Themes by tag: Kharkiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Ihor Yefimenko’s Kharkiv-based company was engaged in vehicle repair. However, after February 24, 2022, his team pivoted and began producing Level 5 body armor for the military. After a relative lost toes due to an explosion caused by a landmine, Yefimenko realized that his team needed to develop protective gear for sappers and explosive ordnance disposal technicians.

They used a Canadian model as a base, adapted it to the needs of Ukrainian soldiers and rescuers, and began production. In 2025, the manufacturers obtained a patent for a system that protects legs from anti-personnel blast mines. The product now holds all NATO standard certifications and has intellectual property protection. Yefimenko assures that the Canadian prototype was further refined and that the Kharkiv version differs in design elements and materials.

Each boot weighs four kilograms, and the team uses 3D printers to manufacture the components. Yefimenko explains that the boots are not a panacea; they cannot prevent injury entirely, but they help users avoid traumatic amputation.

Ihor Yefimenko is available for interviews online or in person in Kharkiv, by prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• Kharkiv
• demining

Kateryna Sadurska, a native of Kharkiv, is a champion athlete who has won gold medals at the World Championships and set world records in freediving. Throughout her life, she searched for the perfect swimsuit that could withstand chlorinated water without deteriorating.

Eventually, she decided to create such a suit herself. She chose nylon made from discarded fishing nets recovered from the sea as the material. This fabric is resistant to saltwater and chlorine, and it offers UV protection. It can also be recycled multiple times. Kateryna designed the swimsuits and found a manufacturer in Kharkiv to produce her first collection. The project’s scaling plans were disrupted by the full-scale russian invasion, and Kateryna considered closing production. However, loyal customers kept asking if more swimsuits would be available, so she decided to keep the business going.

Kateryna Sadurska is available for interviews online and in person in Kharkiv from October 7-9 by prior arrangement.

Background: Kateryna Sadurska won first place in the Constant Weight Bifins (CWTB) discipline at the 2025 World Championship, which was held under the auspices of the International Association for the Development of Freediving (AIDA). The Ukrainian athlete dove to a depth of 97 meters, setting a new national record for Ukraine. This marks her second gold medal at this tournament. Sadurska’s collection now includes nine World Championship gold medals.

• culture
• women
• Kharkiv

Kharkiv welcomed a unique new addition to its cultural landscape this week as the Kharkiv Korolenko State Scientific Library unveiled a library bus arriving from Tallinn, Estonia, just ahead of All-Ukrainian Library Day.

The 12-meter Volvo vehicle, a gift from colleagues at the Tallinn Central Library, arrived as part of humanitarian aid. The city administration of Estonia’s capital also financed the delivery of the mobile library to Kharkiv. 

Designed to bring books and resources to communities without access to stationary libraries, the bookmobile is outfitted with shelves holding up to 4,000 books, computer stations, and workspaces for both librarians and visitors. In Estonia, it previously served readers in remote areas, bridging gaps in access to literature and information.

Now, the mobile library will travel throughout the Kharkiv region, where more than 50 public libraries have been utterly demolished and an additional 180 damaged since the onset of full-scale russian aggression. The Kharkiv Korolenko State Scientific Library, one of Ukraine’s oldest and largest libraries with a collection exceeding seven million items, has also suffered significant damage from shelling.

Journalists are welcome to cover the bookmobile by prior arrangement, as it is still being equipped for its new role serving local communities.

• culture
• Kharkiv

With support from partners, the savED Charity Foundation has set up two underground educational spaces in the de-occupied city of Balakliia in the Kharkiv oblast. These spaces will enable hundreds of local children to participate offline in extracurricular activities within their community.

The first learning center, which spans over 110 square meters, is located in the bomb shelter of a lyceum in Balakliia. Since the start of the full-scale war, students at this institution have only been able to learn online. In spring 2025, russian UAVs struck the lyceum twice, damaging the roof and one wing of the building.

In 2023, the savED Charity Foundation, supported by U-Lead, created the Vulyk (Beehive) Educational Center to restore access to in-person after-school classes at the lyceum. There, students could participate in extracurricular activities with teachers. Thanks to KFC Ukraine’s charitable “Star Donation” campaign this year, the foundation was able to equip an additional underground space for lyceum students. The shelter now contains six classrooms and areas for sports, reading, dining, and relaxation. The project cost over 2.8 million hryvnia.

