Themes by tag: casualties

Dmytro Khilyuk, a Ukrainian journalist with 20 years of experience and a correspondent for the UNIAN news agency, has endured over three years of captivity at the hands of the russians as a civilian hostage.

In early March 2022, russian occupiers abducted Khilyuk and his father from a street in Kozarovychi, a village in the Kyiv oblast where the family lived. His father was later released, but Dmytro was taken first to Belarus and then to russia.

He was initially held in SIZO-2 (Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2) in Novozybkov in the Bryansk region. In an interview, Dmytro recounted that, during the so-called “intake process”, detainees were severely beaten with batons and fists, thrown to the ground, and attacked by dogs. In May 2023, he was transferred to a prison in Pakino in the Vladimir region, where he remained until his liberation.

In total, Dmytro Khilyuk spent 3 years, 5 months, and 21 days in russian captivity. He finally returned home on August 24, 2025, during a prisoner exchange coinciding with Ukraine’s Independence Day.

By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to speak with Dmytro in Kyiv or in online format.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On October 11, media representatives are invited to witness a remarkable display of resilience and creativity in Lviv, where a Ukrainian veteran will set a new national record by creating a painting from his wheelchair.

Valentyn Oleksiienko, 28, a patient at the UNBROKEN Center, was a tank driver in Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Tank Iron Brigade. His life changed dramatically on the front lines when, after digging fortifications, he dove into a pond to wash off the dirt, struck his head on the bottom, and sustained a complete spinal cord injury, leaving him with no feeling from the chest down.

Once indifferent to art, Valentyn discovered a passion for painting during his rehabilitation. With the guidance of Lviv-based artist Zirka Savka, he developed a unique technique that allows him to create expressive, one-of-a-kind works with his wheelchair.

The upcoming event will offer journalists a rare opportunity to observe Valentyn’s creative process and document the moment he officially sets a new national record. 

Journalists are required to be accredited to attend.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

The project “War Crimes in Crimea” aims to explain in simple terms what war crimes are, which actions by the occupiers fall under this category, and how victims can protect their rights.

Key topics:

– Main types of crimes recorded in the temporarily occupied territory (deportation, violations of property rights, forced mobilization);

– Action algorithm for citizens who have faced persecution: where to apply, how to preserve evidence, and what compensation possibilities exist;

– Activities of the autonomous republic’s law enforcement agencies in documenting crimes committed by the occupation authorities and responding to citizens’ appeals;

– Information dissemination formats: video clips, social advertising, informational materials, and public reception offices;

– The role of applicants in international processes to hold perpetrators accountable.

Participants:

– Olha Kuryshko, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;

– Vitalii Sekretar, First Deputy Head of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;

– Akhtem Seitablayev, Director of the State Enterprise “Crimean House”.

• casualties
• russian crimes

In collaboration with the Invictus Games, the Ukrainian fitness app MadMuscles has created an adaptive training program for people with amputated limbs or limited mobility. The program focuses primarily on wounded veterans and those recovering from surgeries or other injuries.

The MadMuscles program provides everything necessary for safe, convenient, and effective training:

• Six training categories for different physical abilities.
• Exercises from professional adaptive sports trainers;
• Free video workouts that can be done at home.

The program was created by Oleksii Prokopenko, an endurance, mountain running, skyrunning, and cross-country skiing coach, and Nataliia Meleshchuk, a rehabilitation specialist, yoga instructor, and massage therapist. They were both involved in preparing the national team for the 2025 Invictus Games in Canada.

Veterans from the Invictus Games community also contributed to the project’s development.

Journalists can speak with the course creators in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Lee Byoung-Hoon, 58, from Seoul, South Korea, has been no stranger to discipline and danger. In the 1980s, he served in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. But nothing could have prepared him for the front lines in Ukraine, where he joined the international legion to defend the country during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

During one attack, a kamikaze drone hit him, costing him his arm. For 14 hours, he survived with only a tourniquet until his comrades managed to save his life.

Now, Lee channels his resilience onto the soccer field. He plays for “Bartka,” an Ivano-Frankivsk team for amputees and people with limb impairment. While he speaks English, communication with some teammates still comes through gestures, a reminder of how far he’s come and the barriers he continues to overcome.

Journalists can meet Lee Byoung-Hoon in person or online by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Ivano-Frankivsk

Oleksii Prytula is a veterinarian from Odesa. During the full-scale invasion by russia, he defended the country. In September 2022, he sustained severe injuries and lost both legs. He received prosthetics and underwent rehabilitation at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. Subsequently, he returned to work as a veterinarian in Odesa.

Oleksiy joined the national team that represented Ukraine this year at the first-ever Winter Hybrid Invictus Games in Canada (disciplines: curling, skeleton, alpine skiing, rowing on simulators). He also participated in the All-Ukrainian wheelchair rugby competitions. Additionally, he practices archery and wheelchair basketball.

