Photos show Ukrainian war veterans as they find healing and hope under the stage lights

By Canadian Press on February 20, 2026.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — War veterans living with severe injuries from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have taken the stage in Kyiv, transforming personal trauma into powerful storytelling through an adaptation of “Eneida” by Ivan Kotliarevskyi, a Ukrainian reimagining of Virgil’s “Aeneid.” Directed by Olha Semioshkina, the amateur troupe spent nearly a year preparing for its premiere at the Kyiv National Academic Molodyy Theatre. The production blends epic poetry with humor, resilience and firsthand wartime experiences.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Efrem Lukatsky, The Associated Press