An exhibition on humanitarian missions under fire has opened in downtown Odesa

On September 15, an outdoor exhibition and installation titled “The Humanitarian System Under Attack” opened on Deribasovskaya Street in Odesa, across from the City Garden. The exhibition highlights the work of humanitarian teams during evacuations and Russian attacks.

An Intent photojournalist attended the opening.

The exhibition was created using photographs, testimonies, and materials collected by teams from the “Proliska” humanitarian mission during civilian evacuations and while working in areas targeted by Russian shelling. It tells the stories of people who continue to provide aid near the front lines, despite the constant threat to their own lives.

114 attacks and injured colleagues

Yevhen Kaplin, head of the “Proliska” humanitarian mission, said that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the team has suffered 114 attacks on its staff while providing aid, as well as on its offices and warehouses.

“Odessa is the seventh city where we’re presenting the exhibition-installation ‘The Humanitarian System Under Attack,’ featuring photographs and our equipment that was damaged during these attacks. People died in this vehicle during the evacuation,"Kaplin said.

PHOTO: Intent

According to him, there have been no fatalities among mission staff so far, but about 25 people have suffered injuries and concussions during various attacks.

A colleague in Dobropillia sustained the most severe injuries on March 8, when Russia launched a second strike with an“Iskander-M” ballistic missile 20 minutes after emergency services arrived. He lost a lot of blood, lost a kidney, and sustained multiple lung injuries, but doctors managed to save his life.

Markings Do Not Protect Against Attacks

According to Kaplin, the exhibition aims to show the conditions under which humanitarian workers operate. The exhibition features photographs, testimonies, and a vehicle that was struck during an evacuation.

The head of the mission emphasized that humanitarian markings do not always protect civilian vehicles and aid workers from attacks. Some of the materials are supplemented by video footage which, he said, demonstrates the circumstances of the attacks.

PHOTO: Intent

“Unfortunately, despite all the humanitarian markings, Russia is carrying out targeted strikes against humanitarian operators and humanitarian missions, and is destroying our warehouses, our offices, and our equipment,” he noted.

He added that in one of the videos, a drone operator saw a civilian car and people being evacuated, but the vehicle was struck nonetheless—the people inside the car were killed.

Where the photos were taken

The photographs for the exhibition were taken by “Proliska” staff members themselves during evacuations and while working at sites under shelling. They document events in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions—specifically in Kharkiv, Druzhkivka, along the route to Kostiantynivka, and in the Zyum direction.

The authors wanted to show not only the consequences of the attacks but also the danger that workers face while providing routine assistance to people.

A Film About Kostiantynivka

As part of the project, the documentary “Kostiantynivka. Under Siege and on the Brink”—a chronicle of real evacuation missions in this frontline city. Without staged scenes or a narrator’s voice, the film depicts the work of a humanitarian team amid shelling and drone attacks.

The exhibition will run in Odesa through September 19.

Ірина Глухова