Themes by tag: Kyiv

The NGO Every Animal, together with dietitian Mark Shpara and partners Macro-2019 and Eat Me At, has developed seven-day plant-based meal kits for the military. The goal is to provide plant-based food to vegan and vegetarian soldiers, as well as those who avoid animal products for religious or medical reasons.

Defenders can order the vegan meal packs free of charge. Each pack is designed to provide seven days of full plant-based nutrition.

Journalists can learn more about the initiative in Kyiv.

Background: The NGO Every Animal was founded in 2019 to promote veganism and advocate for animal rights. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the organization has delivered 3,450 weekly vegan meal packs to the military. It has also organized ten charity festivals “Vegan Weekend,” raising and donating UAH 4.5 million to support Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

On March 30, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russian occupation, commemorative events will take place in the Bucha community.

The official program includes:

– A memorial gathering and requiem service, with tribute paid to fallen defenders, including candle lighting and flower-laying at their graves;

– The unveiling of memorial plaques honoring prominent Bucha residents Zhanna and Mykhailo Kamenev;

– The “Light of Memory. Bucha Remembers” campaign, featuring the traditional lighting of candles near the Wall of Memory and the Cross of Memory.

Background: Zhanna Kameneva was a volunteer who had supported the army and orphaned children since 2014 and was shot by Russian forces in March 2022 while evacuating civilians. 

Mykhailo Kamenev (call sign “Kaktus”) was a senior soldier and machine gunner of the 93rd Brigade and the 25th Battalion “Kyivska Rus,” a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), who was killed in October 2023 during the defense of Marinka in the Donetsk region.

Bucha, in the Kyiv region, was liberated from Russian occupation on March 31, 2022. During the fighting and occupation, hundreds of civilians were killed. Since then, the city’s name has become synonymous with war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On April 4, Khartia Hub, together with Gretta Tupchii — a student of masters from the Shanghai-based 9 Clouds studio and the spouse of a servicemember — will launch a two-month Tai Chi course in Kyiv for defenders and their families.

Tai Chi is a Chinese system of slow movements that combines physical exercise, breathing, and concentration. It is designed to promote longevity and support personal development. Participation is free for servicemembers and their families, while others are welcome to join for a monthly donation starting from UAH 500.

Journalists are welcome to attend the sessions and speak with representatives of Khartia Hub.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, historian Leonid Marushchak and the team of the NGO “Museum Open for Renovation” have been working to rescue historical artefacts and Ukrainian artworks. The volunteers understood that russian forces would destroy or loot museum collections.

Since 2022, the team has been evacuating works of art, including pieces by Alla Horska, Ivan Aivazovsky, Arkhip Kuindzhi, and Tetiana Yablonska. They have also transported Polovtsian stone statues — ancient sculptures created by nomadic peoples — to safe locations. Each mission involves coordinated efforts between volunteers, government representatives, and the military.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Leonid Marushchak and the team of the NGO “Museum Open for Renovation” both online and offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• culture
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On April 2–3, Kyiv will host the FORUM-PRACTICUM: ADAPTIVE AND INCLUSIVE, an event aimed at supporting veterans in rehabilitation, recovery, and overcoming stress. The initiative also seeks to build a community focused on support and the exchange of experience among centers and organizations that work with or plan to support veterans.

The event is intended for fitness trainers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, volunteers, and active individuals from various fields who are interested in working with veterans and people with disabilities.

Journalists are required to register in advance.

• culture
• Kyiv

Participants:
– Tetiana Skrypka, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament;
– Sofia Yudina, Mentorship Development Manager and active mentor;
– Alina Lepska, Program Coordinator at the Coordination Center for the Development of Family Upbringing and Child Care;
– Kyrylo Nevdokha, Head of the DIiMO Office at the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine;
– Lina Deshvar, expert in the field of support for children and youth with disabilities.

Topics for discussion:
– Key changes in the law on mentoring;
– How can you get involved in mentoring or support its development?
– What are the specific features of mentoring for children and youth with disabilities?

• children
• Kyiv

On March 31, journalists are invited to attend a press conference in Kyiv dedicated to the official launch of the Japanese company Terra Drone in Ukraine. The drone technology company is entering the Ukrainian market and has already made its first investments in local defense tech developments.

