Themes by tag: casualties

Roman Didera is a veteran of the russian-Ukrainian war who served as a paratrooper and machine gunner. In 2015, he was drafted into the 95th Separate Airborne Brigade. By the end of the year, however, Roman began to experience severe knee pain. He gradually lost the ability to walk, and faced the threat of amputation. Timely prosthetic surgeries provided him with two hip replacements and set him on a new path.

Following the start of the full-scale invasion, Roman discovered a passion for embroidery, inspired by his wife, Mariana. His first piece was a beaded image of Jesus Christ. He also created a Bayraktar shirt. Since then, Roman has mastered approximately 40 traditional stitches to create authentic vyshyvankas, traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts.

In three years, he has created 33 unique shirts, each a one-of-a-kind piece. In recognition of his skill, he was granted special permission to recreate a copy of Taras Shevchenko’s personal vyshyvanka. His expertise has earned him the title of Folk Master of Ukraine in Vyshyvanka and membership in the National Union of Folk Art Masters.

A dedicated online page, “Sorochka z rodu v rid” (A Shirt from Generation to Generation), now showcases and sells the embroidered works created by Roman and his wife.

Journalists can speak with Roman and his wife Mariana in Lviv or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Oleksii Sivak, a 42-year-old former sailor from Kherson, saw his life upended by russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Remaining in the city with his wife and disabled mother-in-law, he engaged in acts of peaceful resistance, posting anti-russian leaflets and creating effigies of “dead russians” with like-minded people to make the occupiers feel unwelcome on Ukrainian soil.

On August 24, 2022 — Ukraine’s Independence Day — Oleksii and a fellow resident displayed a Ukrainian flag in the city. The next day, Russian forces captured them both. Oleksii was beaten in front of his wife and held captive for 59 days, during which he was tortured and sexually assaulted (CRSV — conflict-related sexual violence).

After being released, Oleksii started looking for his former cellmates. This effort evolved into the creation of the Alumni Network, which unites men who have survived captivity and torture. He now heads the Alumni NGO, which was established to support Ukrainians affected by russian aggression, including torture and CRSV. The organization provides legal and psychological aid and organizes retreats for its several hundred members, ranging in age from 20 to 76.

Journalists can speak with Oleksii in Kyiv, Kherson, or online by prior arrangement.

Background: russian forces occupied Kherson at the start of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the city on November 11, 2022. However, it continues to endure regular shelling by russian forces.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kherson
• Kyiv

A hands-on training session for coaches working with injured veterans will be held on October 19 in the Kyiv region as part of a pilot program aimed at supporting rehabilitation through sports. The initiative is designed to help sports coaches gain practical skills to work with veterans recovering from injuries, wounds, or illnesses.

The pilot program, the first of its kind in Ukraine, takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on the expertise of specialists in sports, psychology, accessibility, and physical rehabilitation. Organizers say the project is intended to set a new standard for how coaches work with veterans.

So far, 34 coaches have completed 11 theoretical training modules. The upcoming session will focus on putting that knowledge into practice, including how to tailor exercises for different types of injuries, track progress, and adjust training plans to individual needs.

Trainers will also demonstrate specialized equipment such as basketball and rugby wheelchairs, recumbent bikes for people with musculoskeletal injuries or amputations, and handcycles for those with upper limb impairments.

The session will wrap up with a certificate presentation for participants, with officials from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine expected to attend.

• casualties
• Kyiv

Dmytro Khilyuk, a Ukrainian journalist with 20 years of experience and a correspondent for the UNIAN news agency, has endured over three years of captivity at the hands of the russians as a civilian hostage.

In early March 2022, russian occupiers abducted Khilyuk and his father from a street in Kozarovychi, a village in the Kyiv oblast where the family lived. His father was later released, but Dmytro was taken first to Belarus and then to russia.

He was initially held in SIZO-2 (Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2) in Novozybkov in the Bryansk region. In an interview, Dmytro recounted that, during the so-called “intake process”, detainees were severely beaten with batons and fists, thrown to the ground, and attacked by dogs. In May 2023, he was transferred to a prison in Pakino in the Vladimir region, where he remained until his liberation.

In total, Dmytro Khilyuk spent 3 years, 5 months, and 21 days in russian captivity. He finally returned home on August 24, 2025, during a prisoner exchange coinciding with Ukraine’s Independence Day.

By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to speak with Dmytro in Kyiv or in online format.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On October 11, media representatives are invited to witness a remarkable display of resilience and creativity in Lviv, where a Ukrainian veteran will set a new national record by creating a painting from his wheelchair.

Valentyn Oleksiienko, 28, a patient at the UNBROKEN Center, was a tank driver in Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Tank Iron Brigade. His life changed dramatically on the front lines when, after digging fortifications, he dove into a pond to wash off the dirt, struck his head on the bottom, and sustained a complete spinal cord injury, leaving him with no feeling from the chest down.

Once indifferent to art, Valentyn discovered a passion for painting during his rehabilitation. With the guidance of Lviv-based artist Zirka Savka, he developed a unique technique that allows him to create expressive, one-of-a-kind works with his wheelchair.

The upcoming event will offer journalists a rare opportunity to observe Valentyn’s creative process and document the moment he officially sets a new national record. 

Journalists are required to be accredited to attend.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

The project “War Crimes in Crimea” aims to explain in simple terms what war crimes are, which actions by the occupiers fall under this category, and how victims can protect their rights.

Key topics:

– Main types of crimes recorded in the temporarily occupied territory (deportation, violations of property rights, forced mobilization);

– Action algorithm for citizens who have faced persecution: where to apply, how to preserve evidence, and what compensation possibilities exist;

– Activities of the autonomous republic’s law enforcement agencies in documenting crimes committed by the occupation authorities and responding to citizens’ appeals;

– Information dissemination formats: video clips, social advertising, informational materials, and public reception offices;

– The role of applicants in international processes to hold perpetrators accountable.

Participants:

– Olha Kuryshko, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;

– Vitalii Sekretar, First Deputy Head of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;

– Akhtem Seitablayev, Director of the State Enterprise “Crimean House”.

• casualties
• russian crimes

In collaboration with the Invictus Games, the Ukrainian fitness app MadMuscles has created an adaptive training program for people with amputated limbs or limited mobility. The program focuses primarily on wounded veterans and those recovering from surgeries or other injuries.

The MadMuscles program provides everything necessary for safe, convenient, and effective training:

• Six training categories for different physical abilities.
• Exercises from professional adaptive sports trainers;
• Free video workouts that can be done at home.

The program was created by Oleksii Prokopenko, an endurance, mountain running, skyrunning, and cross-country skiing coach, and Nataliia Meleshchuk, a rehabilitation specialist, yoga instructor, and massage therapist. They were both involved in preparing the national team for the 2025 Invictus Games in Canada.

Veterans from the Invictus Games community also contributed to the project’s development.

Journalists can speak with the course creators in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Lee Byoung-Hoon, 58, from Seoul, South Korea, has been no stranger to discipline and danger. In the 1980s, he served in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. But nothing could have prepared him for the front lines in Ukraine, where he joined the international legion to defend the country during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

During one attack, a kamikaze drone hit him, costing him his arm. For 14 hours, he survived with only a tourniquet until his comrades managed to save his life.

Now, Lee channels his resilience onto the soccer field. He plays for “Bartka,” an Ivano-Frankivsk team for amputees and people with limb impairment. While he speaks English, communication with some teammates still comes through gestures, a reminder of how far he’s come and the barriers he continues to overcome.

Journalists can meet Lee Byoung-Hoon in person or online by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Ivano-Frankivsk

Oleksii Prytula is a veterinarian from Odesa. During the full-scale invasion by russia, he defended the country. In September 2022, he sustained severe injuries and lost both legs. He received prosthetics and underwent rehabilitation at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. Subsequently, he returned to work as a veterinarian in Odesa.

Oleksiy joined the national team that represented Ukraine this year at the first-ever Winter Hybrid Invictus Games in Canada (disciplines: curling, skeleton, alpine skiing, rowing on simulators). He also participated in the All-Ukrainian wheelchair rugby competitions. Additionally, he practices archery and wheelchair basketball.

Upon prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Oleksii in person in Odesa or online.

• animals
• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Odesa

Oleksandr Shvetsov, a Ukrainian army veteran who lost a leg in combat and later his home to russian shelling, has given away money raised for his recovery to help neighbors left with nothing.

Shvetsov has been serving since 2014. He was seriously wounded near Luhansk, where he lost his leg. After returning from the front, he went through a personal crisis, struggling to adapt to life with a prosthetic, refusing rehabilitation, and turning to alcohol and drugs. Over time, he overcame those struggles, broke free from addiction, and, after time abroad, learned to manage severe panic attacks.

Driven to help others, he started the “Hero Bus” initiative, which gave dozens of fellow veterans the chance to travel to France and Poland.

On the night of Sept. 10, 2025, a russian strike hit his home and car in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region. A rocket landed just 20 meters from the house, heavily damaging the property but sparing his life. He managed to escape unharmed and saved his animals.

After sharing photos of the destruction online and appealing for help, Shvetsov received more than one million hryvnias in donations within two days. Instead of using the money to rebuild his place, he gave it all to neighbors whose homes were destroyed in the same attack and had received no help.

Shvetsov is available for interviews, either online or in person in Zhytomyr, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• russian crimes
• Zhytomyr