Themes by tag: casualties

Valeriia Vershynina was born and raised in Donetsk. In 2014, when russia launched its first assault on Ukraine and occupied her hometown, she and her family fled to Kyiv.

After settling in the capital, Valeriia joined Stabilization Support Services, a charitable foundation focused on assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs). She became part of a working group responsible for developing legislation related to displaced populations. In 2024, Valeriia stepped into the role of executive director of the foundation.

“Stabilization Support Services received funding from American donors, with one of the foundation’s key programs dedicated to helping IDPs rebuild their homes. However, that funding was recently cut, putting several projects at risk,” Valeriia explained. Now, she is working to secure support from donors in other countries to keep the foundation’s initiatives moving forward.

Interviews with Valeriia Vershynina can be arranged both online and in person in Kyiv by appointment.

Background: Stabilization Support Services is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that has been operating since 2016, working to address the social impacts of the war and provide comprehensive support for internally displaced persons. The foundation offers humanitarian and legal assistance, helps repair damaged homes, strengthens Ukraine’s social protection system, and has built a national network of IDP Councils, launched between 2019 and 2020. Its programs span the entire country, with a focus on restoring war-affected communities and improving access to social services for Ukraine’s most vulnerable populations.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• women
• Kyiv

Launched in the summer of 2023, the rehabilitation program at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve has already welcomed 1,438 military personnel. Starting in 2025, the program has been expanded to include the families of fallen soldiers, families of prisoners of war, and former prisoners themselves. The rehabilitation takes place within the expansive grounds of the Kyiv Cave Monastery, aiming to restore participants by immersing them in Ukraine’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

The program unfolds in two stages. The first, a 10-day initiative, includes activities such as archaeological digs at ancient walls, a glassmaking workshop from the 11th and 12th centuries, and visits to the National Museum of History’s Treasury and the Museum of Books and Printing. Participants also engage in an icon painting workshop, explore the Upper and Lower Lavra territories, and take part in worship services. The second stage, “A Day at the Lavra for Military,” allows groups of veterans, led by a lecturer-guide, to experience a full day at the monastery. During their visit, they explore the site, attend guided tours, join in the Reserve’s activities, and visit local shrines.

To enhance the program’s scope, the team partners with independent cultural institutions, public initiatives, and individual artists. Contemporary artists, restorers, musicians, and folk artisans lead master classes and interactive sessions, offering the military not just a chance to observe but also to participate in the creative process.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

On March 4, the Media Center Ukraine will host the presentation of the Amnesty International’s report: “Deafening Silence – Enforced Disappearances, Incommunicado Detention, and Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners by russia”.

Participants:

– Veronika Velch, Director of Amnesty International Ukraine;

– Olena Kozachenko, Research Project Assistant at Amnesty International Ukraine;

– Lera Burlakova, Media and Communications Officer at Amnesty International Ukraine;

– Nataliia Yepifanova, Head of the NGO Warriors Liberation;

– Maksym Kolesnikov, Veteran and Former Prisoner of War. 

Amnesty International’s report, “Deafening Silence – Enforced Disappearances, Incommunicado Detention, and Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners by russia,” draws on interviews with 104 individuals, including former prisoners of war, to document crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in russian captivity.

According to Amnesty International’s latest report, Ukrainian prisoners are deliberately kept in isolation, enabling ongoing torture and systematic human rights violations. Many detainees are officially classified as missing in action due to the complete absence of information regarding their whereabouts. russia’s consistent failure to confirm the detention of certain Ukrainian prisoners – despite credible evidence of their captivity – constitutes enforced disappearance under international law. Furthermore, the report indicates that russia has likely withheld information from the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the status of hundreds, possibly thousands, of prisoners of war. russia’s treatment of both Ukrainian military personnel and civilians in detention flagrantly violates the full spectrum of international legal standards.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 26, 2022, Vasyl Vyrozub, rector of the Holy Trinity Church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Odesa, was taken prisoner by russian forces. He was part of a mission to Zmiinyi (Snake) Island to recover the bodies of border guards who were initially presumed dead.

The Ukrainian vessel transporting Vasyl was seized by the russian cruiser Moskva, and he, along with two other military chaplains and a doctor, was captured. Vasyl spent 70 days in russian captivity, enduring torture. His captors subjected him and his fellow prisoners to relentless interrogations, struggling to comprehend why they had come to retrieve the fallen soldiers. The detainees were forced to sing the aggressor country’s anthem, kneel, and endure solitary confinement.

After his release, Vasyl was honored with the Memory of the Nation Award by Post Bellum, a Czech nonprofit dedicated to preserving the testimonies of war veterans and political prisoners.

Vasyl Vyrozub is available for interviews in Odesa, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

Background: Fighting for Snake Island began on February 24, 2022, when russian forces seized the territory. Initially, reports stated that all 13 Ukrainian border guards defending the island had been killed. Later, Ukraine’s Border Guard Service indicated that the defenders might have been taken prisoner. On July 4, 2022, Snake Island returned to Ukrainian control.

• casualties
• prisoners
• religion
• russian crimes
• Odesa

The Unstoppable Adaptive Clubs were established to support veterans, their families, and individuals with disabilities affected by the war, offering them a path to recovery through physical activity. The clubs are fully equipped and staffed with experienced instructors.

Veterans, in particular, have the opportunity to participate in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

Journalists can attend and report on wheelchair basketball or sitting volleyball training sessions in Kyiv upon prior arrangement.

Background: The Unstoppable Adaptive Clubs were founded by the state institution “Sport for All.”

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Serhii Tumanovskyi joined the defense forces in the first days of the full-scale russian invasion. He served in the 114th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.

In October 2022, his vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in the Donetsk oblast. As a result, he lost both legs, an eye, and a finger on his hand.

After undergoing several surgeries, rehabilitation, and adapting to prosthetics, Serhii made the decision to return to military service. However, due to his injuries, his requests were initially denied. In 2024, he was finally able to rejoin his unit – the 114th Brigade.

Today, Serhii serves in an attack drone unit in the Kupiansk sector of the front. His duties include assembling, configuring, and repairing FPV drones.

Serhii Tumanovskyi is available for interviews both online and in person, subject to prior arrangement and coordination with the brigade’s press officer.

• casualties
• military

Serhii Hrytsiv, a native of Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, endured two and a half years in captivity, marked by relentless torture, starvation, and interrogation. A member of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi, he witnessed the start of russia’s full-scale invasion from the front lines.  

Hrytsiv recalls that the fighting in the Mariupol sector, where he was stationed, began on February 17, 2022. Nearly two months later, on April 12, his commander presented a grim choice: either attempt a breakthrough or face capture. Each soldier had to decide for themselves. Hrytsiv and a group of comrades made a desperate bid to escape the russian encirclement but were ultimately unsuccessful. They were soon taken prisoner.  

Over the course of his captivity, Hrytsiv was transferred 18 times, enduring detention in 12 different locations. According to him, not a single day passed without torture—Ukrainian prisoners were subjected to brutal beatings, electric shocks, and starvation.  

On September 13, 2024, Hrytsiv was freed in a prisoner exchange and returned to Ukrainian territory. Following rehabilitation, he met his future wife, and the two soon married.  

Serhii Hrytsiv is available for conversations both online and in person by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Ivano-Frankivsk

On February 26, the premiere of a film created by 14 teenagers during the “Storytelling in Cinema” course of the Voices of Children Foundation and Ukrainian director Marysia Nikitiuk will take place in Kyiv.

The event will also include a discussion on “Growing up in war: how to help children cope with this difficult experience” with the participation of the children who worked on the movie, the director Marysia Nikitiuk, Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation and human rights activist, Olha Aivazovska, Chairperson of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, and Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Rights and Nobel Laureate.

The film “Generation” was created by young people from all over Ukraine who have experienced the hardships of war: evacuation, forced displacement within Ukraine and abroad, finding themselves in a new place, losing social ties, living under occupation, and surviving in frontline regions.

As part of Voices of Children’s “Storytelling in Cinema” project, director Marysia Nikitiuk and psychologist Dariia Parshyntseva met with the teens for five months to develop scripts. The course culminated in seven days of filmmaking in the mountains, where the young participants brought their stories to life.

Registration required

Background: Voices of Children Foundation provides psychological, psychosocial and humanitarian support to children and families affected by war. The Foundation helps children cope with the psychological effects of armed conflict and advocates for their rights.

The International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV) is a public diplomacy platform founded in Warsaw by Ukrainian civil society activists to engage global thought leaders in support of Ukraine. The Center’s mission is to mobilize the world for Ukraine’s victory.

• casualties
• children
• culture
• Kyiv

“Active Parks” is initiating an adaptive sit ski training session for veterans with lower limb disabilities, set to take place on February 19 in Kyiv.

Training on these specialized bucket seats with two skis underneath is part of a broader effort to create an inclusive environment for veterans injured in the war, enabling them to maintain an active physical and social life.

The session will be conducted in collaboration with professional instructors from Golosiiv Ski Park. Participants will train using Tempo Dualski equipment for seated skiing, a safe and specialized tool designed for adaptive skiing and snowboarding.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

Background: The training is part of the “Sport for All” initiative under the State Institution, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports. It is organized within the framework of the presidential social project “Active Parks – Locations of Healthy Ukraine.”

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Lviv has inaugurated its first social home for severely wounded soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center. The new housing facility is designed to accommodate up to 60 people at a time, including both patients and their relatives.

The six-story building features 24 fully accessible apartments—20 two-room units and four one-room units. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and a bathroom, ensuring a comfortable living environment. The entire facility is barrier-free, designed to meet the needs of residents using crutches, wheelchairs, prosthetics, or those with visual impairments. Each unit is also fitted with a panic button for emergency assistance.

The primary goal of the social housing project is to support patients through the critical adaptation period following their injuries in a comfortable and accommodating environment.

The first residents, along with their families, have already moved in. In the coming months, the building will be further equipped with shared community spaces, and the terrace will serve as a public area for events. This is just the beginning—seven more buildings are planned for social housing to support the UNBROKEN Center’s patients.

Background: The initiative is managed by NEFCO as part of the “Housing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Reconstruction of Liberated Cities in Ukraine” project, funded by the European Union.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv