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Spetsialna Operatsiia

Special Operation
Forum Expanded 2025
© Oleksiy Radynski
When Russian troops occupied Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on February 24, 2022, in the very first hours of their all-out invasion of Ukraine, their activities were documented by CCTV cameras. They turned the territory of the nuclear power plant into a military base in an attempt to occupy the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, located just a hundred miles away. Most of their criminal activities during the five weeks they were stuck at the radioactive site were captured by the nuclear plant’s CCTV system.
Based on that footage, recorded at the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history, Spetsialna Operatsiia creates an almost disembodied examination of military logic. Each shot of this film is a piece of evidence representing a war crime of nuclear terror.
by Oleksiy Radynski (Director, Screenplay) Ukraine / Lithuania 2025 Ukrainian, Russian 65' Colour & Black/White World premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Director Oleksiy Radynski
Screenplay Oleksiy Radynski
Editing Taras Spivak
Sound Design Vladimir Golovnitski
Producer Lyuba Knorozok
Co-Producer Jurga Kaye

Kinotron Group

Studija Kinema

Photos

Oleksiy Radynski

© Anastasia Mantach

Oleksiy Radynski is a filmmaker and writer based in Kyiv. His films experiment with documentary forms and the practices of political cinema. They have been screened at film festivals and exhibitions worldwide such as International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Taipei Biennial, Sheffield Doc Fest, DOK Leipzig. His film Chornobyl 22 (2023) won the Grand Prix at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival.

Filmography

2013 Incident in the Museum 2014 Integration 2015 People Who Came to Power; with Tomas Rafa, 17 min 2016 Landslide 2017 The Film of Kyiv. Episode One 2019 Facade Colour: Blue 2020 Сirculation 2022 Infinity According to Florian 2023 Chornobyl 22 2024 Where Russia Ends 2025 Spetsialna Operatsiia

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025