Photographer seeks solace in poetry after horror of Russian missile attack

On 27 June, a Russian Iskander missile struck a bustling pizza restaurant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.

- Lorenzo Tondo

The attack claimed the lives of 13 people, including four children, and left 60 others wounded, some critically. The restaurant, a popular spot for local residents and international journalists, was at full capacity when the missile hit.

Among those present that day was Anastasia Taylor-Lind, a BritishSwedish poet and photojournalist, along with her translator and friend Dima. They were in Kramatorsk for a project funded by the US National Geographic Society, which involved reporting on the environmental impact of the war in Donbas.

The hypersonic missile struck at 7.32pm. Taylor-Lind recounts hearing it approach and, with a split second to react, preparing to throw herself to the ground, but she only had time to close her eyes before the explosion.