Themes by tag: dead

On August 2, the Code of the Nation Museum near Kyiv will host the first-ever Filizhanka Heroic Coffee Festival, held in memory of Ukrainian hero Artem Tieliebniev, call sign “Talib.” This unique event blends remembrance and resilience, aiming to honor late defenders, support injured soldiers, and craft a fresh flavor of Ukrainian identity through coffee. The musical headliner for the day is the acclaimed Kalush Orchestra.

The festival’s main goal is to raise UAH 2 million to fund the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian service members and veterans. The initiative is organized in partnership with the Revived Soldiers Ukraine, which provides specialized care for those recovering from neurotrauma, spinal cord injuries, and other complex conditions, including pre- and post-prosthetic rehabilitation.

Accreditation is required for entry and must be completed by July 31.

For reference: Junior Sergeant Artem Tieliebniev served as an external UAV operator in the 411th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A committed volunteer since 2014, Artem joined the front lines from the first days of russia’s full-scale invasion. He defended Zhuliany, took part in the liberation of Irpin in Kyiv Oblast, and fought in some of the country’s most challenging hotspots, including Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhia.

For his courage and selflessness, Artem was awarded the Order for Courage, 3rd Class, along with medals for the defense of Kyiv and Kharkiv. On July 3, 2024, while evacuating wounded comrades near Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region, he was killed in a tank strike.

The Filizhanka festival is the brainchild of Yana Berkut, a lawyer, barista, volunteer, and Artem’s widow. With support from the third President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, Vitalina Yushchenko, the NGO Kyivshchyna – That’s Us, and the head of the Hatne community, Oleksandr Palamarchuk, Yana has transformed personal grief into a powerful tribute.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Oleksandra Mazur, head of the Olenivka Community NGO, has spent more than two years searching for the truth about her loved one held in russian captivity. Since May 2022, she has been fighting to keep his memory, and the memory of others like him, alive.

Her partner, Azov Regiment combat engineer Yaroslav Otrok, was among the Ukrainian defenders captured at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Following orders from his commanders, he and his fellow soldiers surrendered and were taken to a makeshift detention center in the occupied town of Olenivka, Donetsk region.

On July 29, 2022, Yaroslav was killed in a blast that tore through the prison. Ukrainian authorities have described the attack as a terrorist act, accusing russian forces of deliberately targeting prisoners of war.

In the days that followed, Oleksandra saw Yaroslav’s name on a list of the wounded. But hope soon gave way to devastating news. In September, a witness who survived the explosion told her Yaroslav’s injuries had been fatal. A month later, the Azov Patronage Service confirmed he was among the dead. His body had been returned by russia.

Since then, Oleksandra has dedicated herself to the Olenivka Community NGO, supporting other families of POWs and calling attention to the crimes committed in Olenivka. Her efforts helped pave the way for official recognition: on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution establishing July 28 as the Day of Remembrance for Ukrainian Defenders who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.

Mazur remains committed to telling these stories. She is available for interviews online or in person, by prior arrangement, in Kamianets-Podilskyi or Kyiv.

• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv

Anastasiia Bolotova met Ivan Bolotov in 2014. What began as a love story would, a decade later, become a story of loss, remembrance.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, the couple was living in Mykolaiv. As the war escalated, Ivan moved Anastasiia to his parents’ home in Kyiv for safety, while he remained behind to defend the capital as a military pilot.

On February 2, 2025, Captain Ivan Bolotov was killed in action while carrying out a combat mission. He was just 24 years old. A fighter pilot in Ukraine’s Air Force, Ivan died in the skies he had sworn to protect.

For Anastasiia, life was split into a before and after. The most precious gift he left her, she says, is their son.

In July, Anastasiia opened a coffee shop in Kyiv in Ivan’s memory. She named it Krylati (“The Winged”), paying homage to the life and legacy of her beloved. With the help of Ivan’s friends and family, she designed the space with care: the walls are painted in his favorite color, a mural anchors the room as its artistic heart, and his favorite music drifts softly through the café. Photos of fallen pilots, including Ivan, hang on the walls as a quiet reminder of the cost of war.

Anastasiia Bolotova is available for interviews, both online and in person in Kyiv, by appointment.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Olena Dovbenko met her future husband, Oleksandr, when she was just 18. Their love endured distance when Olena left for work in Poland, sustaining a long-distance relationship for a year and a half.

When the full-scale invasion began, Olena returned to Ukraine. After just a few more dates, Oleksandr proposed. In April 2023, as he turned 25, he prepared to enlist as a combat engineer — while Olena discovered she was pregnant. Oleksandr served on the front lines in the Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia sectors. But on July 4, 2023, tragedy struck: a shrapnel fragment hit him in the head as he evacuated his brothers-in-arms.

Now, Olena is raising their daughter, whom she named in honor of her fallen husband. She runs a small business and admits she only recently allowed herself to grieve — before, she feared her sorrow would harm her little girl.

You can speak with Olena Dovbenko online or in-person in Ternopil oblast, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Ternopil

Svitlana Sysoieva, a mother of two Ukrainian defenders from the Kharkiv region. Her eldest son, Serhii, was a seasoned fighter and a devoted patriot. At just 17, he joined the Revolution of Dignity, later fought in the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operations (ATO/JFO), and from the early days of russia’s full-scale invasion, served in Ukraine’s Special Forces, often deployed to the front line’s most dangerous hotspots.

