Themes by tag: casualties

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

On June 28, the Lviv oblast will host an adaptive CrossFit competition for wounded soldiers, veterans, amputees, and people with disabilities in wheelchairs. These competitions have become a crucial step in the rehabilitation and social reintegration of our heroes.

The competition will be attended by 25 adaptive athletes from all over Ukraine – veterans and active military personnel who were injured while defending their homeland, underwent treatment and continue their rehabilitation.

Registration is required (the exact location will be shared after sign-up). Registered media representatives will be provided with transportation from Lviv.

Background: The event is organized by the ‘Games of Heroes’ NGO and the Charitable Foundation ‘Kharkiv with You’ with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium).

The competition’s history dates back to 2015, when the psychological rehabilitation of severely wounded soldiers first became a pressing issue following russia’s aggression in 2014. The growing number of wounded required not only medical and psychological support but also active efforts to help them reintegrate into society and return to an active life.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Vitalii Kostohlodov is 22 years old. At the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, he was working in Germany, but returned home without hesitation to support Ukraine’s defenders. In December 2023, he signed a contract and joined the 505th Marine Battalion as a sailor.

Kostohlodov served in multiple combat zones, taking part in the landings on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Krynky, and later in the defense of Toretsk. In November 2024, while on a mission in the Kurakhiv sector, he was wounded and lost a leg.

Within six months, he learned to walk with a prosthetic limb and made the decision to return to active duty. He now serves as a gunner-operator of an armored combat vehicle. Though his injury prevented him from completing the psychological obstacle course in June, he was awarded the Marine beret in recognition of his dedication and service.

Vitalii Kostohlodov is available for interviews, online and in person, by prior arrangement through the unit’s press officer.

• casualties
• military

Danish manufacturer Levitate, a producer of active and sports prosthetics founded by Lasse Werner Madsen — an amputee himself — continues its mission in Ukraine. On June 25, the company will hold a landmark sports event in collaboration with the UNBROKEN Foundation, during which 30 Ukrainian defenders who have undergone amputations will receive high-quality active and/or sports prosthetics.

The event will bring together prosthetics specialists, physical therapists, a coach from the PROBIG running club, and patients who already have experience using sports prosthetics. Participants will play basketball and run together.

The event’s mentors will include:
– Yana Stepanenko
– Volodymyr Rudkovskyi
– Christopher Greenwood

They will share their personal experiences and support the defenders on their journey to reclaiming an active life. The event will take place in Lviv.

Background: Lasse Werner Madsen, founder of Levitate, lost his leg at the age of 14. Drawing from his own experience, he understands how crucial it is to maintain an active lifestyle after amputation. At the time, sports prosthetics were unavailable, forcing Lasse to create his own prosthetic for athletic activities. This personal struggle inspired him to establish Levitate and expand its efforts in Ukraine, ensuring that every Ukrainian with an amputation has access to high-quality, functional prosthetics.

• casualties
• Lviv

Oleksandr Romenskyi, 29, joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces in September 2022. He was first wounded during combat operations near Kherson and hospitalized. After recovering, he returned to the front, serving in the Donetsk region. In 2023, near Bakhmut, Oleksandr suffered a traumatic head injury and multiple concussions caused by artillery fire. The damage left him struggling to see and with a stutter that made speaking difficult. But singing makes the stutter disappear.

Through intensive treatment and rehabilitation, Oleksandr slowly began to walk again. As his story gained attention, Ukrainian singer Serhii Lazanovskyi reached out, and the two eventually recorded a song together titled “Black Cloud.”

Today, Oleksandr performs on stage with Ukrainian artists, including Anna Trincher and the Kozak System. He says he doesn’t dwell on the hardships he’s endured. Instead, he’s focused on building a new life.

Currently based in Kyiv, Oleksandr is available for interviews in person or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

In 2018, Olena Nabokova and a group of friends founded the NGO Ukrainian Womanity in Zaporizhia. At the time, she was also the sole caregiver for her son Sasha, who lived with bronchial asthma. In 2020, Sasha, then 17, went to bed one night and never woke up. Devastated by the loss, Olena turned to a psychiatrist for support, unable to cope on her own.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Olena was still in her hometown of Zaporizhia. She immediately began volunteering, transforming her apartment into a hub and storage space for humanitarian aid. “We gathered medicine, batteries for hearing aids, food, hygiene items, anything people with health conditions might need,” she recalls.

As it became clear that the war would not end quickly, Olena expanded her efforts. She launched a Center for Children and Women in Difficult Circumstances. Over time, the focus shifted from emergency relief to long-term support, offering training sessions and educational programs for both adults and children.

Now studying to become a positive psychotherapy therapist, Olena continues her work with renewed purpose. Meetings with her are available both online and in person in Zaporizhia, by appointment.

• casualties
• volunteers
• women
• Zaporizhzhia