Iron People

Over 200,000 railway workers are responsible for roughly 20,000 kilometers of railway tracks in Ukraine. Despite the constant danger from Russian attacks, they have kept the network largely operational during the war. Their work has saved countless lives and has been of vital importance for Ukraine’s ability to withstand Putin’s invasion. Photojournalist Jelle Krings spent 3.5 years embedded with Ukraine's railway workers and their families to document their plight. This is the story of the war in Ukraine, from the perspective of its railway workers.