The SavED Foundation established a second underground educational space in Balakliia, in another city lyceum. The institution was damaged by russian airstrikes at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and looted by russian troops during the occupation. With the help of partners from tsukat IT company and Adobe, SavED was able to furnish a learning space in the lyceum’s shelter that can hold over a hundred students at once. The project cost over 390,000 hryvnia.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kharkiv

On September 1, three new underground schools opened in Kharkiv. The city now has a total of 18 secure educational locations: seven underground schools, six metro stations equipped with classrooms, and shelters set up in educational institutions.

Background: Due to constant russian shelling of Kharkiv, in September 2023, children began studying in the city’s underground metro system, where special classrooms were set up at several stations. In May 2024, Kharkiv launched its first dedicated underground school.

• children
• Kharkiv

Vitalii Nuzhnyi, a Kharkiv native, once pursued a career as a professional wrestler before discovering his passion for cooking. He rose through the ranks from kitchen assistant to chef, gaining recognition after competing in the popular culinary show MasterChef Ukraine. He later entered the national qualifier for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or World Championship, where he earned a bronze medal.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Nuzhnyi evacuated his family abroad and returned to Kharkiv to volunteer at a military hospital. Shortly afterward, he was mobilized and took up the role of cook with the 429th Achilles Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems. He believes soldiers’ morale and motivation are closely tied to the quality of their meals.

Today, Nuzhnyi is building a large-scale kitchen to meet the growing demand for food deliveries to the front line.

Interviews with Vitalii Nuzhnyi can be arranged in advance, either online or in person in the Kharkiv region, with approval from the unit’s press officer.

• food
• military
• Kharkiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Honcharenko repaired sports equipment. When the war began, he started volunteering — delivering humanitarian aid across Kharkiv and the surrounding region. Later, he joined the military.

In the fall of 2022, Oleksandr suffered a severe arm wound when his crew came under enemy fire. After multiple surgeries, doctors managed to save his arm.

During rehabilitation, Oleksandr began developing a special training device for wounded soldiers. His invention resembles a treadmill with an overhead frame featuring support straps for arms and legs — essentially an adult walker. This machine helps injured soldiers regain independence, allowing them to walk without external assistance. Oleksandr is now working to patent his invention and plans to increase production in the future.

You can speak with Oleksandr Honcharenko online or in person in Kharkiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kharkiv

The Lavka Deokupatsii (De-occupation Shop), a volunteer initiative based in Kharkiv, offers vegetables and other goods cultivated by residents of the de-occupied territories in the Kharkiv region.

The project’s primary aim is to help revive local agriculture and foster economic self-sufficiency in the village of Studenok, located in the Izium district on the border of the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. Studenok remained under russian occupation for more than three months, beginning on May 31, 2022. As part of the effort, the initiative provides residents with seeds, greenhouses, and assistance in marketing and selling their produce in Kharkiv.

Currently, two retail locations operate under the project, where customers can purchase cucumbers, green onions, young garlic, carrots, zucchini, new potatoes, and fresh honey sourced from farmers in the de-occupied areas. The stores also offer canned vegetables, jam, and cheeses from the village of Khotimlia, which has also been liberated.

Beyond local sales, the produce is regularly shipped to other parts of Ukraine, with items available at partner-run fairs. The project has also established partnerships with restaurants in Kharkiv and Kyiv.

This September, project co-founders Nataliia Artiushenko and Meriam Yol are scheduled to present the De-occupation Store at Young Chefs, an event in Kyiv that brings together chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary startups.

Journalists wishing to report from Kharkiv can schedule a visit in advance.

The De-occupation Shop is a project of the Volunterska Charitable Foundation.

• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

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

Serhii Lisovytskyi joined HALO Ukraine in May 2023. Before the full-scale invasion, he worked in quarries in his hometown of Druzhkivka, Donetsk oblast. After February 24, he enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fought on the frontlines, and was wounded. Following his demobilization, Serhii sought ways to contribute, and volunteers recommended he join HALO Ukraine.

Serhii says that he started in manual demining but felt drawn to machinery: “I had experience with heavy equipment — excavators, bulldozers — and I realized that this was my calling. Now I’m a mechanical demining operator. I do what truly speaks to my soul.”

On demining sites, Serhii often encounters treacherous traps — mines deliberately planted to target deminers. The job demands absolute focus.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Serhii in Kharkiv oblast by prior agreement.

• Kharkiv
• demining