At the 96th Academy Award ceremony in Los Angeles, the film 20 Days in Mariupol by Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov made history by winning the nomination for Best Documentary Film.

This marks the first time in history that a Ukrainian film has received an Oscar.

"I wish I had never made this movie. I would trade this statue for Russia to never enter our cities, to kill tens of thousands of our citizens... We must do everything together to end this war. This is a reminder to the world of how necessary it is to stop this invasion," stated the director emotionally.

He further added “I am standing here, but my heart is in Ukraine. 

People are losing their lives, losing their homes, fighting for their land. I hope this win will bring more awareness to the ongoing situation and inspire action," he added.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with the conflict still in progress.