I have been covering Ukraine since 2014-15, that is, since the beginning of the war, a period during which I had access to both sides, the Ukrainian side and the pro-Russian separatists. In this case, I had been in Donetsk since February 17 because I sensed that the movement of Russian troops would lead to something bigger, and in that case it would start from the Donbas. After a week there was the announcement about the annexation of the two republics, and the next day Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory and began the so-called special military operation. At first it was very complex to follow the operations on the ground, I stayed in Donbas approximately three months following the whole campaign of the 2 Russians' conquest of the city of Mariupol, until the parade on May

9, the anniversary of the day of victory over the Nazis in World War II, celebrated in the newly conquered city.

Following certain subjects, it is normal to come across stories of suffering and hardship, for which you very often feel helpless. Several times I have found myself in the situation of feeling uncomfortable photographing certain subjects, such as fathers holding up their children who died during a bombing. The only plausible explanation is that it is my duty to tell about this suffering, always trying to respect those in front of me. In Mariupol for example, many civilians asked me if they could contact their family members to let them know that they were still alive; my mixer and I spent a lot of time notifying people we did not know simply because we felt obligated to help them. It is difficult for those in a war to remain human.

The war in Ukraine besides being a war on the ground is mostly a war of disinformation. A 360-degree

propaganda is perpetrated on both sides, in which it is difficult to disentangle what is true and what is not. In my case, being on the side considered the "enemy" and despite being for all intents and purposes recognized as neutral, I initially encountered many difficulties in

finding publication space in Western media. In addition to the difficulties of fieldwork in a conflict zone, there was also the difficulty encountered in disseminating certain images; I

have always tried to move independently where possible, relying on the army in the field only in situations of extreme necessity, such as in the frontline, where it would otherwise be impossible to get close.

Documentary photography and photojournalism are about reporting objective facts. Nevertheless, in

Photography there is nothing objective as it is all dispensable to the subjectivity of the photographer; there is always a human being behind the camera. For an image to be good it must show empathy, describe the situation, and have a good aesthetic related to the narrative that can make it usable and understandable to as wide an audience as possible.

Today that, especially with the advent of social media, the media world is also seeing more and more prominence from "insiders," I think photography maintains a minimum distance necessary by letting the user interpret it without being conditioned by it. Unfortunately, many times we see very crude images, but I think it's right to show reality without filters even when it may bother.

Without a doubt, first I would choose Caravaggio. Then Socrates, James Brown, H.R Giger, Robert Capa, and Ernest Hemingway. And finally, Margaret Bourke-White, Oriana Fallaci and Diego Armando Maradona.