Themes by tag: casualties

Nataliia Holubieva, a medical doctor by profession, co-founded and leads the Kherson Oblast Medicine charity foundation, which provides humanitarian aid to hospitals and patients. During the russian occupation of Kherson, she remained in the city, continuing her volunteer work, including sourcing scarce medicines from the Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Following the liberation of part of the region, Holubieva turned her focus to helping residents affected by the occupiers’ destruction of the Kakhovka HPP. She coordinated efforts to resettle those displaced, ensuring they received clothing, food, and medical supplies.

Holubieva stayed in Kherson until August 2023, when intensifying russian shelling with guided bombs forced her to leave for Kropyvnytskyi with her child. On the anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, she established the “United by Kherson Region” Humanitarian Aid Center, which now supports over 1,500 people (560 families) displaced from the Kherson region. The Center also aids residents from other hard-hit areas, including Melitopol, Crimea, and Kharkiv, and assists medical and educational institutions by providing medicine and hygiene products.

Holubieva dreams of opening a medical center specifically for displaced persons, where she can offer both psychological and humanitarian assistance. She is currently searching for a location while pursuing a degree in psychology to further help those in need.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Nataliia in Kropyvnytskyi or online by appointment.

Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. Ukraine retook the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian shelling continues.

• casualties
• doctors
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Before the war, Mykhailo Sokolian worked as a wood processing plant operator. But when russia’s full-scale invasion began, he answered the call to defend his country. After completing military training, he joined the 4th Separate Tank Brigade as a sapper.

In August 2022, while on a mission, Sokolian suffered a serious injury that resulted in the loss of his leg. He was sent to the Netherlands for prosthetic treatment, where he received his first permanent prosthesis. Upon his return to Ukraine, he dedicated himself to mastering his new limb, with constant support from his wife and son.

Soon after, Mykhailo Sokolian found a new passion—adaptive sports. He began competing in events like the “Games of Heroes” and the “Invictus Games.” Most recently, he completed a 100-meter race using his prosthetic leg in an impressive 15 seconds.

Today, the veteran is not only focused on his personal achievements but also on helping fellow soldiers recover and embrace adaptive sports. Mykhailo hopes to promote these sports among the military community.
Currently based in the Volyn region, MykhailoSokolian is open to interviews, available for both in-person and online meetings by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Lutsk

Save Ukraine has established Hope and Healing Centers to offer essential support to children and families displaced by the ongoing war. These centers serve as safe spaces for children returning from russia and families evacuated from combat zones, providing a comprehensive range of services including temporary housing, humanitarian aid, legal assistance, and psychological rehabilitation. Each family is given a personalized program designed to help them recover from the trauma of war and adapt to their new circumstances.

Journalists are invited to visit and report on the work of the Hope and Healing Centers in the Kyiv region.

For reference: russia’s full-scale invasion has displaced and traumatized millions of Ukrainian children, with many forcibly taken to russia. Save Ukraine is a charitable organization dedicated to helping vulnerable families with children through three key initiatives: facilitating the return of children from occupied territories and russia, evacuating families from war zones, and providing rehabilitation and reintegration services within local communities.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv

For over a decade, Oleksandr Chaika taught acrobatics with parkour elements to children. But when russia launched its full-scale invasion, he joined the Defense Forces and was deployed to the frontlines in Luhansk. He first fought in Lysychansk and later in Popasna. On April 6, 2022, a tank shell hit the trench where Oleksandr was stationed, injuring both of his legs. The damage was severe, and doctors had no choice but to amputate one limb.

Oleksandr traveled to the United States for a prosthetic fitting, receiving a waist-level prosthesis that demands immense physical effort and control over his back and core muscles just to walk.

After completing rehabilitation, he returned to Kyiv, where the parents of his former students urged him to start teaching again. He opened his own acrobatics studio, but demand quickly outgrew the space. The veteran soon expanded, opening a second location. Oleksandr not only plans to continue training children but also hopes to support fellow veterans in adapting to life with prostheses.

Oleksandr Chaika is currently based in Kyiv and is available for interviews with journalists both online and in person, upon request.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

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

Iryna and Viktor, from Kryvyi Rih, met at paramedic courses after the start of the full-scale invasion. The couple has not been apart since.

Together, Viktor and Iryna began evacuating wounded soldiers and civilians from the front lines. For two years, the volunteers traveled from one hotspot to another. Viktor proposed to Iryna during shelling in Avdiivka, when the city was still under Ukrainian control.

Last year, the Mironovs founded the Ukrainian Brotherhood NGO, which raises money for vehicles, drones, and electronic warfare systems for the military. When the couple is in Kryvyi Rih, they assist rescuers at the sites of enemy attacks, helping to clear debris and pull people from the ruins. They say their real day off will come after victory.

Iryna and Viktor Mironov are in Kryvyi Rih. The volunteers are ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline.

• casualties
• volunteers
• evacuation

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