Themes by tag: casualties

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, about 8,500 Ukrainian children were left without parental care, more than 1,500 became orphans, tens of thousands lost their homes or were forced to relocate. Children’s homes and orphanages in Ukraine are under great pressure today, their resources are exhausted, and access to quality medical care is limited.

As part of the “Little Hearts” project, FRIDA takes care of Children’s homes and orphanages in different parts of Ukraine. Teams consisting of volunteer doctors of different specializations travel to these institutions to examine children and determine if they need medicines, vaccinations, rehabilitation and surgical interventions.

Pediatricians will visit a children’s home in Kyiv region in April.

Media representatives are invited to cover the missions under this project.

• casualties
• children
• doctors
• Kyiv

12-year-old Yana Stepanenko, who lost both legs in a rocket attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk, will take part in the Boston Marathon. On April 13, the girl will run a 5-kilometer distance on prosthetics to show the whole world the indomitability of the Ukrainian people. Another of Yana’s goals in Boston is charity. She will be raising funds for a sports prosthesis for Andrii Kropyvnytskyi, seriously wounded defender and a patient of the Unbroken Center, who lost a limb in the war.

For the past two months, the girl has been training hard to participate in the Boston Marathon. Yana was invited to participate in it by the American foundation One World Strong, which helps veterans and civilians who suffered as a result of terrorist attacks and hostilities.

On April 4, Yana Stepanenko will hold an open training session for the media in Lviv.

The event in Lviv requires registration.

For reference: on April 8, 2022, as a result of a russian terrorist attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk, Yana Stepanenko lost both legs. The photo of her being carried by the surgeon of the St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital of Lviv’s First Medical Association went viral around the world. Yana received her first prostheses for walking and running in the USA. Last summer, after a year of recovery abroad, she returned to Ukraine. Yana continued her rehabilitation here and already managed to get new artificial limbs for walking from the Unbroken Center’s prosthetic workshops.

The Boston Marathon is one of the largest and most prestigious events in the world. About 30,000 people from all over the world take part in it every year.

• casualties
• children
• russian crimes
• Lviv

In a pioneering move, Ukraine has launched its first-ever mobile pharmacy, now serving the Kharkiv Oblast. Offering over 1,000 essential medications, this initiative addresses the healthcare needs of rural communities lacking access to brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

Under the state-sponsored “Affordable Medicines” program, residents can obtain select medications either free of charge or at a nominal fee. 

The mobile pharmacy’s scheduled arrival is coordinated with local authorities and primary care physicians, ensuring that patients are informed of its planned visits.

Operating with a community-centric approach, the pharmacy’s itinerary is strategically tailored to meet the specific requirements of the communities and the security conditions prevailing in the region. 

• casualties
• Kharkiv

The ‘Doctors for Heroes’ charity project is dedicated to assisting both military personnel and civilians who have suffered facial and head injuries, offering vital reconstruction services. To date, the project has aided 107 military individuals and one civilian.

Under this initiative, skilled surgeons and bioengineers generously provide their expertise pro bono, ensuring patients receive essential medical care. However, for the reconstruction of skull bones, specialized implants are required. Recognizing this need, the Eastern Star Charitable Foundation, the driving force behind the project, has committed to covering the costs of producing these implants for each participant. To fund this crucial aspect, the foundation relies on donations, carefully managing the allocation of resources to ensure targeted assistance. Moreover, it offers ongoing support to patients throughout their treatment journey.

Journalists seeking insights into this impactful endeavor can arrange interviews with project organizers, medical professionals, and beneficiaries in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

35-year-old Yuliia Hryhorieva, hailing from Chornobaivka village in the Kherson region, has endured a harrowing ordeal. Prior to the onset of all-out invasion, she diligently served as a junior nurse at a nearby hospital, while also tending to her garden during moments of respite. Miraculously, she emerged alive from the Russian occupation of her homeland.

Following the liberation of a portion of the Kherson Oblast from invaders, on November 23, 2023, Russian forces unleashed a barrage of artillery fire upon residential structures in Chornobaivka. The indiscriminate attack claimed the lives of three innocent civilians and left five others wounded, including Yuliia. 

Yuliia got shrapnel raining upon her legs as she traversed her yard when a nearby cluster bomb detonated. She mustered the strength to summon an ambulance, though her prospects seemed bleak as she awaited medical aid. Fortunately, passing Ukrainian soldiers intervened, swiftly evacuating her to Kherson hospital. 

Tragically, Yuliia endured the loss of her left leg above the knee due to the severity of her injuries. Additionally, she sustained an open fracture of the fibula in her right leg, necessitating further surgical intervention.

