NI photographer caught in Russian ambush in Ukraine

Conall Kearney is a conflict photographer from Belfast

A Belfast conflict photographer has spoken of his experience in a Russian ambush whilst reporting on the war in Ukraine.

Conall Kearney had been commissioned by Ukrainian government funded United24 to join a unit on what was intended to be a simple reconnaissance mission along the frontline.

The attack in May this year lasted 14 hours with Mr Kearney sustaining numerous injuries.

Speaking to BBC News NI, he said he is "lucky to be alive".

'It is like an addiction'

Mr Kearney said he had always been interested in how the story of war and conflict is documented.

His job has seen him travel the world but his first forays into conflict photography were a lot closer to home, documenting "various riots and parades" in Belfast.

He later moved to Berlin and began to cover various protests and riots.

The photographer also reported on the Hong Kong 'Umbrella Revolution', as well as the 2022 Lebanon Election.

"It is like an addiction. You chase this buzz," Mr Kearney said.

"You've still got this genuine interest in the topic, but there is a thrill, especially when a situation is completely crazy and you come out unscathed with great photos.

"It's definitely something you chase too much at times."

Some of the Kayfariki unit following the ambush

Mr Kearney first visited Ukraine in 2018 and said he "instantly fell in love with the country".

When war broke out five years later, he described it as a "no brainer" that he had to go.

"It was a direct train from Berlin to the Ukrainian border; within a week I was on the Russian border."

Mr Kearney was one of last journalists in Bakhmut, a Ukrainian city captured by Russian forces in February 2023.

He saw both the peak of the battle and the Russian military entering the city.

He also witnessed the Russian advance in the Avdiivka region, as well as the siege of Kharkiv.

A member of the Kayfariki unit

In May, Mr Kearney and a colleague joined the Kayfariki unit, a Ukrainian military group made up of left-wing FC Arsenal Kyiv fans.

For safety reasons, he withheld specific details of the location, though confirmed it occurred in the Donbas region.

Unbeknownst to the Ukrainian forces, Russia had identified the unit's location and had planned an attack.

It was not until the early hours of the final day that this plan was put into action.

Mr Kearney said his unit was bombarded for three hours.

"Once this ended, a convoy of tanks drove into our town. All hell broke loose."

This initiated 14 hours of back and forth gunfire, artillery and drones.

A Kayfariki soldier standing just metres from Russian forces

Mr Kearney estimated there were roughly 70 Russian soldiers, compared to the eight Ukrainian fighters.

He recalled that the Russians were so close he could hear them strategising.

Asking the commander what the plan should be, he was met with the response: "Dying is not part of the plan. We’re going to escape, but it’s probably not going to work."

Outnumbered, injured, and quickly running out of ammunition, their situation was untenable.

"I accepted I was dead," said Mr Kearney.

An injured Kayfariki soldier poses for the camera

When he asked how one of the injured soldiers felt, the only reply was: "I don’t feel anything, we’re already dead.

"Everybody was injured," said the photographer. "We could hear the Russians screaming for our blood.

"There was a point where the commander was like 'this is probably it'. When you hear something like that, I think back over my life and think 'I had a good run'."

Two Kayfariki soldiers outside the reconnaissance point

'Beyond a miracle'

"Once night came we just sprinted out the back," said Mr Kearney.

He described how the unit ran three kilometres, facing Russian gunfire the entire time.

"How they didn’t hit any of us is beyond a miracle."

Eventually, the group escaped beyond the reach of the Russian guns and were rescued by Ukrainian troops.

They survived with zero casualties.

"I’m definitely one of the lucky ones," the photographer explained.

A Kayfariki soldiers watches as a building burns

The Belfast man has already been back to Ukraine to catch up with the unit, which is now back on the frontline.

"I met them all. They were in pretty good spirits," he said.

During the ambush, Mr Kearney heard his comrades constantly repeating a phrase he could not understand.

"When it finally got translated, I found out it was that the guys saying 'I love you' to each other."