Kathrine Frich
His footage became key evidence in international war crime investigations.
His footage became key evidence in international war crime investigations.
The Civilian Who Risked Everything to Expose War Crimes
In Bucha, Ukraine, 35-year-old Volodymyr Lisovskyi didn’t just survive the Russian invasion, he secretly documented it.
As Russian troops executed civilians outside his window, he risked his life to record one of the war’s most shocking atrocities.
Filming Death Through a Window
With his street under occupation and phones confiscated by Russian soldiers, Lisovskyi hid a second handset, still in its box.
Peeking from a bedroom window, he captured damning scenes of mass executions, including the moment a civilian was shot in the back of the head without provocation.
“They Didn’t Come to Occupy. They Came to Kill.”
Lisovskyi watched as any illusion of rules vanished. Russian troops carried out indiscriminate attacks, tore through homes, and began mass shootings.
His Ukrainian tattoos made him fear he’d be targeted. “It became clear they had come simply to kill,” he said.
Tortured, Beaten, Left for Dead
Russian forces eventually dragged him to the woods, where they tortured and beat him.
They simulated his execution, fired rifles beside his head, and left him with injuries to his legs and face.
“They did it for entertainment,” he said. Remarkably, he survived and crawled back to his home.
A Silent Flag, A Loud Symbol of Hope
From his home, he saw a building still flying the Ukrainian flag. “They didn’t tear it down,” he said.
For Lisovskyi, that simple image became a symbol of resistance. “It seemed to me that maybe it was a symbol that in the future, there was hope.”
His Garage, His War, His Message
Before the war, he was an entrepreneur running a Harley-Davidson repair shop.
When Russians occupied it, he used his knowledge of the area to help Ukrainian forces target it, sacrificing years of work to aid the resistance.
“It was a sad end,” he admitted, “but necessary.”
From Basement to Battlefield
After liberation, Lisovskyi was hospitalized. But as soon as he could walk, he enlisted in the Ukrainian army.
“Why did I go to fight? Because there was a feeling of such hatred and anger. I wanted revenge.” Speaking after a stint on the front line, his resolve hadn’t waned.
Fighting Propaganda With Proof
Since testifying, he’s watched Russia spread lies about the massacre.
“When international law enforcement started to investigate, the misinformation started,” he said.
But thanks to witnesses like him, Bucha became a turning point in the world’s understanding of Russia’s crimes.