Themes by tag: casualties

In Kyiv, two sled hockey teams Sokil and Start have taken shape, each made up of veterans who have undergone lower limb amputations. Every team has eight players, and training sessions are held three times a week.

The teams recently competed in the All-Ukrainian Para Ice Hockey Championship.

Journalists can attend and report on training sessions in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

For reference: Para ice hockey, also referred to as sled or sledge hockey, is an adaptation of the sport for athletes with amputations or limited lower limb function. Players move across the ice on specially designed sleds, using two short sticks fitted with spikes on one end for propulsion and blades on the other for controlling the puck.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Illia, call sign “Lieshyi”, joined Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade in September 2023, just after turning 19. Despite suffering multiple injuries in combat — any of which could have ended his service — he chose to keep fighting on the war’s most dangerous frontlines.

In March 2025, his life changed forever when a russian kamikaze drone dropped an explosive directly on his position, inflicting wounds so severe that both his legs had to be amputated above the knee. The armored vehicle evacuating him was also hit by an FPV drone, but against all odds, Illia survived. After emergency surgery, he reached out to the “Angels” patronage service of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, who took him from the hospital and arranged his long-term rehabilitation.

Now, Illia is preparing for advanced prosthetics treatment in the U.S. — and dreams of returning to military duty once recovered.

You can contact Illia online or offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Adaptive wakesurfing, a water sport where the rider glides on the wake behind a boat without being directly towed, is helping Ukrainian military veterans stay active despite physical injuries.

Since the initiative launched in the summer of 2024, 25 service members and veterans have tried wakesurfing, with five continuing to train regularly. 

Weekly sessions are held in Kyiv, where experienced coaches and adaptive equipment allow participants, including those who have lost lower limbs, to participate.

For reference: The project is a collaboration between One Team Forces, an NGO supporting service members injured or psychologically affected by the war, and the STAV14 Wake Park team. It is implemented with the support of the BreakWater Club, the official training base for Ukraine’s national wakesurfing team.

One Team Forces works with service members who served before or after russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. STAV14, a network of wakeparks, promotes adaptive wakeboarding not only in Kyiv but across Ukraine.

Journalists can cover the training sessions in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Volodymyr Dubrovets, a soldier from Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region and former Azov Regiment fighter with the call sign “Wolf,” became the legal guardian of his brother’s eight children following a fatal car accident in December 2022.

The children’s parents died when their vehicle veered off a forest road and struck a mine. The explosion killed both adults, leaving behind eight children. At the time, the eldest was 14 years old; the youngest, a two-and-a-half-month-old infant.

Volodymyr, who was 24 at the time and unmarried, had not planned to raise a large family. After assuming custody of his nieces and nephews, he later married. He and his wife Diana are now also raising a young son together. The entire family lives in the house built by Volodymyr’s late brother.

Looking ahead, Dubrovets plans to revive his brother’s business. 

He is available for interviews both online and in person in the Zhytomyr region, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• Zhytomyr

Kateryna Iorhu is 16 years old. At the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, she and her family wanted to leave the Donetsk oblast for Vinnytsia, as their hometown of Druzhkivka had become unsafe. On April 8, 2022, Kateryna, her mother, and her younger sister travelled to the Kramatorsk railway station to wait for an evacuation train. That day, the russians struck the station with a “Tochka-U” missile, targeting civilians. The attack killed 61 people and injured 121. 

Kateryna’s mother was killed instantly in the blast. Kateryna herself miraculously survived because a man, whose name she never learned, threw himself over her, absorbing the shrapnel and blast impact. He died, but his selfless act ensured the young girl’s survival. Kateryna suffered severe shrapnel wounds to both legs and still faces immense challenges walking, requiring ongoing rehabilitation and medical support.

Journalists may interview Kateryna in Kyiv by prior agreement.

Background: The Children of Heroes charitable foundation supports children who have lost one or both parents due to the war. The foundation provides immediate, personalized assistance, including humanitarian aid, psychological and medical support, and educational and developmental opportunities for children until they reach adulthood.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Kyiv Hippodrome has pioneered a first-of-its-kind adaptive equestrian discipline for veterans — harness racing in lightweight, two-wheeled carts called “kachalkas.” Launched just over a month ago, this innovative program already has five participants and recently held its first demonstration race. This discipline is not yet officially recognized in Ukraine.

Harness racing sessions for veterans take place three times a week and are free of charge.

Journalists can cover training sessions in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

Background: The Kyiv Hippodrome also offers horseback riding sessions for veterans twice a week.

• animals
• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Anton Dykhnich, owner of a coffee shop chain in Kyiv, operates one location near the long-suffering Lukianivka metro station, which has been repeatedly damaged by Russian shelling. The café, which first opened four years ago, was initially hit by a blast wave from a missile strike in March 2022.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the team has adapted to resume operations quickly after each attack, learning how to limit the damage and continue serving customers. Small appliances and utensils are routinely secured in safe storage to protect them from shrapnel. In a further precaution, several front windows have been replaced with PVC panels.

By 7 a.m. following the latest strike, the staff was already coordinating their tasks and brewing coffee. Anton says the team draws strength from loyal customers who see the café as a symbol of resilience. Patrons express their support in many ways, including offering to launch fundraising efforts for repairs. But Anton declines such offers, instead urging them to donate to the Armed Forces.

Visitors can meet with the café’s staff both online and in person by appointment in Kyiv.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The “Voices of Children” Charitable Foundation is now accepting applications for new summer sessions of the “Voices Camp” for teenagers aged 10–15. This two-week retreat in a picturesque mountain setting offers children a chance to relax among peers, receive psychological support, and participate in team-building activities and creative workshops.

Registration is currently open for the final sessions of this summer:

Session 5: August 8–22

Session 6: August 24–September 6

The camp will be held in Chernivtsi oblast. Priority is given to children of military personnel, those affected by russian armed aggression, and residents of frontline areas. Participation is free of charge.

Journalists may arrange to speak with the organizers and, if possible, with children attending the camp, by prior agreement.

• casualties
• children

Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman is constructing housing for victims of russian aggression – a project he dedicates to the memory of his son, who died in the war.

The residential building in Kyiv oblast will shelter families of fallen soldiers and large families left homeless by the war. The exterior work is complete, but the interior renovations (apartment finishes and utilities) are ongoing.

Rabbi Azman aims to open the building in time for Ukraine’s Independence Day.

Journalists can speak with the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine in Kyiv by prior agreement.

Background: In September 2024, a memorial service was held in Kyiv for Matityahu Samborsky, the adopted son of the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, who died in the war.

• casualties
• dead
• religion
• Kyiv

In 2022, 21-year-old Oleksandr Karpovych signed a contract with the Defense Forces and became a marksman in the 25th Air Assault Brigade. The veteran fought in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts, participating in battles for Izium, Terny, and Chervonopopivka. At the end of December 2022, Oleksandr sustained his first injury — a shrapnel hit his head, but his helmet saved his life. He suffered a second injury on January 2, 2023, when his right arm was shredded by an enemy tank shell. By April of that same year, he returned to the front, where he received a third injury within a few weeks. Shrapnel tore through Oleksandr’s legs, he suffered a concussion and remained unconscious for a day and a half. Doctors concluded that he could no longer continue his service, and in August 2023, he was discharged.

Using a grant, Oleksandr opened a tire service center in his hometown of Ovruch (Zhytomyr oblast). Under the grant terms, he hired an administrator and a cleaner. Despite his arm injury, he handles all car repairs himself. Now, Oleksandr plans to apply for another grant to expand his business.

You can speak with Oleksandr Karpovych online or in person by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Zhytomyr