In the early morning hours of Thursday, Feb. 24, Russia began a coordinated invasion into Ukraine. First, it was airstrikes — rockets raining down on all the country’s major cities — later, the ground troops began to move in. Many Ukrainians hadn’t believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would actually start this war, and hadn’t evacuated. Many tried to escape into Poland and nearby countries, jamming up major highways. Others have been forced to hide in bomb shelters, witnessing their homeland’s destruction around them.
As for the Ukrainians who weren’t in the country, they are forced to watch from afar as the tanks roll in. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ukraine-born photographer Yana Yatsuk — who emigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1997, when she was four years old — details how she’s grappling with the feelings of guilt and uncertainty as she…
