Themes by tag: casualties

Before the full-scale invasion, the couple Viktoriia and Bohdan Popov ran their own workshop in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, where they worked together with their parents. The family kneaded clay, molded products, fired, polished, decorated, and painted them. 

At the outbreak of the full-blown war, the front line had emerged right next to Sloviansk, and enemy shells began to destroy the city. In April 2022, the Popovs evacuated to western Ukraine, returning only nine months later. At that time, their workshop was damaged by russian shelling, and after another explosion nearby, it became unsafe to stay in the building, so the couple had to find a new place to work. 

Today, in addition to ceramics, Viktoriia and Bohdan paint tubes from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and shell casings used by the military. The couple auction off war items to support a friend who worked as a teacher before the invasion and now assembles FPV drones for the army. 

The Popovs are ready to talk to journalists, both in Sloviansk and online.

• casualties
• culture

“Swimming from 0 to 1,000 Meters in 2 Months” is a rehabilitation initiative designed to help injured military personnel regain physical and mental confidence. This program, based in Kyiv, focuses on intensive swimming training, specifically catering to soldiers who have lost limbs. Over two months, participants engage in rigorous pool sessions aimed at building strength and endurance.

Training occurs three times a week, with rehabilitation and massage therapists providing additional support twice a week. Since October 2023, the program has seen over 100 participants.

The current cohort is preparing for the Oceanman open water competition, scheduled for June 28-30 in Kyiv. This weekend, they will be practicing at a local lake.

Journalists interested in covering the “Swimming from 0 to 1,000 Meters in 2 Months” project can do so by prior arrangement.

For reference: The program is an initiative of ONE TEAM FORCES, a public organization committed to offering personalized, comprehensive recovery opportunities for wounded soldiers. Its community supports combatants who served before and/or after February 24, 2022, and were injured or traumatized due to the armed aggression of russia.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Oleksandra Knyha and her brother Andrii, hailing from the now-occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, have shown remarkable resilience and dedication. When Russian tanks entered Oleshky and Kherson at the beginning of the invasion, the siblings stayed to help their community. Oleksandra’s friends from abroad sent several trucks of humanitarian aid, which she and Andrii sorted, distributed, and handed out. However, as volunteers strongly involved in civic engagement began to be abducted, the pair had to relocate to Ukrainian-controlled territory

After the de-occupation of Kherson on November 11, 2022, Oleksandra and Andrii returned to help rebuild the city. They organized creative workshops for children in shelters, addressing the urgent need for education and engagement amidst the destruction. This initiative led to the creation of the Kryla Foundation (KRYLA).

The foundation supports families on the right bank of the Dnipro River and carries out humanitarian missions in the town of Oleshky on the occupied left bank. The area suffered significant damage after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka dam. The foundation organizes events and holidays for children in the Kherson region and has arranged trips for Kherson children to camps in Poland and western Ukraine.

Currently, with the support of partners, they are developing a new project called Multispace “KRYLA” (WINGS). This shelter location provides Kherson residents with opportunities to socialize or learn new skills despite the ongoing security concerns.

Journalists can learn more and speak with Oleksandra and Andrii either offline or online.

For reference: Before the full-scale war, Oleksandra Knyha and her friends organized various events and transported supplies for children from an orphanage in Kakhovka. Since 2016, she has worked with children with mental disabilities, designing a collection of casual clothes featuring their drawings. Andrii managed a family business in Oleshky, developing green tourism at a local recreation center with his wife.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kherson

On May 23, 2024, a Russian missile attack struck the Factor-Druk printing house in Kharkiv. The assault resulted in the destruction of more than 50,000 books, including those published by Vivat Publishing House. Despite numerous offers to purchase the damaged books, Vivat’s CEO, Yulia Orlova, declined and decided to send the salvaged books for exhibition at the Library of Congress and various foreign museums.

The printing house is currently assessing the damage and planning its restoration. Orlova mentioned that the Howard G. Buffett Foundation has expressed willingness to fund the purchase of new equipment for the facility.

Yulia Orlova, who is currently abroad, is available for online interviews with journalists.

For reference: Factor-Druk is one of Europe’s largest printing houses, producing books for nearly all Ukrainian publishers. The missile strike resulted in the deaths of 7 people and injuries to 21 others.

• casualties
• dead
• russian crimes
• Kharkiv

The Hospitails project is a team of veterinarians and volunteers who have come together to help and evacuate animals in the frontline areas.

A year ago, when the occupiers blew up the Kakhovka dam, the team set out to rescue four-legged friends from the disaster zone, which marked the day when the initiative started working systematically. Hospitals equipped a full-fledged mobile operating room, which allows treating and vaccinating animals as well as performing surgeries in field conditions.

Within the year of operation, the team evacuated and found homes for about 200 animals. During their trips, 243 animals were vaccinated and treated. 168 “tails” were operated on and sterilized. They also distributed 10 tons of humanitarian aid.

For reference: The Hospitails project is a joint initiative of the Hospitallers medical volunteer battalion and Hvostati Charitable Foundation, which helps and finds homes for animals.

• animals
• casualties
• volunteers
• evacuation

The Sercevir Veterans’ Space has been operating remotely for over a year without a physical location. This April, the founders and participants, including military personnel, veterans, and their families, began renovating a former women’s clinic. Once completed, “Sercevir” will offer its services in-person. Currently, dismantling work is in progress. Injured soldiers, some using prostheses, are personally contributing to the renovation efforts to expedite the opening. Plans include a modern, inclusive gym, an entire floor dedicated to psychological counseling and support, legal assistance, and a children’s playroom for families to use while attending the gym or training sessions.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• reconstruction
• Chernihiv

Oleksandr Shvachka first mobilized to the Defense Forces in 2015 when russia initially attacked Ukraine. He served in the 79th Air Assault Brigade and was transferred to the operational reserve after demobilization. Oleksandr voluntarily rejoined the military during the full-scale invasion, serving with the 95th Brigade.

In March 2022, while in the Kyiv region, Oleksandr was struck by a tank shell, resulting in the loss of his leg. Initially, he was determined to quickly adapt to a prosthetic and return to his unit. However, his recovery required extensive treatment and rehabilitation. To maintain muscle strength, Oleksandr began exercising and was later contacted by the Strongman Federation of Ukraine.

Driven by a mission to support fellow veterans in their training and recovery, Oleksandr co-founded TRENVET, a mobile app designed to help military personnel locate nearby training facilities or connect with trainers, rehabilitation therapists, and massage therapists, all at no cost.

Currently based in Kyiv, Oleksandr is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

For reference: The TRENVET app was developed with support from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, as part of a project by the NGO Association for the Promotion of Physical Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities “Zvytiaha Neskorenykh” (Victory of the Invictus).

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Oleh Slyvar was a professional folk dancer in Lviv region. Oleh changed his life radically in the summer of 2022, when he decided to join the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. Together with his brothers in arms, Oleh fought in the Donetsk direction. During one of the assaults, the man received numerous shrapnel wounds. Due to shelling, it was not possible to evacuate the soldier immediately. Later, at the stabilization point, the man’s heart stopped, however, doctors managed to bring Oleh back to life. The soldier lost his leg, but thanks to rehabilitation at the medical center, he learnt to live with an electronic knee prosthesis. And recently he returned to the stage.

Oleh is ready to communicate with the media online or in person in Lviv.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Lieutenant Oleksandr “Biker” Voznyi was commanding a platoon in the Air Assault Division during an attack on the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhia. A shell exploded two meters away from him, shredding his lungs, spine and limbs. Oleksandr experienced significant blood loss and suffered 7 cardiac arrests. The MOAS team performed desperate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in their ambulance while racing him to the nearest hospital for life-saving treatment. The team consisted of Stanislav Geranin (anesthesiologist), Volodymyr Vahonin (paramedic) and Serhiy Goldovansky (driver).

“I’d lost too much blood and they couldn’t inject any medicine because my veins were buried. But the MOAS medic somehow believed he could keep me alive. He said he would keep pumping me and transfer me to the regional hospital. I’m extremely grateful to the team. Every day I thank God that I’m alive. I’m so happy my children will not be orphans,” says the fighter.

In addition, on June 14, Oleksandr Voznyi will speak in Kyiv at the presentation of the book “Sirens of Hope: The MOAS Mission to Save Lives in Ukraine,” which highlights the heroic work performed by the organization’s Ukrainian medical teams.

Last November, President Zelenskyy awarded Oleksandr with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Third Class. He was also awarded medals by the Mayor of Kyiv and the Commander of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for his bravery and selfless commitment to preserving the lives of his brothers in arms. Oleksandr is still undergoing intensive rehabilitation therapy.

Oleksandr’s meeting with doctors will take place in a small room, so we recommend applying for media accreditation in advance. The MOAS team can also provide media representatives with photos and videos of Oleksandr’s rescue.

For reference: MOAS, the international humanitarian non-governmental organization, has been working in Ukraine since the start of the war and has now saved more than 45,000 lives. It employs 150 teams of all-Ukrainian medics in 50 ambulances supplied with state-of-the-art life-saving equipment. MOAS receives no government funding and relies entirely on fundraising to keep its operation costing USD 1 million a month on the road.

• casualties
• doctors
• military

Anatolii Mytskan joined the Defense Forces with the beginning of the full-scale invasion. And already in April 2022, together with his brothers in arms, he defended the Zaporizhia direction. The veteran was on the front line for more than a year. During this time, he got numerous concussions, which eventually led to a stroke. Anatolii explains that he was lucky, because the stroke did not happen at the frontline.

Currently, the man is in Ivano-Frankivsk and is rehabilitating with the help of drawing. The theme of his paintings is war. In mid-June, Anatolii will bring 15 of his works to Lviv to hold a personal exhibition. He plans to buy drones and EW equipment for the army with the money he will get from the sale of paintings.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Ivano-Frankivsk