"2000 meters to Andriivka": Stunning screening in Israel

The screening of a recent film by director Mstyslav Chernov, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, was organized on 31 August 2026 by the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel and the "Created in Ukraine" initiative. The screening served as the keynote event celebrating the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. The documentary stunned the Israeli audience with its raw authenticity and footage captured directly from the frontlines of the grueling war waged by the people of Ukraine against the aggressor.

Prior to the screening, an official reception was held at the Cultural Center in Jaffa, attended by members of Israel's pro-Ukrainian community and diplomats from numerous European nations. Yevgen Korniychuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Israel, called on the Israeli side to join efforts in countering shared enemies and common threats.

"For four and a half years now, the aggressor state has launched attacks against Ukraine. Missiles and drones continue to strike cities, residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, and the Ukrainian population. However, this year, Ukraine has managed to turn the tide and bring the war back to Russian territory, striking Russian strategic facilities far away from the battlefield," Korniychuk said. He thanked Israel's leadership and citizens for their unwavering support of Ukraine.

Zeev Elkin, a minister in the Ministry of Finance of the State of Israel and a native of Kharkiv, addressed the audience in Ukrainian, noting that, as a government official responsible for rehabilitating Israel's war-torn and missile-damaged regions, he has a deep understanding of Ukraine's struggles and the challenges facing its people. Elkin wished Ukraine a swift peace and prosperity.

Yuval Fuchs, Deputy Director General at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated Ukraine on its Independence Day, sharing a personal story about how his parents came to Israel from Lviv.

The event organizers announced that 2000 Meters to Andriivka had been submitted by Ukraine for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards and had won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing.

I watched this film, and its authenticity exceeded anything I had ever seen before. This was achieved by mounting the cameras directly on the helmets of AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) soldiers. Thus, all the nearby explosions, the clods of dirt flying upward, the gunshots, the screams of the wounded, and the bandaging of bleeding wounds—all of this created an effect of the viewer's immediate presence in a smoking trench or on a field under heavy fire.

Nearly all the AFU soldiers shown in the film were killed either during the battles for Andriivka or in the aftermath.

"When people die right before your eyes, and you realize that this is actual documentary footage, the air leaves your lungs. And you feel pure rage. Andriivka. A flag raised on ruins. A tree line soaked in blood. Every single inch of Ukrainian land is drenched in blood," wrote Anna Zharova, co-founder of the non-profit organization "Israeli Friends of Ukraine," sharing her impressions of the film.

2000 Meters to Andriivka is a documentary chronicle of the terrifying price paid in human lives for just two kilometers of Ukrainian soil. Screenings of such films open the eyes of many foreigners to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, evoking not only deep empathy but also immense respect for the people of Ukraine, who are suffering yet continue to fight and defend their freedom and dignity despite all hardships.

A video recording of Minister Zeev Elkin's speech in Ukrainian in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day is available here:

Text, photos, and video: Shimon Briman (Israel)
Translated from the Ukrainian by Vasyl Starko.