Ukraine's first Oscar hailed as reminder of war's horrors as Russian drones strike buildings

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine awoke Monday to a different day of struggle — Russian drones blasted buildings within the Kharkiv and Odesa areas — but additionally the information it had gained its first Oscar.

The perfect documentary victory for Mstyslav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol,” a harrowing first-person account by The Related Press journalist of the early days of Russia’s invasion in 2022, was bittersweet.

“That is the primary Oscar in Ukrainian historical past, and I’m honored,” an emotional Chernov stated Sunday on the Academy Awards. “In all probability I would be the first director on this stage to say I want I’d by no means made this movie, I want to have the ability to trade this to Russia by no means attacking Ukraine.”

Again residence in his native Ukraine, the award was applauded for exposing the brutal devastation of the struggle and the message Chernov had despatched to the world from one of many greatest phases.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the award as “necessary for our complete nation” and stated he was grateful to the staff and thanked journalists internationally nonetheless masking the struggle regardless of a lower of consideration because it has dragged into its third 12 months and as a lot of the world’s focus has turned to Israel’s struggle in opposition to Hamas.

“The horrors of Mariupol mustn’t ever be forgotten,” he stated on social media. “The whole world should see and bear in mind what the inhumane Russian invasion dropped at our individuals. Cities and villages had been destroyed, houses had been burned, and full households had been killed by Russian shells and buried in their very own backyards.”

The AP staff of Chernov, photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko arrived an hour earlier than Russia started bombing the port metropolis. Two weeks later, they had been the final journalists working for a world outlet within the metropolis, sending essential dispatches to the surface world displaying civilian casualties of all ages, the digging of mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital and the sheer extent of the devastation.

The Oscar — and nomination — was a primary for each Chernov, an AP video journalist, and the 178-year-old information group. The documentary was a joint manufacturing of AP and PBS’ “Frontline.” It was the primary win for “Frontline” after two earlier nominations.

Statuettes had been awarded to Chernov, producer and editor Michelle Mizner and producer Raney Aronson-Rath. AP Vice President Derl McCrudden can be a credited producer on the movie and was amongst these onstage to just accept the award.

Police officer Volodymyr Nikulin, who’s featured prominently within the movie as he helped the crew cowl the story and finally escape Mariupol as Russian forces closed in, stated he was completely satisfied the film had gained the celebrated award.

Nikulin, who was later injured serving to victims of a Russian assault on Pokrovsk within the Donetsk area, ferried the crew round Mariupol in a determined try to assist them discover a place the place they may transmit their footage as a result of he stated it was very important the world may see what was taking place. He stated the movie served as an necessary reminder of “essentially the most tough time for our nation.”

“Proper now, we could also be going through a equally difficult second,” he informed AP in Kyiv on Monday.

“However this movie has proven that we will defend our nation, that we’re united. And at the moment, if the world sees that we’re combating, the crimes the aggressor is committing in our nation, the way it destroys our cities, I consider that the world will help our efforts within the struggle, and this will likely be decisive at the moment.”

Ukraine’s human rights chief Dmytro Lubinets praised the documentary for displaying “the reality to the entire world.”

“This awards ceremony is a chance to handle thousands and thousands of individuals. That is what the movie director did by mentioning the occupation, prisoners of struggle, killing of Ukrainians by Russia, and unlawful abduction of civilians,” he wrote on Telegram.

The award, one in all many the documentary has garnered together with the Pulitzer Prize, comes as Ukraine’s forces and ammunition are depleted and Russian troops are attempting to push deeper into the Ukraine-held western a part of the Donetsk area and penetrate the Kharkiv area to the north.

Drone assaults in a single day broken two multistory buildings, a lodge and a municipal constructing within the japanese metropolis of Kharkiv, stated regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. No casualties had been reported.

An infrastructure facility within the Odesa area was destroyed and home windows had been shattered, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper stated.

The award marks the second consecutive Oscar documentary awarded for a movie that has shone a harsh mild on Russia.

Final 12 months, “Navalny,” about Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny who died simply final month in jail, gained greatest documentary.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday refused to touch upon “20 Days in Mariupol,” saying it wasn’t the Kremlin’s prerogative.

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Navalny, congratulated the Mariupol staff on “their really deserving and necessary Oscar victory.”

Belarusian opposition chief in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya despatched “heartfelt congratulations” to Chernov, thanking him on X for “displaying us that the reality is at all times stronger than lies.”

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Related Press author Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia contributed to this report.

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Observe AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine