Themes by tag: casualties

Serhii Titarenko is a former military pilot, a combatant and a retired Major of the Armed Forces. He runs “Joint Mission” NGOs and works as a psychologist at a rehabilitation center in Lviv region.

In 2012, the man took part in a peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and two years later, due to russian aggression, he joined the defense forces of Ukraine. In June 2014, during a combat mission near Slovyansk in Donetsk region, the occupiers fired at a helicopter with Serhii (navigator) and other crew members on board. The helicopter caught fire and fell from one hundred meters. Serhii had to be pulled out, his spine was broken. Then there was a long rehabilitation process. The man ended up in a wheelchair. However, this did not prevent him from mastering the profession of a psychologist. Currently, he works with wounded soldiers who have acquired disabilities as a result of their injuries. He helps them socialize and process traumatic experiences. He also provides aid to civilians who have suffered as a result of the war.

For reference: Serhii’s story will also be included in the book “History is not without us: the formation of the movement for the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine.” The book is being produced by Fight For Right NGO for people with disabilities. It will be presented at the end of October.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support

Yevheniia Molchanova and her husband founded the family farm “Green Grove” in Dnipropetrovsk region. With the beginning of the big war, Yevheniia opened their farm for those fleeing from shelling: she took in displaced people and animals rescued from hot spots. “Green Grove” became a shelter for a total of 311 people fleeing from the war with their pets. More than 1,500 animals in need of evacuation, treatment and rehabilitation also received help at the farm. Some of them include: donkeys, horses, pigs and sheep. Animals were brought from the hottest spots, in particular, Mariupol and Bakhmut.

Over time, the farm was reformatted into a rehabilitation center. Nowadays, families of fallen servicemen and children with disabilities come here. Psychologists work on the territory, and people can undergo treatment via equine- and dog- assisted therapy programs.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• women
• Dnipro

Oleh Miedviediev recalls how rockets fell near his house on February 24, 2022. And at 5 in the morning, his frightened son called. He told his father that the outskirts of Kharkiv were on fire from shelling. So Oleh joined the army to defend the country.

Last December, he was wounded near Bakhmut: an artillery shell exploded over him. Both Oleh’s legs were injured: his knee joints were completely shattered.

The serviceman was included in the national program #SaveaLimb. Currently, the defender is undergoing treatment in Dnipropetrovsk region. Doctors performed an endoprosthesis surgery on one leg, but the second one is awaiting treatment as well. At the same time, the soldier wants to start walking again and return to the front.

For reference: In order to ensure limb-saving treatment, the “Health of the Ukrainian People” International Charitable Foundation in cooperation with Ukrainian orthopedic doctors launched the national program #SaveaLimb. 

• casualties
• doctors
• military

Viktor Ilchak is 18 years old. By ethnicity, Viktor is a Roma ethnic group representative. He was born in Zakarpattia and has lived in western Ukraine all his life. When the full-scale invasion broke out, Viktor immediately warned his family that he was going to join the army and defend Ukraine. Viktor’s family tried to convince him to abandon the idea, his grandmother even went to the military recruitment officers to talk them out of considering Viktor’s candidacy. However, the guy stood his ground and fought in the Sonechko reconnaissance battalion. Now Viktor Ilchak is back in Zakarpattia, where he undergoes rehabilitation after getting injured and shell-shocked.

The soldier is ready to have both online and offline interviews with journalists by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Uzhhorod

Liudmyla Tabolina is a Kharkiv resident and teacher of Ukrainian language and literature. In 2022, when the full-scale invasion began, the teacher walked 11 kilometers every day, going through checkpoints and under fire, to get to school. Here she set up a shelter for residents of neighboring houses and a humanitarian headquarters. In early March, Liudmyla also started a canteen for local residents. There were many mothers with children in the shelter.

Liudmyla hid class journals, seals, documents, and personal files of children and staff so that the occupiers would not get hold of them in case the school was seized. It was only in September 2022 that the teacher decided to leave Kharkiv and move to the capital. Today, Liudmyla continues to teach, but in a Kyiv lyceum.

For reference: In September, Liudmyla Tabolina was put on the list of the 50 best teachers in the world according to the Global Teacher Prize 2023.

• casualties
• women
• Kyiv

In the spring of 2022, amidst the full-scale invasion, Ivan Prybylo and his wife Svitlana decided to start their own business. Namely, snail farming. Although Ivan had already joined the Defense Forces ranks together with his younger son, this did not stop him from starting a snail farming business. At the same time, Ivan’s family home, which the family calls his brainchild, has become a refuge for those fleeing the war. The displaced people still stay here today.

When the snail farm had just turned a profit, Ivan’s family learned about the death of the family man. They did not dare to stop the business, because it was the defender’s dream. In addition, Ivan’s wife and daughter-in-law set up a farm camp for children from the eastern regions who had never been to western Ukraine. The family business was also supported by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, which helped the snail farm receive financial assistance.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• military
• Lviv

Olena Yahupova, a resident of Kamianka-Dniprovska, was abducted from her home by the occupiers in October last year. A denunciation was made against the woman for her husband’s Armed Forces of Ukraine service. While in the occupiers’ custody, Olena was tortured. The Russian military wanted to locate her beloved whereabouts. They were also gathering information about people with pro-Ukrainian views. Besides that, Olena was forced into labor slavery by the occupiers, and hostages were pressured to dig trenches. Yahupova did hard labor and lived in inhumane conditions. Olena managed to be freed after more than six months in captivity and is now in Kyiv.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes

Last December, Lviv resident Viktoriia Khemych was hit by a bus right while crossing a pedestrian lane. After the accident, Victoria’s leg was operated on several times, but severely injured limbs salvage was impossible, it was amputated. Victoria was admitted to the Unbreakable Center in Lviv, where she was fitted with a prosthesis. For more than six months, Victoriia underwent rehabilitation and mastered the use of her now mechanical leg. Afterward, she decided to stay at the Center, but no longer as a patient, but as a mentor. Viktoriia supports and counsels the Ukrainian military and civilians who have lost their limbs, coping with living in a new way and preparing to get prostheses.

• casualties
• women
• Lviv

On October 6, Ukrainian defenders will climb Mount Parashka. The event aims to organize active leisure and mental rehabilitation for war veterans and their families. Ukrainian defenders who sustained severe injuries in combat and have problems with their musculoskeletal system attend the climb. They will be assisted to climb the mountain using a special wheelchair.

The event is organized by the team of the Department of Tourism and Resorts Department of Lviv Oblast State Administration. Partners: NGO “Veterans GO”

Media representatives are welcomed to join the climb. Event accreditation is required.

For reference: More than two dozen Ukrainian servicemen took part in the ascent of Mount Klyuch at the end of September. 

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

On October 22, the “Warriors’ Cup” will be held in Lviv region as part of the “League of the Invincible” project. Among other things, Ukrainian defenders will be able to compete in archery, athletics (100- and 400-meter dashes), shot put and table tennis.

As reported, the “League of the Invincible” project for the development of adaptive sports and sports exercise rehabilitation is operating in Lviv region. The project involves implementation of measures aimed at the psychological and physical rehabilitation of military personnel and war veterans (primarily persons with disabilities) with the help of exercise and sports.

For example, as part of the initiative, over 40 soldiers underwent rehabilitation in a two-day camp: they had the opportunity to climb a mountain peak, cross a 16 km river and overcome narrow passages through a cave.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv