Blinded by War: documenting the aftermath of injury in Ukraine – photo essay

Since 2025, Paula Bronstein has been photographing wounded Ukrainian servicemen as they learn to live with the loss of sight, hearing and limbsFor more than four decades, the US photojournalist Paula Bronstein has travelled to places overlooked by the wider world, including countries scarred by war, such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.Bronstein says her life’s mission has been to “bear witness to critical moments” and to “create images that evoke true empathy in others”.At a workshop in Lviv for blind veterans, Ivan Rozuman receives instruction from a mobility trainer as he learns to navigate the streets. Rozuman joined the military before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He says he has been wounded twice and undergone more than 50 operations. So much shrapnel remains lodged in his body, he says, that he has lost count. He was first injured during a Kharkiv offensive in 2022 while serving with the 25th Brigade. Ivan lost his sight and has hearing loss. After leaving military service, he was caught in an explosion near his home in in Zaporizhzhia and almost died. Continue reading...