The War Artist

A novel about Europe's forgotten war in Ukraine. Anton Nedelkov is a miner who dreams of becoming an artist. When masked Russian special forces begin seizing control of government buildings in Donbas in 2014 he does not support them. As Anton's life begins to collapse around him he joins a motley crew of ex-miners and Russian mercenaries to fight against his own country. He comes under fire at Donetsk airport and sees Ukraine's heroic Cyborg troops lay down their lives for freedom. Meanwhile, his brother Sergei, who fled the pit to become a successful programmer in Germany, returns to Ukraine to save Anton … Can the brothers mend a family torn apart by war before one of them is killed?

Maxim Butchenko is a successful journalist and writer who was born in Luhansk and worked in the mines. This book is based on real people who he has seen torn apart by war.