Themes by tag: Kyiv

Speakers:

Vita Dumanska, Leader of the CHESNO Movement;

Iryna Korzhenkova, Parliamentary Analyst at the CHESNO Movement.

Topics for discussion:

– working groups preparing election-related legislation;

– risks of administrative resource misuse;

– whether activists are recording the allocation of budget funds for campaigning;

– “new faces” in politics: should we expect military personnel to run as candidates for Parliament.

• Kyiv

Five Ukrainian veterans will participate in the international open-water swimming competition Oceanman Lago d’Orta (Italy). They will compete in the 2 km and 5.5 km distances.

All members of the team are veterans with amputations and severe injuries. Each has gone through war, prolonged medical treatment, and rehabilitation. They are currently preparing for the international competition and train four times a week.

Team Members:

• Ivan Khalupa — veteran of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. He lost a leg in combat. Swimming became part of his systematic rehabilitation. He has experience in international competitions.

• Ihor Oliinyk — veteran of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He began swimming after being wounded to restore psychological balance.

• Serhii Khrapko — lost an arm and a leg in 2015. Participant of the Invictus Games and Warrior Games. Has extensive experience in sports rehabilitation.

• Volodymyr Shanayda — was wounded in 2023. After a year of treatment, he began swimming. Oceanman will be his first international competition.

• Ihor Bystryi — combat veteran since 2016. He was wounded in 2022 by a cluster munition. After rehabilitation, he continues his sports training.

The project aims to support veterans’ participation in an international sporting event and highlight the role of sport in physical and psychological rehabilitation. It promotes the development of veteran sports and raises awareness of recovery through sport.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover training sessions in Kyiv.

Background: The project is implemented by the charitable foundation YANKO Fund. Logistical support is provided by the concierge service FlyPoint. The team trains under the supervision of medical specialists, coaches, and rehabilitation professionals. The Oceanman organizing committee has provided the athletes with complimentary entry passes for the competition.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Official delegations from partner countries visiting Kyiv these days in support of the Ukrainian people will see the art object — a specially illuminated damaged carriage No. 5 of train No. 103 Chop–Barvinkove, which was struck by russian attack drones on January 27, 2026.

The installation “Pulsating Pain” was created by lighting designer and founder and art director of the contemporary light art laboratory Expolight Arts, Mykola Kabluka.

Light in this work serves as an instrument of memorialization. It does not decorate or soften — it highlights the metal wounds, deformed surfaces, and traces of impact.

Background: On January 27, train No. 103 Chop–Barvinkove was attacked by russian drones: two exploded near the train, one in front of the locomotive. Another drone struck a carriage carrying 18 passengers. Six people were killed in the carriage and two were injured. Around 300 people were evacuated to safety.

The contemporary light art laboratory Expolight Arts works with light as a medium of meaning and transformation, creating light installations, media art, and participatory projects in which technology, sound, and digital tools merge with artistic expression, shaping new ways of emotionally experiencing space.

Expolight Arts represents Ukraine on the global art scene, develops cultural initiatives, and builds international collaborations, shaping a new Ukrainian language of light art.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) invites media representatives to attend the public discussion “Defense procurement under oversight: one year of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense and priorities ahead,” which will take place on February 26 in Kyiv.

In the format of Defence Talks, participants will summarize the first year of work of the current composition of the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (PAC MoD) and discuss key changes in the defense procurement system under the new minister.

The discussion will focus on:
– priorities of the Ministry of Defense under the updated leadership and ongoing reorganization processes;
– the work of the Defense Procurement Agency in the new year and changes following the merger of two procurement agencies;
– results of the first year of work of the PAC MoD, cooperation with supervisory boards and law enforcement agencies;
– practical tools of public oversight: appeals, court cases, and international advocacy;
– further plans and challenges for 2026.

Speakers:
Yurii Myronenko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine;
Serhii Stepanyan, Director of the Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
Dmytro Bihunets, Director of Risk Management and Compliance, Defense Procurement Agency;
Stanislav Haider, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Defense Procurement Agency;
Uliana Chuchkevych, Deputy Head of the NABU Detectives Unit;
Yurii Hudymenko, Head of the PAC MoD;
Tetiana Nikolaienko, Deputy Head of the PAC MoD;
Olena Trehub, Member of the PAC MoD;
Oleh Chernov, Member of the PAC MoD;
Maksym Kostetskyi, Member of the PAC MoD.

The event will be moderated by Yuliia Biehlietsova, Communications Specialist at the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).

Venue: Kyiv (for security reasons, the exact address will be provided individually to registered participants). Journalists must register to attend the event.

Background: Defence Talks is a series of expert meetings organized by NAKO that bring together Ukrainian government officials, representatives of civil society, the diplomatic corps, and media to discuss key trends and challenges in the security and defense sector.

• Kyiv

Participants:
Ihor Kotelyanets, head of the NGO “Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners”;
Tetiana Maletska, clinical psychologist at the “Lisova Polyana” Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation;
Azat Azatian, founder of a rehabilitation center in Zaporizhzhia, former political prisoner;
Yurii Shapovalov, released from unlawful imprisonment, representative of the NGO “29 December.”

Discussion topics:
– a real, rather than formal, rehabilitation system for people returning from unlawful detention;
– what state policy in the field of rehabilitation of released civilians should look like.

Background: Thousands of Ukrainians who have experienced unlawful imprisonment face new challenges after their release — from health problems and psychological consequences of torture to complex bureaucratic procedures. Activists have analyzed current legislation and its implementation and propose a vision for how state policy on the rehabilitation of released civilians should be structured, as well as specific decisions and steps that need to be taken immediately.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In the fall of 2025, the first intake for the veterans’ course “Sapper in humanitarian demining” took place. The initiative aims to provide veterans with the opportunity to master a new, in-demand profession in the field of humanitarian demining, support their social reintegration, employment, and involvement in Ukraine’s recovery.

The training takes place in Kyiv. As part of the course, participants acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills in humanitarian demining, including mine safety basics, identification of explosive ordnance, land survey procedures, work with specialized equipment, and compliance with international safety standards. A significant portion of the program is dedicated to practical exercises in controlled conditions.

Twenty veterans successfully completed the first course. Enrollment for the second course is now open, with the start scheduled for mid-March.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover the training in Kyiv.

Background: The initiator and organizer of the training is the charitable organization “Unconquered Foundation,” founded by veteran Ihor Bezkaravainyi and psychologist Olena Vyshnevetska. The foundation operates in three areas: professional retraining of veterans, psychological support, and recovery through adaptive sports.

The humanitarian demining training is implemented with financial support from the Republic of Slovenia.

• Kyiv
• demining

On February 24, an exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine will open at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre.

The exhibition serves as a reminder of the duration and necessity of the struggle — for territory, freedom, identity, and people. A special focus is placed on prisoners of war, particularly the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainians who remain in russian captivity. An important message of the project is the need for societal consolidation around bringing Ukrainian defenders home.

One of the visual works displayed on the theater’s facade will be an illustration by Kateryna Prokopenko, reminding viewers that not all Azov fighters have returned home, and that their memory must remain alive through action and support.

The sculpture “Dancing Stones” by artist GORN symbolizes the search for meaning. Even stone can take on the form of movement, but without meaning it remains stone. The exhibition reflects on the different roles within the shared struggle and on the purpose that unites Ukrainians today.

For reference: The exhibition was initiated and curated by the Image and Information Department of the 1st Corps of the Azov National Guard of Ukraine. The project was created with the participation of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, which represents the voices of families of captured defenders and shapes the artistic and public dimension of the struggle for their return.

• culture
• Kyiv

On February 24, commemorative events will take place in the city of Bucha in the Kyiv region to honor the memory of civilians and defenders of Ukraine who were killed.

The program will include:
A requiem rally and memorial service honoring fallen Heroes;
A requiem rally and memorial service honoring innocent victims of russian aggression near the Wall of Remembrance;
A religious event, “Light of Prayer over Ukraine,” dedicated to the National Day of Prayer, with the participation of representatives of religious organizations of the Bucha City Territorial Community and the Pavlo Chubynsky National Academic Choir;
The unveiling of a memorial plaque to a fallen Defender;
A presentation of the book “Bucha. Women. War.”

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 21, the exhibition “KHERSON: NOT/stolen” will open in the capital. The event is timed to the fourth anniversary of the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The joint project “KHERSON: NOT/stolen” brings together studies and homages to looted museum artworks created by Ukrainian artists. Its goal is to support the Kherson Art Museum, which was looted by russian occupying forces before the city was liberated in November 2022.

For reference: The project was launched in 2024 as a study of the stolen collection of the Kherson Art Museum. It now seeks to draw attention to all Ukrainian museums that have been looted by russian occupying forces since the occupation of Crimea in March 2014 and up to the present day.

• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Petro Prysiedko has worked for several years at DTEK, where he is responsible for the design and development of the mobile application and online account platform for the YASNO project. During a lighthearted discussion with colleagues about unconventional business ideas, he came up with the concept of a “subscription” service for chickens and eggs.

In 2024, he applied for a business grant program. His startup was selected among the five winners — Petro received financial support and began implementing the idea.

Currently, he has one coop for 20 chickens and plans to build another in the spring. The rental service operates on a subscription model: for 1,000 hryvnias per month, a person chooses a chicken, gives it a name, and receives an “egg box” with 20 eggs. If the hen lays more eggs during the month, Petro donates the monetary difference to the Defense Forces. All 20 birds are already reserved, and there is a waiting list for new ones.

Journalists may speak with Petro Prysiedko both online and offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• Kyiv