Themes by tag: casualties

For the past six years, Anton Tenyck has run a farm in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. After the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the right bank of the Kherson region, the farmers decided to return to work. However, this proved to be difficult as most of the fields were mined. In order to continue their work, the farmers had to use hand-held mine detectors themselves. Together with the military, deminers and rescuers, Anton is clearing his territory of dangerous objects left behind by the occupiers. In one year of work, the farmer managed to demine more than 20 percent of his land. 

In addition, Anton tries to employ everyone who returns to the liberated regions of Kherson Oblast.

For reference: November 11, 2024 will be the second anniversary of the liberation of Kherson from the occupiers.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kherson

In Mariupol, Tetiana worked in the banking sector. Before the full-scale invasion, she bought an apartment in the city and was preparing to renovate it. However, on February 24, 2022, all her plans were shattered by the russians. After spending several days in a basement, Tetiana decided to evacuate. Together with her daughter and sister, she first reached Zaporizhia, then Dnipro, and from there she went to Western Ukraine.

In the new place Tetiana decided to start her own business and open a coffee shop. First she opened a place called DUSHA in Ivano-Frankivsk, and later she managed to open another one. For the first six months, Tetiana worked alone, and then she started hiring people. The first cafe employed displaced people, and in the second, Tetiana opened jobs for locals as well. She dreams of returning to Mariupol, but until then she wants to create places where former Mariupol residents can feel at home.

Tetiana Vasylieva is temporarily out of the country. You can chat with the cafe owner online. In November Tatiana will return to Ivano-Frankivsk and will be ready to talk to journalists offline by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• Mariupol

Heorhii and Olha Chervienkov established a cannery in Posad-Pokrovske, Kherson region, nine years ago. Prior to russia’s full-scale invasion, the facility was producing over 100 tons of goods monthly. But in 2022, as russian forces occupied the Kherson region and fierce fighting turned the area into a frontline, the factory and much of the village were decimated.

The Chervienkovs discovered the extent of the damage only after the area was liberated and they returned home. Undeterred, the couple immediately began rebuilding, and just six months after the de-occupation, they succeeded in getting their first production line back up and running. Initially, operations relied entirely on generators, and labor shortages posed a serious challenge, as many of their former employees had either joined the military or left the community.

Today, Heorhii and Olha Chervienkov are working to restore the plant to its pre-war capacity. They’ve taken innovative steps to overcome staffing gaps, including training local women to take on traditionally male gender roles in the production process.

For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark two years since Ukraine retook the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• Kherson

As the war continues, thousands of Ukrainians are experiencing deep stress, anxiety, and trauma. To help address these challenges, as part of the Ministry of Social Policy’s project and First Lady Olena Zelenska’s “How Are You?” initiative, the charitable foundation “Save Ukraine” will open the first Resilience Center for IDPs from the Donetsk oblast and Kyiv residents on October 3.

Resilience Centers are an innovative model of social services designed to help Ukrainians overcome stress, recover from crisis events, and stay engaged in life. The centers provide counseling on social issues, training in psychological first aid and emotional recovery, mental health assessment, and more.

Speakers:

• Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine; 
• Vadym Filashkin, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration; 
• Vasyl Mitko, Head of Nikolske Village Council, Mariupol District; 
• Oleksii Fedchenko, Head of the “Save Ukraine” Charitable Foundation; 
• Natalia Vorobiova, Head of Mariupol District State Administration;
• Olena Tokareva, Director of the Social Protection Department of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration.

Prior accreditation is required.

• casualties
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Oleh Hural enlisted in the Ukrainian military in April 2020, signing a contract with the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. He took part in the Kharkiv counteroffensive during the all-out invasion. In November 2022, a severe injury on the front line left him permanently blind.

Despite undergoing two surgeries, Oleh’s sight could not be restored. Unable to return to military service, he began working from home with his mother, producing and selling handmade dumplings. However, his career took a new direction when he trained to become a massage therapist. Today, Oleh works at the Halychyna Rehabilitation Center, helping fellow wounded soldiers on their path to recovery. His mother accompanies him to the bus, but he has since mastered navigating the commute alone, counting steps and memorizing landmarks over two years. While he continues his search for medical experts who might restore his sight, Oleh remains committed to his work. 

For reference: Oleh Hural lives in the Lviv region and is open to interviews, either online or in person, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

The NGO Camp Maximum together with an American team created the program “Camp of Opportunity” for women with amputations. On September 22, the third shift of the camp began. It was attended by 11 participants, both veterans and civilians who lost limbs during the full-scale war.

