Themes by tag: dead

Oksana Starodub, a mother of two from Chernihiv, faced unthinkable challenges after deciding to stay in her hometown when the war began. Her husband, Mykola, joined the territorial defense forces on the second day of the all-out invasion, determined to protect his family and city. On March 6, 2022, russian mortars struck Oksana’s home, leaving her severely injured and unable to move. Her teenage son bandaged her wounds as they awaited help, but continued shelling prevented an ambulance from reaching them. Eventually, Mykola and his unit managed to return home, where a military medic applied a tactical tourniquet to Oksana’s leg before she was taken to a hospital. The hospital, overwhelmed with wounded, was operating under dire conditions. Power was down due to nearby shelling, staff was stretched thin, and resources were scarce. Drinking water arrived only once daily, and food for both patients and doctors was cooked outdoors over an open flame. Oksana later traveled to Vinnytsia for multiple surgeries and, by September 2022, was able to walk on her own again. 

Meanwhile, Mykola continued defending the Chernihiv region until his battalion was deployed to Donetsk. On June 17, 2024, during a combat mission, Mykola sustained fatal wounds, leaving Oksana a widow.

The Children of Heroes charity foundation is currently supporting the family. Dedicated to aiding children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the foundation offers financial assistance, psychological counseling, legal aid, and educational support to help these children grow and thrive until adulthood.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• women
• Chernihiv

Olha Chernilevska is a philologist who worked as a dubbing director and project manager for the translation of foreign films. In the village of Busha, Vinnytsia region, she once bought two houses, renovated them and rented them to visitors looking for a retreat. In civilian life Olha’s son, Illia Chernilevskyi, worked as a screenwriter, he translated songs for TV shows, and wrote poetry and music. Illia enlisted immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion and was killed two months later.

Illia did not tell his family what he saw and experienced during the war, but Olha says his work spoke for him. Olha published her son’s first collection of poems as a gift for his 21st birthday. The second collection was published posthumously. She called it “I am a bird among nets,” taking a line from Illia’s poem. Olha’s son’s body is still in the enemy-occupied territory, and she hopes to bring it back after the village of Kamianka in the Donetsk oblast is liberated.

This summer, a woman who lost her husband in the war came to Busha. After talking with her, Olha decided to invite mothers and wives of fallen soldiers to her estate. The stay is free for them. The initiative was supported by the village community: locals volunteered to cook and the staff of the Historical and Cultural Reserve promised to give them tours. Olha is expecting 15 guests soon.

For reference: Olha Chernilevska will be abroad until November 12, 2024. After her return, she is ready to talk to journalists offline.

• dead
• military
• women
• Vinnytsia

Gala Kozyutynska, a filmmaker and artist from Kyiv, had long dreamed of creating an artistic residence in a rural setting. Though she split her time between Kyiv and Lviv, her heart was set on buying a house in the countryside. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Gala felt it was time to turn that dream into reality. Her partner, Viktor Petrov, wholeheartedly supported the idea, and together, they began searching for the perfect spot. They found it in the small village of Latirka in Zakarpattia.

After purchasing the house, they began restoring it and even named their future creative space “The Attic.” But their plans took a devastating turn when Viktor was called to serve in Ukraine’s Defense Forces. In May 2023, Viktor was killed in combat near Bakhmut, leaving Gala to carry on their dream alone. Despite the heartbreak, she pressed forward with their vision.

In the year since Viktor’s passing, Gala has hosted over 20 gatherings with young creatives at the residence. Together, they’ve learned traditional crafts like weaving, whitewashing clay brick warming stove, foraging for mushrooms, and gardening. Gala is also focused on finding ways to offer relaxation and rejuvenation for those visiting the artistic space.

Today, Gala divides her time between Zakarpattia and Lviv, and she remains open to sharing her story with journalists, both in person and virtually.

• culture
• dead
• military
• women
• Lviv
• Uzhhorod

At 8:45 a.m. on October 1, the National Police of Ukraine will stop traffic on Maidan Nezalezhnosti to observe a nationwide minute of silence. The charity initiative “Vshanui” calls for personalization of the event. To this end, participants are invited to bring to the Maidan a photo of a fallen hero who fought on the front lines for Ukraine’s independence.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

The Veteranka movement has launched the “Plan B Center of Strength” project, spearheaded by Tetiana Borys, whose husband, a soldier with the 58th Mechanized Brigade, was killed in action in February 2023. The initiative aims to reshape how Ukraine supports families of fallen soldiers, addressing their grief and guiding them toward healing.

The project’s key goal is to study the experiences of those coping with loss and use that insight to reform how government agencies work with bereaved families. As part of the initiative, families will receive a bereavement guide designed to help them re-engage with society and rebuild their lives.

Tetiana Borys also plans to share her personal story of loss in a series of articles that highlight the emotional journey of losing a loved one in war.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Tetiana in Kyiv to learn more about the “Plan B Center of Strength” project.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Oleksandr Derevianko was killed by enemy tank fire in April 2022. Together with his comrades from the Azov Brigade he was defending occupied Mariupol. Oleksandr’s mother, Anna, says she felt when her son died, and the next day she received the news from the brigade’s patronage service. Anna describes “Adams” as a passionate young man and a warrior at heart. At one point, Anna found the money to allow Oleksandr to start boxing. He also attended football matches in Cherkasy and joined the Ultras fan movement. Anna says that Oleksandr was someone who young people listened to; he encouraged them to take up sports, while he himself won first places in boxing, combat sambo and free fighting competitions.

In 2020, Oleksandr completed basic training, signed a contract with the 12th Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine, and in 2022 he defended Mariupol. After her son’s death, Anna started attending football matches and getting tattoos. She became a contact person for one of Oleksandr’s comrades-in-arms, who is now in captivity and has no relatives. Anna says she promised her son that she would live, and she is keeping her word.

For reference: Anna Derevianko lives in Cherkassy. The mother of the fallen soldier is ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement. 

• dead
• military
• women
• Cherkasy

On September 8, the “Beloved, I Live!” project will launch its fifth group of support classes in Zaporizhia. This initiative, dedicated to providing psychological assistance to women who have lost their husbands in the war, will welcome seven new participants.

The project was conceived in March 2023 when Yaryna Herashchenko, a social activist, was approached by a family friend grieving her military husband. The idea for “Beloved, I Live!” emerged from this interaction, with Herashchenko and her mother, a psychologist, coming together to offer support.

Participants in the program receive counseling and engage in various therapeutic activities such as archery, yoga, and Thai boxing. The initiative also includes off-site events. For example, on Khortytsia Island, participants wrote letters to their lost loved ones, crafted boats from these messages, and set them afloat on the Dnipro River. Additionally, they prepared and shared meals featuring their Beloveds’ favorite dishes. The women have also been involved in two photo projects: “In Memory of You,” which features images with memorabilia to tell the stories of their husbands, and “Beloved, I Live!,” a photo session designed to inspire renewal.

• dead
• military
• psychological support
• women
• Zaporizhzhia

Oksana Vedmid, 32, was a world champion powerlifter before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Alongside her husband and coach, Pavlo Vedmid, she achieved global recognition by securing the title in the equipped bench press category. But their lives took a sharp turn at the onset of war. When news of the invasion broke, the couple was in western Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains. Without hesitation, they returned to their hometown of Dnipro. 

Pavlo quickly enlisted in the local territorial defense forces, playing a critical role in the liberation of Izium in the Kharkiv region. Tragically, his life was cut short when an enemy shell struck his vehicle during a mission. Devastated but determined, Oksana decided to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces, driven to carry on the fight Pavlo had started. Today, Oksana serves on the front lines, using drones to target enemy positions.

Oksana Vedmid is currently serving on the frontline and is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women

Mariia Peshko raised her son Ivan alone while living in a village in the Rivne region, where she taught math at the local school. As a child, Ivan frequently played in the schoolyard or in a nearby vacant lot.

In 2014, as an adult, Ivan  joined the army. He served for a year before being mobilized again in 2021. His contract was set to end in April 2022, but during one of his combat missions, Ivan Kliuiko and his unit were caught in enemy fire. Ivan was killed. Devastated by her loss, Mariia frequently gazed at the empty lot where Ivan once played, yearning to restore its sense of joy. In a poignant tribute, she decided to transform the space into a vibrant community hub. Using the state compensation she received after Ivan’s death, Mariia, with the support of Ivan’s wife Olha, constructed a playground and a soccer field in his honor. Today, the village of Orvianytsia boasts these new facilities, which have become focal points for community activities. Mariia and Olha continue to organize various events, ensuring that Ivan’s memory lives on through the laughter and camaraderie of the village.

• dead
• military
• women
• Rivne

Iryna Shmatko lost her husband and mother in the war. Iryna met her beloved Oleksandr back in 2014 at the Azov training center, where her future husband was serving at the time. The relationship developed, in 2017 Oleksandr was discharged and the couple became parents of three children.

With the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Shmatko immediately returned to the ranks of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and Iryna took up volunteering.

On April 15, 2022, Iryna lost her mother, Nataliia Strebkova (call sign Zoriana), who defended Mariupol and died during the bombing of the Azovstal plant.

Later, Iryna found out that she was pregnant with her fourth child. However, Oleksandr didn’t live long enough to meet his youngest daughter. He died in November 2023 in Donetsk region. The girl, who was born three weeks after her father’s death, was named Zoriana after her heroic grandmother.

Journalists can talk to Iryna in person in Poltava or online. Iryna is raising two sons (ages 9 and 5) and two daughters (age 7 and an 8-month infant).

For reference: Nataliia Strebkova (call sign Zoriana) was posthumously awarded the Order for Courage 3rd degree. The “Memorial” platform created a documentary film about Nataliia.

Currently, the family is being cared for by the Children of Heroes charitable foundation. The organization helps children who lost one or both parents as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion. The foundation provides financial assistance, psychological and legal support, promotes education and development of children until they reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military
• women
• Poltava