Upon prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Oleksii in person in Odesa or online.

• animals
• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Odesa

Oleksandr Shvetsov, a Ukrainian army veteran who lost a leg in combat and later his home to russian shelling, has given away money raised for his recovery to help neighbors left with nothing.

Shvetsov has been serving since 2014. He was seriously wounded near Luhansk, where he lost his leg. After returning from the front, he went through a personal crisis, struggling to adapt to life with a prosthetic, refusing rehabilitation, and turning to alcohol and drugs. Over time, he overcame those struggles, broke free from addiction, and, after time abroad, learned to manage severe panic attacks.

Driven to help others, he started the “Hero Bus” initiative, which gave dozens of fellow veterans the chance to travel to France and Poland.

On the night of Sept. 10, 2025, a russian strike hit his home and car in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region. A rocket landed just 20 meters from the house, heavily damaging the property but sparing his life. He managed to escape unharmed and saved his animals.

After sharing photos of the destruction online and appealing for help, Shvetsov received more than one million hryvnias in donations within two days. Instead of using the money to rebuild his place, he gave it all to neighbors whose homes were destroyed in the same attack and had received no help.

Shvetsov is available for interviews, either online or in person in Zhytomyr, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• russian crimes
• Zhytomyr

On September 26, the Media Center Ukraine will host the presentation of a research entitled “The role of adaptive sports in the rehabilitation of service members and veterans”.

Participants:

– Hanna Bielorusova, Director at the Centre for Strategic Communications StratCom Ukraine;

– Iryna Pykalo, researcher;

– Alina Sarnatska, researcher;

– Ihor Salii, Veteran, participant in international adaptive sports competitions;

– Vitalina Pushkar, representative of Lisova Poliana Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center for Veterans;

– Oksana Horbach, Director of Invictus Games Ukraine NGO, officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (online);

– Oleh Duchyminskyi, archery coach (online);

– Kateryna Zahorodnia, head of the Center for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council Regional Clinical Hospital (online). 

Key topics:

– The research objectives and what makes it unique in Ukraine;

– Challenges of integrating adaptive sports into the state rehabilitation system;

– The effects of adaptive sports on symptoms of PTSD and depression;

– Expanding access to adaptive sports beyond rehabilitation centers;

– Scaling the research findings nationwide. 

Background: This is Ukraine’s first scientific research examining how adaptive sports combined with rehabilitation can help veterans restore physical health, reduce symptoms of depression and PTSD, improve social integration, and return to active daily life.

Adaptive sports offer veterans new opportunities for recovery by combining physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation. The research shows that sports are an effective tool for helping military personnel transition back to civilian life.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

On October 2 in Kyiv, as part of the 16th Odesa International Film Festival, the documentary Children in the Fire (Ukraine, USA, and the Czech Republic; directed by Evgeny Afineevsky) will premiere. The film documents crimes committed against Ukrainian children during the war, including abduction, deportation, and attempts at forced assimilation.

Subjects include Valeriia Sydorova, from Nova Kakhovka, who survived russian occupation and deportation to Crimea; Yana Stepanenko, who lost her legs in a russian missile attack on the Kramatorsk railway station; and Vladislav Buryak, who endured russian captivity. You can read the children’s detailed stories here.

Despite their traumatic experiences, the eight young protagonists continue to believe in the future and are pursuing careers as athletes, artists, and civil servants.

The film has already been screened at festivals in Monte Carlo, Raindance, and Documentaries Without Borders.

Journalists will have the opportunity to speak with the children featured in the film and the creative team. Registration is required to attend the event.

• casualties
• children
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Oleksandr Ivanko, a retired captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and an aircraft engine engineer, has transformed tragedy into creativity. He joined the military in 2012 and first faced the realities of full-scale conflict during a UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon returning to Ukraine, Ivanko immediately enlisted to defend his country.

His service came at a high cost. Ivanko was severely wounded when a Kh-59 missile struck a helicopter, resulting in the amputation of his leg.

Afterward, he underwent prosthetic surgery at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. During his rehabilitation, Ivanko discovered a passion for music. He completed DJing courses and now performs sets while also playing bass guitar in the center’s therapeutic band.

His performances have reached distinguished audiences, including Ukraine’s presidential couple, Volodymyr and Olena Zelenskyy, and Prince Harry during his visit to Ukraine. Ivanko has also shared the stage with prominent Ukrainian acts such as Zhadan i Sobaky, Druga Rika, Tin Sontsya, and the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic.

Expanding his pursuits beyond music, Ivanko started his own business – an online store offering products for meditation and spiritual practices.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Ivanko in Lviv or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv