Themes by tag: casualties
Before the full-scale invasion, Andrii was a musician, played bass guitar, ran his own auto repair shop, and repaired cars for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With the start of the full-scale war, he was mobilized into the military and became a sapper.
In the summer of 2023, Andrii and his comrade were assigned to demine a road. Before completing the task, the soldier suffered a concussion, but continued working and stepped on a mine. He applied a tourniquet while his comrades evacuated him to safety.
Doctors were unable to save his leg. Despite the loss of his limb, Andrii was determined to return to the military. For eight months, he underwent treatment and rehabilitation, and learned to use a prosthetic limb. Now, the soldier has returned to duty and has become a sapper instructor for infantry soldiers. Between combat missions, Andrii performs at concerts, including for soldiers undergoing rehabilitation.
You can communicate with Andrii both online and offline, by prior arrangement and with the permission of the press officer.
Anna’s husband, Illia, was half Ukrainian and half Georgian. His mother’s family was forced to flee the war in Abkhazia, so his childhood was spent in Ukraine.
In 2014, Illia began his compulsory military service, and when russia occupied Crimea and attacked Ukraine in the east, he voluntarily went to fight in the Donetsk oblast. Illia was demobilized in 2015. He met Anna, they got married, and later had a daughter, Polina.
On February 24, 2022, the family woke up to explosions. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Illia defended the Kyiv oblast, participated in the liberation of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts. His comrades tell how he shot down enemy helicopters, assisted reconnaissance groups, defended positions even in the most dangerous conditions.
During one of those missions he was seriously wounded and could not be evacuated from the battlefield. Illia’s family is convinced that his merits should be recognized at the highest level. His wife is making every effort to secure for him the title of Hero of Ukraine, as his deeds are examples of courage and self-sacrifice for the sake of the country.
Background: Currently, the family is supported by the charitable foundation “Children of Heroes”. It helps children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation. The foundation provides financial assistance, psychological and legal support, and promotes education and development for children until they reach adulthood.
Oleksandr Androshchuk and Oleksii Tiunin, members of Ukraine’s national team for the 2025 Invictus Games, are launching wheelchair rugby training sessions for military personnel and army veterans in Kyiv.
This marks the first time such training has been offered in Ukraine, presenting a unique opportunity for soldiers to engage in an adaptive sport that promotes both physical and emotional recovery. Participants can experience the thrill of team play, feel the support of their fellow soldiers, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a supportive environment.
Mykola Shot joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces in March 2022, serving with the Kholodnyi Yar Brigade. In February last year, he suffered severe injuries near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, resulting in the loss of both his arms and legs.
For several months, Mykola has been adapting to prosthetic limbs with the support of specialists at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv.
Despite his injuries, he remains active and focused on competing in the Paralympic Games. He is now awaiting specialized running prosthetics to begin training for the competition.
The only pediatric burn center in western Ukraine that accepts the most critical cases will now be able to treat children at home – in Ukraine – instead of sending them abroad, as was previously the case. St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv now has everything it needs to save young patients with severe burns. The grand opening of the updated pediatric burn center will take place on March 28.
Approximately 12,000 children in Ukraine suffer from burns every year. The war has exacerbated the situation, as any mine or explosion injury is often accompanied by severe thermal trauma.
St. Nicholas Hospital is now fully equipped to care for pediatric burn patients, with advanced and expensive intensive care equipment, a specialized burn bed, a dedicated treatment room, and a laser for post-burn scar resurfacing.
Patients will attend the opening, including Robert, a fifth-grader who tried to replicate a popular TikTok trend by making a homemade firecracker. As a result, he suffered severe chemical burns to his face.
At the opening, members of the media will have the opportunity to speak with Robert and other children who have suffered burns in a variety of circumstances – as well as their parents, doctors, and representatives from socially responsible companies. Prior to the official opening, journalists will also have the opportunity to attend a training session led by the hospital’s burn surgeons for Lviv schoolchildren. The training will teach first aid for burns and raise awareness about the dangers of TikTok trends.
Registration is required for the event.