The women will participate in soccer training. They will have the opportunity to try out for Ukraine’s first national women’s soccer team for amputees and compete in the 2024 World Cup. The tournament will be held in Barranquilla, Colombia, from November 2 to 11, 2024.

In addition to soccer, camp participants will have the opportunity to engage in other activities. The camp runs until September 28.

Journalists are invited to learn more and cover the camp’s activities.

• casualties
• women
• Cherkasy

Feliks Rasko, a 36-year-old Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran, has a remarkable story of resilience. He enlisted in the military at 18, first serving through conscription before signing a contract to continue his service. After his military career, he worked as a conductor for Ukraine’s Railways, Ukrzaliznytsia.

When russia’s full-scale invasion began, Feliks promptly re-enlisted. For eight months, he fought in some of the most intense battle zones, including Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Rubizhne, and Yampolivka. In October 2022, while stationed in Donetsk, enemy missiles struck the building where Feliks and his fellow soldiers were sheltering. Trapped under debris and engulfed by flames, Feliks put out the fire on his burning hands himself, while his comrades helped extinguish the fire on his head. Despite their injuries, the soldiers managed to escape and were evacuated by medics.

Feliks sustained serious injuries, which greatly impacted his mobility. His wife learned about the Unburned project, a free rehabilitation program, and applied on his behalf, submitting photos of his burns. A month later, Feliks began his treatment. Today, after completing rehabilitation, he has returned to work with Ukrzaliznytsia, now as a service center engineer in Kyiv, rather than his previous role as a conductor.

For reference: The Unburned project, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and partners, offers free, comprehensive treatment for military personnel, volunteers, civilians, and children affected by burns and scars caused by the war.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

On September 5, a modular house will be unveiled in the Kyiv region, providing a new home for a big family from Kherson who fled the occupation. Dobrobat, a volunteer construction battalion, invites journalists to witness the near-completion of this significant project.

Ms. Olha, a 70-year-old teacher, escaped the war-torn region with her five adopted children. Dobrobat volunteers took on the task of building a new home for them. The family, who lost everything in the conflict, is now preparing to move into the half-installed modular house.

The event will feature both the volunteers and the family, offering a chance to hear their stories and see the completed work. Olha’s husband is seriously ill, and with her brother’s help, she managed to secure land in the Kyiv region where this new chapter begins.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Lisa, a 10-year-old from Sievierodonetsk in the now-occupied Luhansk Oblast, is a young girl with a deep love for music. Alongside her interests in drawing, learning English, and reading Harry Potter, Lisa shares a special bond with the cello—a passion she inherited from her mother, a professional cellist.

Two years ago, tragedy struck when a missile hit her grandmother’s house, destroying all their belongings, including Lisa’s cherished cello. The loss devastated Lisa, who admits that she would cry whenever she heard the sound of a cello, a painful reminder of what she had lost.

Recently, Lisa had a memorable experience at a concert by renowned French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, held at the Kyiv center of the Charity Foundation “Voices of Children.” The performance left her deeply moved and inspired, reigniting her passion for the instrument.

Journalists have the opportunity to meet Lisa and her mother in Kyiv by prior arrangement, and a video of Jean-Guihen Queyras’s special concert is also available.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• Kyiv

The NGO “Humanitarian Aid Center Volunteer-68” in Kharkiv has a mission that goes beyond ordinary assistance to people with disabilities. The organization focuses on the most vulnerable: people with disabilities who have no close relatives nearby. Representatives of “Volunteer-68” evacuate them from dangerous areas, transport them to state institutions, banks, administrative service centers, etc.

In the “Without Limits” transit shelter, they provide round-the-clock care for evacuees with limited mobility and people with disabilities. In addition, their case managers address critical issues for elderly and disabled people  staying in other temporary shelters in Kharkiv. This includes restoring documents, paying pensions, and organizing care and treatment.

In June 2024, Volunteer-68 opened an inclusive educational space in Kharkiv, where members of low-mobility groups can receive education, including vocational training, which is especially important given the increasing number of people with disabilities due to the war.

The organization has also created a network of activists called “Ambassadors of Inclusion” in three communities of the Kharkiv oblast. They advocate for the interests of people with disabilities and work to improve accessibility.

Journalists have the opportunity to cover the activities of the Volunteer-68 NGO.

For reference: September 6, 2024 will mark two years since the start of the Slobozhansk counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, which led to the near-total liberation of the Kharkiv oblast from the russian occupiers.

• casualties
• volunteers
• Kharkiv