Media Center Ukraine Producer Department

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, ecologist Vladyslav Mykhailenko taught students at Mechnikov Odessa National University. After February 2022, he began searching for ways to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces, a quest that led to the creation of his project, Plastic Saves Lives.

The initiative collects plastic bottle caps, which are then sorted by a team of volunteers to ensure only recyclable material that can be sold is processed. The funds generated from selling the plastic are used to purchase military equipment.

To acquire a single FPV drone, approximately 1.5 tons of caps must be sorted. Since its inception, Plastic Saves Lives has already helped fund an ambulance, two Mavic 3T drones, and three FPV drones.

Anyone can contribute by handing over caps to volunteers in Odesa. Vladyslav Mykhailenko is also available to discuss the project online or in person in Odesa, by prior arrangement.

• ecology
• volunteers
• Odesa

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

An exhibition titled Shot Down… has opened in Kyiv, showcasing fragments of russian aircraft and missiles that attacked Ukrainian cities but were intercepted before reaching their targets.

The collection includes parts of the experimental Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B (“Hunter-B”) stealth combat drone, remains of Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, Gerbera UAVs, downed strategic cruise and tactical guided missiles, a 9M79M ballistic missile from the Tochka-U tactical system, the fuselage of a Su-30SM fighter, a suspended ejection seat, and a parachute from a Su-35S aircraft. Recent additions include an almost intact Shahed, an upgraded Gerbera, and a fragment of a smart bomb.
The Oleg Antonov State Aviation Museum is hosting the exhibition, which is open to journalists for coverage.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

A briefing on November 19 at the Media Center Ukraine will showcase how technology is being used to create more inclusive and barrier-free environments across the country.

Participants:

– Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine;

– Anna Denysenko, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at LUN Real Estate Company;

– Svitlana Hnatiuk, Accessibility Expert at the Barrier-Free NGO;

– Polad Khalilov, Project Manager of the Ukrzaliznytsia’s Barrier-Free Railway Program. 

All in person.

Key topics:

– Accessibility Map statistics from Monitoring-2025: national leaders in the field and plans for the next phase;

– What sets the map-based monitoring apart, and the new opportunities it creates for government officials and everyday users;

– How communities, businesses, and civil society groups can apply the findings to inform decision-making

For reference: More than 70,000 sites have been added to the interactive Accessibility Map following a nationwide assessment of community infrastructure. The monitoring effort, initiated by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, ran from June 1 to August 31. For the first time, the results can be explored in detail and in real time thanks to the project’s technology partner, LUN. 

The collected data is now being reviewed to pinpoint systemic barriers, identify accessibility gaps, and set priorities for upcoming improvements. This approach enables communities, government agencies, and businesses to plan infrastructure upgrades more precisely, allocate resources more efficiently, and improve the quality of public spaces for all users.

• Kyiv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.

The Teplokrovni donor hub – whose name means “warm-blooded” – is opening a mobile, interactive exhibition highlighting blood and the lifesaving impact of donation. The initiative, in partnership with its collaborators, invites the public to attend the exhibition and participate in blood donation.

The “Warm Weekend” event will run from November 20 to 23 in Kyiv, giving visitors the chance to explore the exhibition inside Teplokrovni’s 13-meter, two-story bus, a mobile hub designed to promote blood donation. The first floor features an interactive display where guests can discover surprising facts about blood, such as its trace gold content, and hear personal stories from donors and recipients whose lives have been saved. The second floor houses a comfortable donation area, open to donors from November 20 to 22.

Teplokrovni is a joint initiative of PUMB (First Ukrainian International Bank) and Mastercard aimed at encouraging a culture of blood donation in Ukraine. The mobile hub travels to different cities to attract donors and raise awareness about the importance of giving blood. Since the project’s launch, 225 donors have contributed 101 liters of blood, offering over 675 people a chance at life. The project is implemented in partnership with DonorUA, an automated system for recruiting and managing blood donors in Ukraine, and Blood Agents, a public organization promoting voluntary, unpaid, and regular blood donation.

• culture
• Kyiv

If you are interested in this topic, you can obtain the subjects’ contacts from the Producer Department of Media Center Ukraine.