Themes by tag: casualties

Sofia and Volodymyr met through sports. Sofia came to a gym in Kyiv where her future husband worked as a coach. She is a trained teacher of Ukrainian language, literature, and history, while Volodymyr is a professional CrossFit athlete and coach with 15 years of experience.

The couple decided to open their own gym. That is how the T11CF sports space was established in Kyiv.

On March 4, 2022, Volodymyr joined a combat unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. He took part in the battles for the village of Moshchun in Kyiv region, the liberation of the Kyiv region, and later fought on the Zaporizhzhia front.

During that time, the project was put on hold. The gym eventually opened in September 2024. Later, thanks to a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, the sports space expanded into a network of two locations.

Today, T11CF is not only about sports, but also about community. Soldiers, veterans, professional athletes, and people with disabilities train there.

Interviews with Sofia and Volodymyr can be arranged both online and in person in Kyiv by prior appointment.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Oleksandr Tereshchenko is a Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran who helped defend Donetsk Airport in 2015. He sustained severe injuries in combat and lost his right arm and the hand on his left arm.

Tereshchenko later wrote the book “Life After 16:30,” reflecting on his experiences during prosthetic treatment and rehabilitation. He also launched the project “I Did It — And You Can Too,” a series of 12 video guides offering practical advice on everyday life for people living with amputations. Using his own experience as an example, Tereshchenko demonstrates what to do and how to adapt to daily challenges.

The project is aimed at servicemen and veterans who have recently lost limbs and are still learning how to cope with the changes in their lives.

The veteran is also launching five-day retreats for veterans with bilateral upper-limb amputations and their families. During the retreats, participants will practice essential daily living skills. The nearest sessions are scheduled for May.

Oleksandr Tereshchenko is available for interviews both online and in person in Mykolaiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Mykolaiv

Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics (MCOP) has provided high-tech prosthetics and rehabilitation services for people with amputations of varying severity for more than 20 years. For 17 years, the center served as an official partner of the U.S. Department of Defense in providing prosthetic care for military personnel involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since March 2025, MCOP has been operating in Kyiv. Thanks to advanced prosthetics and rehabilitation programs provided by the center, more than 100 Ukrainian veterans have already been able to return to civilian life, resume hobbies, find employment, and start families.

The center provides free prosthetic programs under Ukrainian government resolutions No. 321 and No. 518, as well as within the framework of the $11.6 million grant project “Iceland Supports Mobility in Ukraine” and a joint project with Razom for Ukraine focused on bionic upper-limb prosthetics.

Media representatives are invited to visit MCOP Ukraine in Kyiv, where they will have an opportunity to speak with the founders and staff of the center, as well as veterans undergoing prosthetic treatment. Visits and interviews are arranged individually with the center’s press office.

• casualties
• doctors
• Kyiv

On May 7, Ivan Roman, a patient at the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center in Lviv, will open his own business — an archery sports club — together with his wife, Larysa. Roman lost a leg, an arm and part of his eyesight in the war.

The 38-year-old from the Mykolaiv region first joined Ukraine’s defense back in 2014. In January 2024, he was serving as a driver in an aerial reconnaissance unit. He was transporting fellow soldiers to positions when an enemy FPV drone struck the windshield.

Despite severe injuries, during rehabilitation he tried archery and became passionate about the sport. He learned to draw the bowstring with his teeth and to shoot accurately. The veteran now actively competes and aims to join Ukraine’s national Paralympic team.

The idea to open the club was sparked by Roman’s participation in the ReStart program, “From Idea to Veteran Business” — a free business course for patients of the UNBROKEN Center. The course teaches participants how to develop a business plan, understand finance and taxation, explore grant opportunities, and build communication skills.

After completing the course, Ivan and Larysa applied for a grant, won the competition, and secured funding for equipment.

At their club, the Romans plan to develop adaptive sports, working with veterans and also creating a separate section for visually impaired people.

Journalists are invited to attend the opening, where they will have an opportunity to speak with the founders, tour the new inclusive sports space, and see Ivan demonstrate his archery skills.

Media accreditation is required.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Vadym Letunov, 34, is a corporal serving with Ukraine’s 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade. In late February, heavy enemy shelling destroyed his position and killed one of his comrades. Barefoot, Letunov managed to reach the nearest surviving dugout — only to discover it was occupied by a russian soldier, a former prisoner mobilized to fight against Ukraine.

Because the occupier was armed, Letunov effectively became his captive. Realizing that survival depended on gaining the soldier’s trust, he spent two weeks carefully navigating the situation. According to Letunov, the russian soldier showed severe mood swings and repeatedly threatened to execute him.

Conditions inside the dugout were extreme. Food and water were nearly gone, and Ukrainian command had already informed Letunov’s mother that he was presumed dead.

Over time, Letunov convinced the russian soldier that their only chance of survival was to surrender to Ukrainian forces. When supplies finally ran out, the two moved toward Ukrainian positions.

To avoid being mistaken for the enemy by Ukrainian drones, Letunov made a sign displaying his call sign and brigade number. When a Ukrainian drone appeared overhead, he dropped to his knees beside the sign to identify himself.

Ukrainian troops first delivered food, water, and a radio by drone. Shortly afterward, an armored vehicle arrived, evacuating Letunov and taking the russian soldier into captivity. Letunov is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Odesa after losing a toe due to gangrene caused by the conditions in the dugout.