Yuliia accessed the Superhumans Center in Lviv by submitting an online application. Her primary goal is to regain mobility, master her prosthetic limb, and stride with confidence. Recently, she achieved a significant milestone by taking her first steps on the prosthetic device.

For reference: On November 11, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Chornobaivka village in the Kherson region from occupation forces.

• casualties
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv

Leading the charge at the St. Nicholas Clinic is Kostiantyn Mylytsia, a surgeon and co-founder of the Brave Step prosthetic center in Zaporizhia. Established in September 2023, this vital facility was made possible through funding from the Slovak Embassy and a local charity foundation. Prior to its inception, individuals in need of prosthetics within the region had to journey to western Ukraine or seek assistance abroad. Now, they have a lifeline closer to home – the nearest prosthetic center to the front line. Mylytsia stresses the urgency of prompt surgical intervention for wounded soldiers. 

At Brave Step, assistance is rendered free of charge to all who seek it. The center’s medical professionals have undergone rigorous training in the United States, Germany, and Austria.

• casualties
• Zaporizhzhia

In a bid to prevent amputations among Ukrainians injured in Russia’s aggression, the “Save the Limb” national initiative is teaming up with artists. On March 31, Kyiv will host the “Sorrow and Love” charity dinners, with entry granted upon donation.

The evening’s lineup boasts performances by renowned Ukrainian musicians, stand-up comedy by Ramil Yangulov, a DJ set by Bodrov, and a charity auction featuring a photo draw by war documentary filmmakers Konstiantyn and Vladyslava Liberov, aka Libkos.

Attendees will groove to tunes by artists like Dima Libra, GEED (Hidayat Seyidov), and INSHAYA, whose spouse serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Headlining the event is HARNA, a talented multi-instrumentalist artist, Ukrainian musician, and former participant of “The Voice of Ukraine 11” and Eurovision 2020’s national selection.

All funds raised at the event will go towards surgeries for the wounded under the “Save the Limb” program of the Health of the Ukrainian People Foundation.

For context: “Save the Limb” stands as one of Ukraine’s premier programs, offering aid to war victims and funding costly limb-saving surgeries not covered by the state. Since its 2022 inception, the program has aided over a thousand Ukrainians.

• casualties
• culture
• doctors
• Kyiv

The UAnimals team (the animal and environment protection movement) came across the story of Hanna Ivanivna on the Internet. Due to the war, the woman was forced to move from her native Mykolaiv to Kyiv. In the new city, she did not surrender to despair and started her own business selling hand-made mice plushies.

Representatives of UAnimals met the craftswoman near the exit from one of the Kyiv metro stations, where she was selling her products for a small price. They agreed on the collaboration “Animalism by UAnimals & Hanna Ivanivna.” Anyone can buy a handmade mouse for UAH 400. With every toy sold, UAH 200 will be used to save animals from war, and another UAH 200 will be paid to Hanna Ivanivna. UAnimals want to inspire and support women with this initiative.

All of Hanna Ivanivna’s mice are already sold out, but you can pre-order them on the website.

• casualties
• Kyiv

64-year-old pastor Anatolii Voloshyn joined the Mariupol Territorial Defense Forces on February 25, 2022. Anatolii became the commander of the counter-subversive unit. On March 14, 2022, he received a shrapnel wound in a mine blast – a fragment damaged his arm, hit his ribs and broke his bones. The pastor was first taken to a local hospital for a surgery, and later – to Azovstal Steelworks.

In May 2022, following the order of the top military leadership Anatolii and his comrades left Azovstal and surrendered. At that time, the man was emaciated (he had lost 22 kilograms), one of his arms did not function, and his ribs were broken. The occupiers brought the pastor together with the rest of the military to the camp in Olenivka, and later took him to Luhansk region. The pastor spent 295 days in russian captivity. On March 6, 2023, Anatolii Voloshyn returned home in a prisoner exchange.

After rehabilitation, the pastor moved to the capital with his family, learned to roller skate, something he had dreamed of for over 20 years, and now he plans to see the ocean.

• casualties
• prisoners

On March 28-29, Irpin, Kyiv region, will host events to mark the second anniversary of the liberation of the city from the russian occupiers. In particular, there will be a memorial service for the fallen Heroes, the presentation of the Book of Memory of the Irpin City Territorial Community, and an awards ceremony to express gratitude to the benefactors for their help in rebuilding the hero city of Irpin “Every Brick Matters.”

In addition, there will be an unveiling ceremony for the “VOLIA” monument.

Journalists can learn more about the time and place of events. Accreditation is required.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from the russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces completely liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region had been restored.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv