Russia Ukraine war: 25 most astonishing photos from horror of year-long conflict

Friday marks one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Moscow’s troops to step on Ukrainian soil – setting off 365 days of horror that killed tens of thousands and reduced cities to ruins

For Russia, it’s been a year of fruitless charges and bombardments, humiliating retreats and grinding sieges.

Ukraine has countered with fierce resistance, surprising counteroffensives and unexpected hit-and-run strikes.

Now, on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion that has killed 10s of thousands and reduced cities to ruins, both sides are preparing for a potentially even more disastrous phase that lies ahead.

After the invasion was announced a year ago, journalists and photographers boarded planes and drove across borders to capture each moment – highly charged with horror and beauty – in all their visceral detail.

Footage of bullets and bombs ripping through apartment blocks, slaughtered civilians, and mothers weeping over the caskets of their fallen sons have been beamed across the world since February, uniting huge portions of the world in condemnation of Putin and his war machine.

Below are 25 of the most profound pictures from a year of vicious conflict…