A documentary made by Kyiv Independent follows a group of Ukrainian military medics from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat.

The project was outlined in an INMA ideas blog by deputy chief editor Toma Istomina.

The one-hour documentary, ‘Can You Hear Me? The invisible battles of Ukrainian military medics’, premiered in December. Journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko had accompanied the medics, and provided an up-close look at the toll the war had taken on them.

“Witnessing an endless conveyor belt of severe injuries and deaths since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has taken a heavy toll on the medics’ mental health,” says Istomina (pictured). “Although crucial to address, the issue of their psychological well-being is rarely talked about and often overlooked, leaving them alone in this invisible battle.

“Finding themselves in a peaceful, quiet environment in Sweden for the first time since 2022, the medics had a chance to process the accumulated trauma, opening up about losing brothers-in-arms, surviving Russian captivity, and the inescapable feeling of guilt for not being able to save some of the soldiers they treated.”

Watching the film isn’t always easy, the journalists acknowledged, but it is important. Farrell said observing the war from afar in its third year, it could be easy to get desensitised to the everyday horrors.

“Our film isn’t pleasant to watch,” Farrel said, “but we want to present the human cost of our freedom head-on. But first and foremost, this is about people. Ordinary Ukrainians whose inner battles embody the struggle of the country as a whole: as hard as things get, there is no alternative to continuing, but to do so, we need help.”

The documentary took more than nine months to produce and involved multiple trips to the front line in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia blasts, as well as a ten-day visit to Sweden.

The retreats were organised by Repower NGO, which hand-picks groups of medics for mental health retreats in Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. Since the organisation’s founding in 2023, 755 military medics have participated in the programme.

Zashko said making a film where one of the themes is the mental state of soldiers was a challenge. “In this case, so much depends on the people you are filming, and that makes it even more difficult. My immense gratitude goes to our heroes for letting us into their lives and sharing such intimate things. Without their authenticity, this film wouldn’t have been possible.”

To develop the documentary, the journalists worked closely with Repower, and Maryna Sadykova, head and co-founder of the organisation, said the film makes an important statement about the challenges facing medics.

“Our mission is to prevent serious psychological trauma, support medics in restoring their sense of purpose, and help them replenish their internal resources to continue their service,” she explained.

“Without proper psychological support, we risk losing those who save lives on the front lines.”

Sadykova said the Kyiv Independent documentary highlighted those who are often overlooked. “We cannot allow their invisible wounds to go unnoticed. Supporting their mental health is not only a step toward victory, but also toward allowing them to continue their lives with renewed strength, motivation, and hope for a better future.”

The Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s leading English-language media outlet and was founded in November 2021 by former Kyiv Post journalists and the Jnomics media consulting company. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Independent has become a leading source of news about Ukraine for millions of people around the world. It operates as an independent media organisation and relies mainly on donations from readers for funding.

After its Kyiv premiere, the film was screened in nine European capitals – Warsaw, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius – and is now available on the Kyiv Independent’s YouTube channel.