Themes by tag: evacuation
Since 2014, Dmytro Lozhenko, a Kharkiv resident, has been helping people with limited mobility, the elderly, prisoners, and individuals struggling with alcohol or drug addiction.
In Kharkiv, Dmytro established shelters for those he supported. When the full-scale invasion began, the people he had helped became volunteers themselves, initially focusing on evacuation and reconstruction efforts. Through his NGO, “I Am Saved,” over 40,000 people have been evacuated from frontline areas and more than 5,000 homes have had their roofs and windows repaired.
Recently, Dmytro and his volunteers started a new initiative involving free salvage operations in Kharkiv’s war-damaged buildings scheduled for demolition. They carefully collect personal belongings and transport them to storage facilities where items are kept until owners can retrieve them for their new homes.
Dmytro Lozhenko is available for interviews online or in person in Kharkiv by prior arrangement.
A herd of nineteen horses and foals remains at an abandoned equestrian complex in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where stable hand Oleksii Boliukh, unpaid and undeterred, has been caring for them since the owner fled during the russian occupation.
The facility, once a bustling hub for equestrian sports, was left without management in 2022. Its owner disappeared just a day before Ukrainian forces reclaimed the territory. With no one left to oversee the complex, Boliukh stayed behind, feeding and tending to the animals amid shelling and shortages.
When the full-scale invasion began, there were 28 horses at the complex. They endured months of bombardment, occupation, and hunger. Some were wounded. Lacking proper nutrition and care, the animals’ survival depended on the resolve of Boliukh and the help of a few volunteers, including a local community police officer.
Now, more than three years into the war, the herd has shrunk, some horses have been evacuated to safer areas, but 19 still remain. Several were born during the fighting, under the thunder of nearby artillery. The surviving animals are under legal arrest, as criminal proceedings have been launched against the absentee owner, who left them without proper documentation.
Volunteer Robert Sargsyan has become one of Boliukh’s most crucial allies. He built a stable 60 kilometers away from the abandoned complex and has been helping evacuate and care for the horses, ensuring they receive food, shelter, and medical treatment.
Despite the chaos of war and the legal limbo surrounding the horses’ status, Boliukh and Sargsyan continue their efforts to protect the animals.
Interviews with Oleksii Boliukh and Robert Sargsyan are available in person by prior arrangement.
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.
Before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast had a population of roughly 50,000. At the time, every third household subscribed to Ridne Misto, a local newspaper with a circulation of 6,000 and a staff of seven, led by editor Maksym Zabielia.
Zabielia recalls sending the newspaper to print on February 23, 2022. The next day, the Kharkiv-based printing house stopped responding to messages. Since then, Ridne Misto has relied on the Kramatorsk Printing House, which stepped in and kept the paper going.
In early summer 2024, the editorial team was forced to leave Myrnohrad due to a mandatory evacuation order. In August, the newspaper’s office was destroyed by enemy shelling. Today, the relocated newsroom operates with a staff of four. The paper is no longer distributed in Myrnohrad, but volunteers continue delivering it to hubs for internally displaced people. Despite the setbacks, the team has no plans to stop printing. Zabielia says they feel a deep sense of responsibility to their readers.
Zabielia is available for interviews both online and in person, by prior arrangement, in Odesa or Kyiv.
For reference: Myrnohrad, located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The city lies approximately one kilometer from the front line. As of late 2024, about 3,000 civilians remained in the area.
The latest rescue operation has brought 11 more Ukrainian children back from russian-controlled areas, thanks to the continued efforts of the Save Ukraine team and the support of the President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Among those brought home are two orphans, two children of Ukrainian service members, and a family torn apart by war for nearly four years.
Marharyta, a defender with the Azov Regiment, spent more than three years in russian captivity. Her eldest son, also a soldier, left the besieged Azovstal plant with her. They were sent to different penal colonies, and for a long time, Marharyta didn’t know if her son was still alive. By chance, she saw him during a prisoner exchange, on the same bus. But she still had one wish left: to reunite with her youngest daughter, who had remained an infant under occupation. That dream has now come true. The mother is finally with her children again, and still can’t believe it’s no longer just a dream.
Ostap hadn’t seen his father, a Ukrainian soldier, in three years. His older brother, who fought alongside their father, was captured and spent 1,111 days in detention. He is now undergoing rehabilitation. For the first time in three years, Ostap was able to embrace both of them.
Anatolii, an orphan, was abducted after discovering ammunition in the woods. He was taken straight from a classroom, soldiers burst into the principal’s office, put a bag over his head, tied his hands, and dragged him to a basement, where he was beaten. Just one week before his 18th birthday, he received a draft notice. No one even considered his right to education. The occupiers gave him only one choice: to join a specific military unit. Fortunately, he was able to contact Save Ukraine in time.
Interviews with Save Ukraine representatives are available upon prior arrangement.
The rescue operation was made possible through the support of partners #WeAreAllUkrainians, Humanity Foundation, Reload Love, and the Joint Center for the Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War and Persons Illegally Deprived of Liberty as a Result of Aggression Against Ukraine. To date, Save Ukraine has returned 659 children, including 145 orphans.
