The Reel Review
In this pulse pounding follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2023 documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, photojournalist Mstyslav Chernov is embedded with Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade during a grueling 2023 counteroffensive to recapture the decimated town of Andriivka in Eastern Ukraine from its Russian occupiers.
From the very first scene, 2000 Meters to Andriivka captures the disorienting nature of battlefield chaos, as Ukrainian soldiers come under attack from Russian forces. With bodies strewn about, the battlefield, a thin stretch of trench-filled forest sandwiched between agricultural fields mined by the Russians, looks like a surreal throwback from World War I – the only difference being the ever-present drones which both sides use for modern warfare surveillance and coordinated airstrikes.
Chernov incorporates his footage of the battle with overhead drone shots and helmet-cam video from the Ukrainian soldiers. His introduction of various soldiers, matter-of-factly describing when and how each would later die, is chilling. The funeral of one soldier, whom we see just minutes before his death, is heartbreaking. 2000 Meters to Andriivka is one of the most important films of 2025 for anyone interested in the Ukraine war.
REEL FACTS
• As of the end of 2025, Russian troops occupy almost 20% of Ukraine, including Andriivka, which prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion had a population of 32,000. As of 2024, the population was less than 1,000.
• Mstyslav Chernov was born in 1985 in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, which is under frequent bombardment by Russian forces.
• 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Ukraine’s Oscar entry for Best International Film, was recently shortlisted in the Best Documentary Film category.
Video & Photo
