leader, a tough-as-nails commander named Fedya who was once a warehouse worker and manages to return to duty after being evacuated for medical treatment following a shooting incident.

Even during prolonged periods of waiting in foxholes, when the only visible smoke was from a cigarette, Chernov’s kind, unseen questions to Fedya’s companions (ranging from the very young to a 40-something new grandfather) brought out heartwarming optimism about resuming everyday life: taking showers, going back to work, friendly banter over trivial matters, the opportunity to smoke less, fixing a leaky toilet at home, rebuilding. However, Chernov’s voiceover then added a painful insight into the future: which of these individuals would perish in subsequent battles or might never be found. This is truly heart-rending.

2000 Meters in Andriivka is unlike any other war documentary, capturing the intense yet monotonous moments of war through a blend of aerial and underground perspectives, making it feel like a dystopian tale. The film underscores the brutal reality of war without sugarcoating anything, as exemplified by the exchange between a Ukrainian soldier and a captured Russian soldier questioning each other’s presence in the conflict.

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2025-08-01 22:01