Twelve children who endured the horrors of russian occupation were rescued last week through the President’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, with critical support from Save Ukraine.
Among those brought back from the occupied territories are boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17. In some cases, children were sent to camps near Moscow under the pretense of a short stay, only to be subjected to indoctrination about the so-called “russian world” and introduced to their so-called “new homeland.” One child narrowly escaped being taken by a neighbor collaborating with the occupation authorities, who attempted to place her in the russian child welfare system. Fearing for their safety, the girl and her father hid in their own home to evade capture. Another rescued boy, despite being underage, had already received a draft notice for military service in the russian army.
russian forces continue to block families from leaving occupied territories, use children as human shields, and turn schools into propaganda tools.
Denys was born and raised in Berdiansk, a town in southern Ukraine. When he was 16, he and his mother moved to Moscow. A year and a half ago, he returned to his hometown, where his grandmother lives. At that time, Berdiansk was already occupied by the russian army.
Denys’ parents support the war and putin, while he holds the opposite views. His pro-Ukrainian stance caused him numerous problems, and after the full-scale invasion, he was even summoned for interrogation by the FSB.
Determined to escape the occupation and reach Ukrainian-controlled territory, Denys faced resistance from his parents when he told them of his decision. They put pressure on him and tried to intimidate him. However, he persevered. In December 2024, he successfully crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine. On the way, he also helped elderly women who were evacuated with him. Now Denys lives in the Ternopil oblast.
He is willing to share his experience of life under occupation and offer insights into how to escape when even your closest family members oppose your decision and Ukraine itself.
Background: The volunteer organization Helping to leave has evacuated over 45,000 Ukrainians from the occupied territories and russia.
On February 1, Dutch volunteers Franky and Coen, widely recognized for their unwavering support for Ukraine, will embark on their 30th humanitarian mission to the war-torn region. The duo plans to continue their signature effort of distributing fries and Dutch snacks to those affected by the conflict in Donbas, having already served over 200,000 portions. However, their mission extends beyond food aid—they will once again assist in evacuating individuals from frontline areas who are unable to escape on their own. These evacuees will find refuge at “The Holland House,” a shelter run by the volunteers in Dnipro.
Franky and Coen are no strangers to the dangers of their work. In a previous mission, they narrowly survived a deadly rocket attack in Kramatorsk that claimed 13 lives and left both of them with minor injuries.
Journalists interested in speaking with Franky and Coen can arrange interviews with them in Kyiv or Dnipro.
The duo’s volunteer journey began at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Franky, who owns a snack bar in the Netherlands and operates food trucks at events, was struck by images of refugees lining up at the Polish-Ukrainian border. What started as a one-time plan to hand out fries at the border soon turned into a full-scale humanitarian mission, with support from his friend Coen. Their efforts quickly expanded beyond the border. They initially worked in the Lviv region, then moved to areas in the Kyiv region that had just been liberated. Their subsequent missions took them to Kharkiv, Donbas, and eventually to Kherson and Zaporizhia. Over the past two years, Franky and Coen have consistently returned to some of the most dangerous regions in Ukraine, providing both aid and hope to those in need.
Before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 22-year-old Danylo and his father, Serhii, lived in Kryvyi Rih, working as truck drivers. But their lives changed drastically in June 2022 when Serhii was mobilized into the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Not long after, Danylo began volunteering alongside his father’s unit in the Kherson region.
By March 2023, Danylo decided to officially enlist, choosing to serve in his father’s unit to remain by his side. Now, the two work together as part of an evacuation crew, risking their lives to transport wounded soldiers from the front lines. Serhii says having his son with him provides the strength he needs to stay in the fight until Ukraine secures victory.
Looking ahead, Serhii hopes to return to his life as a truck driver, while Danylo dreams of launching his own business after the war.
Interviews with Danylo and Serhii are available both online and in person, pending prior approval from the press officer. Journalists must hold accreditation from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
An unusual operation called “HUR-CAT” was carried out by fighters of the Tymur special unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The special forces evacuated 15 cats from Snake Island and successfully transported them to the Ukrainian mainland.
The soldiers placed the animals in special carriers and transported them by boat to a safe location. All 15 cats were then delivered to the Sirius shelter in the Kyiv oblast. The animals are now undergoing a period of adjustment and efforts are being made to find them new homes.
Comments from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence can be arranged by appointment. Journalists are also invited to visit the Sirius sanctuary, meet its founder and see the rescued animals.
Background information: The battle for Snake Island began on 24 February 2022 with a missile attack on the Ukrainian border guard garrison stationed there. The attack destroyed all structures on the island, but the Ukrainian border guards continued to resist. After several hours of fighting, russian forces captured Snake and took its defenders prisoner. The island was liberated on the 30th of June 2022, when powerful attacks by Ukrainian forces forced the russian occupiers to hastily evacuate the remnants of their garrison.
