Themes by tag: casualties

The Tytanovi Arts and Culture Center for Veterans Rehabilitation has officially opened its doors in Kyiv, marking a significant step forward in support for Ukraine’s wounded defenders. Launched by the Tytanovi Foundation as part of its broader Tytanovi Rehab initiative, the new facility is the first of its kind in the country to offer psychological and social rehabilitation for veterans with amputations, uniquely located inside a shopping mall.

The Tytanovi Foundation emphasizes that war leaves scars beyond the physical. Psychological wounds often run deep, and creative therapy is proving to be one of the most effective ways to heal them. The center offers a variety of services, including a creative studio, sports and art therapy sessions, as well as educational, social, and integration programs tailored to veterans’ needs.

To secure the center’s long-term operation, the TYTANOVI Charitable Foundation has partnered with the U.S.-based Hansen Ukrainian Mission. Under a newly signed memorandum, the American organization will cover all operating costs of the rehab center and its cultural-arts space in the Respublika Park shopping mall for one year.

For reference: The Tytanovi Foundation was founded by Armed Forces veteran Viacheslav Zaporozhets and is dedicated to supporting military personnel and veterans in their recovery. One of its key missions is to provide titanium implants for soldiers who have experienced complex limb loss.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Svitlana Sysoieva, a mother of two Ukrainian defenders from the Kharkiv region. Her eldest son, Serhii, was a seasoned fighter and a devoted patriot. At just 17, he joined the Revolution of Dignity, later fought in the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operations (ATO/JFO), and from the early days of russia’s full-scale invasion, served in Ukraine’s Special Forces, often deployed to the front line’s most dangerous hotspots.

In the summer of 2022, Serhii was killed during a combat mission. Svitlana says he wasn’t supposed to be on that operation, but when the unit lacked a medic, he volunteered to go with his fellow soldiers. An enemy bullet struck him in the head. Although he was evacuated, doctors couldn’t save him. Serhii was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” III degree.

Svitlana’s younger son, Maksym, signed a military contract in 2021. After Serhii’s death, he stayed on the front lines. In December 2022, he was seriously wounded, losing part of his leg, and was later discharged from service.

In the summer of 2023, Svitlana channeled her pain into purpose and launched a women’s clothing brand, one that also creates adaptive garments tailored to the needs of wounded veterans. Today, Maksym works alongside his mother, helping grow the business.

Svitlana is available for interviews both online and in person in the Kharkiv region, by appointment.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• women
• Kharkiv

Mykola Shot, a 40-year-old veteran and patient-mentor at the UNBROKEN Center, lost both arms and legs in a mortar attack. Yet, even four amputations couldn’t stop him from returning to one of his greatest passions: driving.

Mykola has 20 years of driving experience, and getting back behind the wheel was a priority for him. To make this possible, prosthetist Oles Solodukha from the UNBROKEN Center fitted the veteran’s adaptive car with specialized steering and door modifications.

The purchase of the car became possible thanks to a charity run in Mykola’s hometown of Novoiavorivsk, where organizers and benefactors managed to raise 450,000 hryvnias.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Mykola in Lviv by prior request.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Mykyta Shastun joined the military several years before the full-scale invasion. He served in the 56th Brigade, fought on the outskirts of Donetsk Airport, and trained to become a sergeant.

After the full-scale invasion began, he and his brother Ihor joined the Azov Regiment to defend Mariupol. On April 1, his brother was killed. In May 2022, Mykyta and his comrades were ordered to lay down their weapons and surrender.

He ended up in the Olenivka colony in the occupied Donetsk oblast. He recalls extreme hardship: prisoners starving due to a lack of food and water. Soon, the Azov fighters were moved to another barracks where an explosion rocked the facility at night. Miraculously, Mykyta survived with only a concussion. He helped wounded comrades, though the russians provided no medical aid. He was then transferred from Olenivka to Taganrog, russia, before finally returning to Ukraine on December 31, 2022.

Journalists can contact Mykyta Shastun online by prior arrangement.

Background: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, 82 of which were in complete encirclement. From May 16 to 20, 2022, the Mariupol garrison received orders to cease defending the city and surrender.

On the night of July 29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act blowing up the Olenivka penal colony barracks holding Ukrainian POWs. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than a hundred were injured.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

In Lviv, a group of severely wounded Ukrainian defenders, all recovering at the UNBROKEN Center, working on something remarkable – they’re building a yacht. Now in the final stages of construction, the project will be showcased on July 16, when media are invited to witness the near-complete vessel before its launch.

The idea took root during a recreational rehabilitation trip. Patients visited a sailing center, where they were introduced to the world of yachting. Inspired and energized, the group returned with a bold vision: to build a boat of their own.

Construction began in February. Since then, more than 30 veterans and active-duty servicemen undergoing treatment, rehabilitation, or prosthetic fitting at the UNBROKEN Center have taken part in the effort.