Viktor Shemediuk is a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Lutsk. He was mobilized in the first days of the full-scale invasion. Viktor fought in the Luhansk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. During the Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022, he was wounded and lost his left leg above the knee.
After treatment, Viktor underwent rehabilitation and got used to using a prosthesis. He cites his wife and daughters as his greatest support, as they have been with him throughout his journey. Viktor decided to start a business that would not only generate income, but also benefit the community. He began installing solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations.
With the support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, Viktor launched the project “Eco Power: Charging Electric Cars with the Sun”. He used the grant to purchase high-capacity, fast-charging stations and solar panels. His stations are currently available in a village in the Volyn oblast, but he plans to expand the project soon and install panels in Lutsk.
You can speak with Viktor Shemediuk either online or in person by prior arrangement.
In the Lviv Oblast, soldiers with amputations are taking part in a specialized cycling rehabilitation program. This initiative offers the defenders a unique opportunity to reintegrate into active life, regain their physical fitness, and experience the freedom of movement once again.
The sessions are led by a physical therapist, and the bicycles used in the program were generously donated by benefactors from the Netherlands. The inaugural class saw 10 participants, including veterans with both upper and lower limb amputations, many of whom use prosthetics.
The next cycling rehabilitation session is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, in Lviv.
Journalists interested in covering the sessions are invited to attend by prior arrangement.
The program is being carried out through a collaboration between the “With an Angel on A Shoulder” Charitable Fund, the NGO “Sports Club Power of the Nation,” the State Noncommercial Enterprise “Center of Complex Rehabilitation ‘Halychyna’,” and the Lviv Municipal Art Center.
Vitalii Lykhobytskyi, 38 is originally from Volyn, but has been living in the capital for the past 13 years. Before the full-scale invasion, he was running his own business related to construction equipment.
On February 24, 2022, Vitalii took his family to Volyn and soon mobilized for territorial defense. He fought in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in particular, near Serebryansky Forest and Kreminna.
On May 2, 2023, Vitalii was seriously wounded—an enemy sniper hit the thermal imager the soldier was holding. The soldier lost his eye and was most worried about how his family would react to the injury and whether his little girl would be scared.
Vitalii was enrolled in the Neopalymi rehabilitation program. The veteran underwent eye surgery, was fitted with a prosthesis, and underwent laser grinding of the sutures. The man says that now people do not immediately notice his injury.
You can talk to Vitalii Lykhobytskyi both online and offline by appointment.
For reference: Neopalymi (Unburnt) is a national program for the external rehabilitation of war-affected individuals. As part of the project, anyone who needs it can receive free treatment for burns or scars of a non-domestic nature.
Viktoriia Didovets, a charge nurse in the Intensive and Efferent Therapy Department for Acute Intoxication at the National Children’s Hospital Okhmatdyt, was injured during a missile strike on the hospital on July 8, 2024. As the attack unfolded, she was evacuating children on dialysis to a shelter when a missile struck the building.
By the time Viktoriia was rushed to the operating room, her pulse was barely detectable. She was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis, an open hip fracture, a ruptured liver, and injuries to her face and ear. For more than eight months, she has been undergoing treatment, determined to regain a full life.
By prior arrangement, Viktoriia is available for interviews in Kyiv or online.
Background: On July 8, 2024, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. At the time of the attack, 627 children were inside.
The strike killed two people—a doctor and a patient’s relative—while injuring 35 others, including nine children. On July 10, a boy who had been in critical condition in intensive care at the time of the attack succumbed to his injuries in a Kyiv hospital.
Peaceful gatherings will take place in 24 cities to draw attention to the defenders of Azovstal and other military personnel still held in enemy captivity.
On March 22, rallies will be held in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Arbuzynka, Vinnytsia, Irpin, Svitlovodsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Pavlohrad, and Obukhiv.
On March 23, events are planned in Kyiv, Pivdennoukrainsk, Uman, Krolevets, Korop, Ovruch, Kremenchuk, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, Pryluky, Dolynske, Ostroh, Shostka, Odesa, Brovary, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Korosten, Uzhhorod, Kharkiv, Lozova, Poltava, Berdychiv, and Kropyvnytskyi.
The rallies are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison, with former captives often taking part in the events.