In the summer of 2022, Serhii was killed during a combat mission. Svitlana says he wasn’t supposed to be on that operation, but when the unit lacked a medic, he volunteered to go with his fellow soldiers. An enemy bullet struck him in the head. Although he was evacuated, doctors couldn’t save him. Serhii was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” III degree.

Svitlana’s younger son, Maksym, signed a military contract in 2021. After Serhii’s death, he stayed on the front lines. In December 2022, he was seriously wounded, losing part of his leg, and was later discharged from service.

In the summer of 2023, Svitlana channeled her pain into purpose and launched a women’s clothing brand, one that also creates adaptive garments tailored to the needs of wounded veterans. Today, Maksym works alongside his mother, helping grow the business.

Svitlana is available for interviews both online and in person in the Kharkiv region, by appointment.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• women
• Kharkiv

Nadiia Hvozdyk has been serving her country since 2014, when russia launched its initial assault on Ukraine. After her demobilization from the Ukrainian army, she returned to the frontlines in a different way, first as a volunteer in 2022, and later as a driver for the humanitarian mission On the Shield.

For over a year now, Nadiia has been behind the wheel of a refrigerated truck, transporting the bodies of fallen soldiers back to their families in Rivne and nearby regions. She says driving the refrigerated vehicle is her way of fulfilling a solemn duty, helping grieving families lay their loved ones to rest with dignity and respect. For her, this role feels more meaningful than driving other vehicles in the convoy.

Beyond her work on the road, Nadiia also manages social media for the Rivne-based On the Shield mission. She writes about the emotional toll the job takes on drivers, sharing personal reflections and stories of those who make the final journey with the fallen.

Interviews with Nadiia Hvozdyk are available by appointment, either online or in person in Rivne.

• dead
• military
• women
• Rivne

Maryna Muzyka and Dmytro met after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, they lived in different countries, Maryna in Ukraine, Dmytro in the Czech Republic. A former soldier, Dmytro had served in the Ukrainian army until 2019, when he was discharged after sustaining injuries. But when the war escalated in 2022, he didn’t hesitate. On March 4, just days after the invasion began, Dmytro returned to Ukraine and enlisted in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

Their paths crossed in Mykolaiv, where Dmytro and fellow soldiers were looking for a place to stay. The two quickly grew close. Eventually, Maryna moved to the Donetsk region to be near him, waiting for him to return from combat missions.

On July 1, 2024, Dmytro Muzyka was killed in action during a mission in the Donetsk sector.

The couple had often talked about building a future together, dreaming of launching their own business someday. After Dmytro’s death, Maryna decided to turn that dream into reality on her own. She opened a coffee shop in Mykolaiv and named it Mykyta the Cat, a tribute to her fallen husband, who, she says, had remarkable night vision and moved with the silent grace of a feline.

Maryna designed the space with a theme she calls “combat cats”, a nod to the qualities she saw in Dmytro and the soldiers he served with.

Maryna can be reached for interviews in Mykolaiv or virtually, by appointment.

• dead
• military
• women
• Mykolaiv

The NGO “Live Despite Everything” invites media representatives to a community workday at the Memory Garden — a unique space dedicated to preserving the memory of soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Ukraine. The event will take place on June 22 in Kyiv.

In March 2025, 38 large trees — a gift from the Netherlands — were planted in the garden. During the workday, participants will install supports and prepare tree pits to ensure the trees root properly.

Speakers:

• Olha Zhurba, co-founder of the NGO “Live Despite Everything”, author of the Memory Garden concept, project lead, and wife of a fallen soldier;
• Olena Balzhyk, initiative coordinator, landscape designer of the Memory Garden, and head of the company TERi-TORi.

Accreditation is required to attend.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

On June 15, Kyiv will host Memoria Bellatoris, a charity event dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen soldiers from the 6th Battalion of the 12th Azov Brigade.

Participants are invited to join a CrossFit workout held in their honor. Entry is open to all in exchange for a charitable donation.

Organizers say the event aims to commemorate the battalion’s sacrifice and bring the community together in remembrance.

Event registration is required to attend.  

• dead
• Kyiv

Lutsk resident Tetiana Pototska had been originally running a travel agency that specialized in organizing pilgrimage trips abroad until February 2022, Tetiana shifted her focus when the full-scale invasion began. Moved by a friend’s inability to transport her father’s body from Kharkiv to Lutsk, Tetiana stepped in to assist and has since been tirelessly evacuating fallen soldiers’ remains and transporting them to morgues.

Beyond her duties in retrieving the fallen, Tetiana extends her aid to Ukrainians trapped in occupied regions, particularly those with limited mobility, helping them return to government-controlled territory. Additionally, she devotes herself to caring for the children of fallen defenders, arranging celebratory events and outings to the seaside for them.

Through her volunteer efforts, more than 50 individuals with amputations, including civilians, women and children among them, as well as military personnel have been transported to Poland, where they received free prosthetic care through an international initiative.

Those wishing to interview Tetiana can reach her both offline in Lutsk or through online channels. She is gearing up for another journey to Eastern Ukraine soon.

• dead
• volunteers
• women
• Lutsk
• evacuation