The initiative was sparked by 32-year-old Ruslan Kukhta, a patient at the center who served for over two years in eastern Ukraine before sustaining a serious injury that nearly cost him his leg. Among those contributing are veterans with prosthetic limbs and others recovering from complex trauma.

One of them is Mykhailo Ternavskyi, a 22-year-old soldier with the Third Assault Brigade. “Our main goal is to launch the yacht, sail those first few meters, and feel what all our hard work has gone into,” he says.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Yevhen Neskreba, a champion kettlebell athlete, has experienced two forced relocations. Originally from a village in the Donetsk oblast near the front line, he moved to Volnovakha, 20 kilometers away, in 2017. There, he coached at a youth sports school, while still traveling home twice weekly to train local children. When the full-scale invasion began, Yevhen had to leave again — three days into the invasion, Volnovakha lost all utilities.

The day after he evacuated, Yevhen learned that his home in his village had been destroyed by russian shelling — along with his life’s work: six hundred medals and three hundred championship cups.

After finding out what had happened to his awards, Yevhen thought he would never lift weights again. The first training sessions in a rented apartment in Lutsk were difficult for the athlete. He went two weeks without touching a kettlebell, and tears came to his eyes during warm-ups as he remembered what he had lost.

After the evacuation, Yevhen participated in his first international competition in December 2022. He placed third. He now has 15 kettlebells that were given to him by fellow athletes. He managed to recover about 70% of his destroyed awards — though some remain irreplaceable.

You can contact Yevhen Neskreba online or in-person in Lutsk by arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• Lutsk

Oleh Symoroz joined the ranks of Ukraine’s Defense Forces at the onset of the full-scale invasion. He defended the Kyiv region as part of the Territorial Defense Forces before being deployed to the East with his unit. In October 2022, during a combat mission, Oleh’s vehicle struck an enemy mine. The soldier lost both legs and sustained a severe jaw fracture.

Oleh underwent bilateral above-knee amputations, one of the most complex types for prosthetic rehabilitation. Committed to his recovery, he diligently pursued rehabilitation and, with the support of medical professionals and his own determination, successfully adapted to using prostheses. Yet, Oleh’s challenges extended beyond his injuries: the apartment he had been renting in Kyiv was ill-equipped to accommodate a person with disabilities.

Determined to improve his living conditions, Oleh purchased his own home and customized it to meet his needs. Nevertheless, despite residing in a newly constructed building, the complex lacks adequate accessibility and inclusive features for people with disabilities.

Oleh Symoroz is available to connect both online and in person in Kyiv by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Dmytro Demchenko is from Druzhkivka in the Donetsk oblast. In 2016, he dedicated his life to the military, completing compulsory service before signing a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2023, he joined the 23rd Brigade, first serving as a gunner before becoming the commander of a Grad-21 MLRS. He took part in the counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia sector.

On January 20, 2024, Dmytro was severely injured when an enemy shell landed just seven meters away from him. He underwent eight surgeries, but doctors had to amputate his mangled arm and leg. Following treatment, the veteran was transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Struggling with the aftermath of his wounds, Dmytro found it hard to see a reason to go on. Eventually, he set a goal for himself — to find work. After an interview, he became an administrator at Vybir (“Choice”), a Lviv-based space for the veterans.

There, for the first time, he felt understood and surrounded by people who shared his experiences. He enjoys working with fellow servicemen and plans to soon get a prosthetic arm and enroll in law school.

You can connect with Dmytro Demchenko and the Vybir team online or in person in Lviv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

The “Come Back Alive” Center for Initiatives invites journalists to cover Ukraine’s second national sitting volleyball championship. The event will feature two days of competitions and a variety of festival activities. The final matches between the top teams are scheduled for July 6.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to attend educational lectures on adaptive sports and veteran rehabilitation after injury. Organizers will give visitors the opportunity to try various adaptive sports, such as archery, table tennis, golf, rowing machines, and wakeboarding.

Prior registration is mandatory for all attendees.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Daria Morgen, a designer and illustrator based in Kharkiv, first noticed a growing number of people using prosthetic limbs on the streets back in 2014. This observation sparked an innovative idea: to create custom-fitted prosthetic limb covers using 3D printing technology.

Determined to bring her vision to life, Daria sought funding and was soon invited by the Norwegian Institute of Life Sciences to develop her project during a residency. In the summer of 2023, she printed prototypes there and explored the latest technologies and production methods. These prosthetic covers can be customized in a range of colors, patterns, and embellishments, tailored to the preferences of each individual. One of her earliest designs featured embroidery, serving as a distinctive artistic signature.

To raise awareness and reach those already adapting to prosthetic use, Daria connects with rehabilitation centers. She also aims to secure funding to provide these cosmetic covers free of charge to military veterans. Currently, all production of these prosthetic covers for war amputees is carried out on a purely volunteer basis.

Daria Morgen is available for interviews both online and in person in Kharkiv by appointment.

• casualties
• women