Vadym Letunov is available for interviews online or in person in Odesa by prior arrangement and with approval from his press officer.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Odesa

Participants: 

– Alona Krytsuk, Director and Co-founder of  Brave to Rebuild;

– Kateryna Raputa, Coordinator for Shelling Recovery at Brave to Rebuild;

– Natalia Klimova, Coordinator of the Askold and Dir Foundation;

– Maksym Petrenko, Head of the NGO National Platform of Homeowners’ Associations;

– Representative of the Dnipro District State Administration of Kyiv

Topics for discussion: 

– Challenges faced by Kyiv residents affected by enemy shelling; 

– Step-by-step instructions, contact information for services, and application templates—everything needed to take action after a strike;

– Presentation of the POKROKOVO project (pokrokovo.in.ua). 
Media accreditation by 12:00 PM on May 3.

• casualties
• Kyiv

Five Ukrainian veterans will participate in the international open-water swimming competition Oceanman Lago d’Orta (Italy). They will compete in the 2 km and 5.5 km distances.

All members of the team are veterans with amputations and severe injuries. Each has gone through war, prolonged medical treatment, and rehabilitation. They are currently preparing for the international competition and train four times a week.

Team Members:

• Ivan Khalupa — veteran of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. He lost a leg in combat. Swimming became part of his systematic rehabilitation. He has experience in international competitions.
• Ihor Oliinyk — veteran of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He began swimming after being wounded to restore psychological balance.
• Serhii Khrapko — lost an arm and a leg in 2015. Member of the national Invictus Games team and a participant in the national selection for the Warrior Games.
• Volodymyr Shanayda — was wounded in 2023. After a year of treatment, he began swimming. Oceanman will be his first international competition.
• Ihor Bystryi — combat veteran since 2016. He was wounded in 2022 by a cluster munition. After rehabilitation, he continues his sports training.

The project aims to support veterans’ participation in an international sporting event and highlight the role of sport in physical and psychological rehabilitation. It promotes the development of veteran sports and raises awareness of recovery through sport.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover training sessions in Kyiv.

Background: The project is implemented by the charitable foundation YANKO Fund. Logistical support is provided by the concierge service FlyPoint. The team trains under the supervision of medical specialists, coaches, and rehabilitation professionals. The Oceanman organizing committee has provided the athletes with complimentary entry passes for the competition.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

A rehabilitation sailing trip will begin in Greece on May 9, bringing together 25 Ukrainian service members with amputations as well as former prisoners of war. Participants will cover around 200 nautical miles.

“Titans Under Sail” is a charitable project that offers Ukrainian defenders physical and psychological rehabilitation through sailing.

During the seven-day journey, participants learn to operate a catamaran, face the challenges of the open sea and work as a team. The experience helps restore mobility and supports psychological recovery and reintegration.

Media can cover the sailing rehabilitation program online or in person in Athens, Greece. Interviews with participants and organizers are available upon request, and photo and video materials can also be provided.

Background: In 2025, similar rehabilitation sailing trips took place in the Canary Islands, Greece and Croatia. The project is run by the NGO Titans Under Sail.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• prisoners

Vladyslav and Stanislav Chuhuienko are twin brothers from Zaporizhzhia. From an early age, Stanislav dreamed of becoming a soldier, and his brother supported his decision. Together, they entered the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy in Lviv and later joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps.

The Chuhuienko brothers fought in the Donetsk sector and were in Mariupol at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion. During one of the missions, Vladyslav sustained shrapnel wounds to his legs. He was evacuated to a hospital and later transferred to the Illich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, where the brigade command was stationed.

On April 4, 2022, Vladyslav and Stanislav were taken prisoner. At first, they were held together, but were later separated. In captivity, Vladyslav was subjected to torture, beatings, and electric shocks. He was returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange on August 14, 2025. While in captivity, he believed his brother had already returned home. Only after his release did he learn that Stanislav remains in russian captivity. Vladyslav now takes part in rallies supporting prisoners of war and missing persons and is waiting for the return of his closest person.

Vladyslav Chuhuienko can be contacted both online and in person in Lviv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Franky and Сoen — two Dutch entrepreneurs — have been continuously providing humanitarian assistance across Ukraine. What began as a small initiative at the Polish border, where they distributed free French fries to refugees, has grown into a large-scale humanitarian effort spanning the country, including frontline areas.

Today, their work includes:

• distributing hundreds of thousands of hot meals;
• evacuating people and animals from frontline areas;
• delivering medical supplies, food, and humanitarian aid;
• providing financial support to vulnerable families;
• operating a shelter for internally displaced people in Dnipro (Holland House); a second Holland House is set to open in western Ukraine in the coming months, expanding support capacity for more than 100 additional people;
• organizing recovery trips for children affected by the war.

The volunteers are well known in the Netherlands not only for their work in Ukraine but also for how they communicate it. Through social media, documentaries, and national television, they bring the reality of the war directly into Dutch homes.

Franky and Сoen experienced the reality of war firsthand while dining at the Ria Pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk. On June 27, 2023, a russian missile strike hit the city center, killing 13 people and injuring 64 others, including the Dutch volunteers.

By prior arrangement, journalists can meet Franky and Сoen in Kyiv (April 15), Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region. Online interviews are also available.

• casualties
• food
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• evacuation