(NewsNation) — An Ukrainian American photographer is documenting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sharing the unspoken heroes of the war, focusing in on the faces behind Ukraine’s lifeline: the railway system.
Sasha Maslov is sharing the stories of those keeping the trains moving and keeping the people on them safe. Maslov said the photos are resonating around the world because of the strength of the workers.
“None of them consider themselves brave. Everybody just considers them at doing their job remaining at their position,” Maslov said on “Morning in America.”
This comes as fighting continues, stretching into its third month. Russian forces struck deep into Ukraine Monday, targeting infrastructure far from the front lines, according to Ukrainian and Russian reports.
In a series of new strikes on Ukraine’s railways, a Russian missile hit one facility near Krasne, outside the western city of Lviv, early Monday, sparking a fire, the region’s governor said. A total of five railway facilities in central and western Ukraine were hit by Russian strikes, said Oleksandr Kamyshin, the head of the state-run Ukrainian Railways.
Despite the fighting and turmoil, Maslov said the workers feel a sense of duty to stay.
“It’s the feeling that we’re here doing our jobs, and we’re gonna stay and do it until we don’t have to,” Maslov said. “There was one steward on a sleeper train that started her shift on the 24th of February and remained in her position when I interviewed her in the end of March about 30 days in without leaving her post. And that’s a story for a lot of people who are working in railroads because railroads are critical infrastructure to evacuate people and to deliver goods.”
You can watch Maslov’s full interview in the player above. This interview was edited for clarity and length.