The event will focus on the prospects of Ukraine’s industry, scaling production, expanding local solutions to international markets, and attracting investment into the defense tech sector.

For security reasons, the venue details and the agenda of the press conference will be shared upon registration.

Background: Terra Drone Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Japan and one of the world’s leading providers of drone services. The company generates more than half of its revenue outside Japan and is preparing for an IPO in the coming years.

Its core business areas include surveying, inspection, agriculture, and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM), combining hardware, software, and data-driven solutions. Terra Drone is also expanding into security and defense-related technologies, including drone monitoring and counter-drone systems.

• Kyiv

The charitable foundation savED, with support from Education Cannot Wait, has opened “Vulyk” (Beehive), a multifunctional educational hub in the village of Morozivka, Baryshivka community, Kyiv region, as part of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme 2024–2026 (MYRP).

The center hosts school lessons, creative workshops, STEM activities, reading and film clubs, as well as social-emotional learning sessions, and offers an open space for social interaction.

More than 250 students now have access to educational activities in a comfortable environment. Among them are six internally displaced children and five children with special educational needs. The center is also temporarily hosting preschool children, as the local kindergarten currently lacks heating, allowing younger children in the community to join activities at “Vulyk.”

Within the framework of the MYRP, supported by Education Cannot Wait, savED and the Kyiv School of Economics Foundation (KSE Foundation) are systematically supporting education in communities. In particular, savED renovated and equipped the “Vulyk” space at Morozivka Lyceum named after Denys Popovych, providing furniture, books, games, and supplies, and engaging tutors to coordinate activities.

In Morozivka, KSE Foundation also ensured student safety by equipping a shelter at the lyceum, allowing children to remain safe within the school during air raid alerts.

In total, 24 “Vulyk” education centers have been established across eight regions — Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. These centers have created additional learning and recreational opportunities for more than 40,000 children and 12,000 teachers. They operate in de-occupied communities and regions where access to full-time education remains limited due to security risks, damaged infrastructure, and power outages.

Background: According to savED research, in 2025 only 41% of surveyed students in Ukraine regularly participated in extracurricular activities — a rate below average. Among the main barriers identified by educators are the lack of human and financial resources at the community level, as well as insufficient infrastructure. The study found that only 63% of schools have adequate space for clubs or sports activities. This is below the desired minimum, particularly in communities hosting internally displaced persons or facing infrastructure constraints. In the survey, 67% of children attending “Vulyk” centers said they had made new friends there, while more than 35% reported an improvement in their leisure time.

• children
• Kyiv

On March 26, volunteer doctors from FRIDA Ukraine will travel on a mission to a children’s home in the Kyiv region. The team includes around 20 medical professionals, including a pediatrician, neurologist, psychologist, urologist, and surgeon. The doctors regularly visit the facility and provide medical care to children.

On March 28–29, FRIDA Ukraine teams will travel to the Sumy and Kherson regions to deliver medical assistance to civilians.

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the work of medical volunteers and conduct interviews with patients and doctors.

Background: FRIDA Ukraine’s medical volunteer missions are regular deployments of teams of doctors to frontline and remote communities across Ukraine. Each mission includes more than 20 specialists from various fields, including neurologists, surgeons, gynecologists, therapists, dermatologists, and others. During these visits, free medical consultations, check-ups, and tests are provided to local residents. The team has also recently introduced cancer screening services.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Kherson
• Kyiv
• Sumy

Dafna Sosnovska is the co-founder of the “Zavdyaky” project. The idea for the initiative emerged from her frustration with how Ukraine has commemorated those killed since the beginning of the russian-Ukrainian war in 2014. In 2023, she decided to take action, bringing together a team of like-minded people, and the project began to take shape.

“Zavdyaky” aims not only to honor those who died for Ukraine, but also to tell the stories of their lives, dreams, values, and contributions to the fight for freedom. Anyone can contribute to the project, as the team’s main priority is to preserve every memory of the fallen.

The platform combines a database, documentary films, and personal profiles that allow relatives, friends, fellow service members, and acquaintances to share their memories. The team is currently working on an ambitious goal to collect information on everyone who has been killed since 2014 and to create documentary films telling their stories.

Journalists can speak with Dafna Sosnovska and the project team both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv