In 2000 Meters to Andriivka, journalists Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko follow the Ukrainian platoon as they attempt to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka in 2023.

Located in the east of the country, the tiny area of Andriivka was taken over in November 2022 by the Russian military as part of its invasion of Ukraine and advancement through the Donetsk Oblast, a region of Ukraine that borders Russia and is one of the country’s most populated areas.

With the help of the 3rd Assault Brigade, Chernov and Babenko follow the Ukrainian platoon’s efforts via body-cam footage of soldiers directly in combat – in the process capturing real-time footage of life on the front line, aerial attacks, and the devastation created.

What resulted was a battle that ultimately destroyed the mining village as both sides claimed and then lost control of the area.

The film is produced and directed by Chernov, who was also the creator of Academy Award winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol.

First launching at Sundance Film Festival in 2025, the film has been widely praised for its first-person perspective of the war.

It has earned a 94% score on RottenTomatoes by critics, and a 91% score by viewers.

Evening Standard said in their review: “it’s probably the most powerful film that will be seen in cinemas this year, and for that reason alone is absolutely essential viewing.”

The Guardian later named the film No.2 on its list of Best Movies of 2025, stating: “It is astonishing film-making – as a document of 2020s warfare, as a record of what actually happened, as a memorial to who and what was lost, as a testament to the courage of Ukrainian resistance and the senselessness of this fight in the first place.”

Mstyslav Chernov is a Ukrainian filmmaker, journalist and war correspondent who has become best known for his unflinching coverage of global wars and crises – particularly in Ukraine.

Starting his career in 2005 as a photographer, Chernov initially focused on fine arts. His work would also cross over to capturing humanitarian efforts, photographing cardiac surgeries for Chernobyl Children International, the Novick Cardiac Alliance in 2008, and four years later, health care in Cambodia.

While his projects, both artistic and journalistic, were already winning him awards – he would ultimately shift into war reporting after bearing witness to the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2013.

Later that year, he was injured while capturing the Euromaidan mass protests in Ukraine while working for MediaPort and Unframe, caused by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to back out of signing the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, despite parliament approving it. Instead, Yanukovych opted to create closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union.

In the months that followed, Chernov was injured, attacked and had his press credentials and photography equipment destroyed by police who supported Yanukovych. In January 2014, his legs and eyes were badly injured by a policeman who threw a stun grenade at him.

By February 2014, the Ukrainian protests turned into what became known as the Revolution of Dignity. Russia later invaded Ukraine and captured Crimea, annexing it from the country. At this point Chernov would begin working closely with international news agency Associated Press, both as a translator and photographer.

Through his work he captured the Revolution of Dignity, and the War on Donbas throughout 2014. He was also the first journalist to share video footage of the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 – a passenger plane on route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it was shot down by Russian forces while flying over Ukraine in July 2014.

In the years that followed, Chernov went on to photograph the war in Syria, the Battle of Mosul in Iraq, the 2015 European Migrant crisis and the effects of the 2020 Covid pandemic in Ukraine, with his work being used worldwide by all large media outlets.

In August 2020, he covered the Belarusian presidential elections, as well as the protests that came immediately after Lukashenko was announced as the winner. During his efforts, he captured the moment protester Oleksandr Taraikovsky was killed by special forces at point-blank range, despite officials claiming he died after an ‘explosive device he aimed to throw at law enforcement went off in his hand’. Chernov would later be deported for sharing the footage.

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Chernov worked in Mariupol, a city based in the Donetsk Oblast which was under siege by Russian troops. Working alongside fellow journalists Evgeniy Maloletka and Vasilisa Stepanenko, their coverage received the Knight International Journalism Award.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service following his on-the-ground coverage of the Siege of Mariupol, which occurred in 2022.

Footage captured during that time from the team was eventually used in 20 Days in Mariupol, Chernov’s first feature film which was released in 2023.

2000 Meters to Andriivka has been widely praised by critics across film festivals and during awards season.

Upon its release at Sundance Film Festival in February 2025, the film was awarded the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary from the festival board. It was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the World Documentary Competition.

It’s since gone on to take home a total of 12 wins, with a further 24 nominations across the awards boards.

In January 2026, it was announced the film was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Documentary – winners will be announced in February.

2000 Meters to Andriivka is available to watch from Thursday 12 February on Sky Documentaries.

It is also available on streaming service NOW and via our portable service Sky Go.

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