Themes by tag: Kyiv

This September, hundreds of Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine will once again gather at the starting line to send a clear message: every prisoner must come home. Registration is now open for the annual advocacy race Run for Freedom, launched on the initiative of students at the Kyiv School of Economics together with historian and professor Timothy Snyder.

The race is set for September 13 in Kyiv, with participants able to choose between 1.5 km and 10 km distances.

For the second consecutive year, Timothy Snyder, professor, UNITED24 ambassador, and longtime friend of Ukraine, will personally take part in the run. Joining him will be military personnel and veterans freed from captivity, families of defenders still in captivity, and all those committed to supporting the return of Ukrainians held by russia.

Participation is free for service members, veterans, and families of prisoners.

After covering organizational costs, the KSE Foundation will direct all proceeds from ticket sales to support Ukraine’s Defense Forces, with a full public report on how the funds are used.

Last year, more than 1,000 Ukrainians joined the Run for Freedom.

Journalists must be accredited to cover the event.

For reference: Organizers include KSE Foundation, DefDev, the national RECOVERY network of rehabilitation centers for wounded soldiers, and the Heart of Azovstal project supporting Mariupol’s defenders. Media partners are ShoTam media outlet, 1+1 Ukraine TV channel, and Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

• culture
• Kyiv

On August 29, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing “Violations of diplomatic norms toward Ukraine and growing tolerance for sanctions evasion: New study exposes russian propaganda in Spanish media”

Participants:

– Dmytro Kornienko, political scientist, founder of the Resurgam International Information and Analytical Community (in person). 

Key topics:

– The scope and quality of Spanish media coverage of russia’s invasion of Ukraine;

– Spanish authors and experts flagged for breaching journalistic standards or promoting russian propaganda and placed in the Resurgam’s “red zone”;

– Key sources and cases of russian disinformation, fakes, and manipulations in Spanish-speaking media;

– Presentation of an open online platform for verifying the reliability of foreign media outlets and journalists, designed to reveal ties to russia or conflicts of interest.

• Kyiv

On August 29, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing “Between Bakhmut and russian colonies: The search for three thousand missing soldiers in battles with PMC Wagner”

Participants:

– Svitlana Merkulova, representative of the I Will Definitely Return Families’ Community;

– Olena Belyachkova, coordinator for families of POWs and missing persons groups, Media Initiative for Human Rights;

– Volodymyr Bilenko, representative of the Search Department of the Central Department of Civil-Military Cooperation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; 

– Anastasiia Shydlovska, head of the department of the Office for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Missing Persons in Special Circumstances of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. 

Key topics:

– Why is it so difficult to determine the fate of those who went missing in battles with the russian private military company Wagner?

– Current search efforts and the tools that are still lacking;

– How to support families who have been left facing uncertainty for years.

• Kyiv

On August 29, Ukrainians will honor the memory of the defenders who lost their lives protecting their homeland. The nationwide moment of silence will be observed at 9:00 AM in the following cities:

Kyiv, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Bila Tserkva, Khorol, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Stryi, Uzhhorod, Myrhorod, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa.

Ukrainian businesses, including Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), are also joining the initiative.

Journalists are invited to cover the event and speak with organizers from the VSHANUI NGO.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Maksym Kolesnykov defended Ukraine during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) when russia first attacked the East and occupied Crimea. On February 24, 2022, he joined the Ukrainian military once again. Alongside his fellow soldiers, he guarded a facility in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast. In March 2022, Russians captured Maksym and held him captive for 10 months. He says that during his imprisonment, he endured starvation and torture.

Maksym returned to his homeland on February 4, 2023. A photo was taken during the prisoner exchange of Maksym gazing at an apple — a poignant moment, as he had not seen fresh fruit or vegetables during his captivity. This image quickly spread across the media and social networks.

After rehabilitation, he decided to return to service. Now, in collaboration with the charity foundation Vesta, Maksym gives lectures to social workers who assist veterans on how to communicate with former prisoners of war. The primary goal is to improve interactions with former captives and prevent retraumatization.

Interviews with Maksym Kolesnykov can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv with prior agreement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On August 28, the exhibition Ukraine in Miniature, marking the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, will open in the Refectory Chamber of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.

The exhibition showcases 3D models of iconic architectural landmarks, from Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral and Lviv’s St. George’s Cathedral to the Ivano-Frankivsk Drama Theater and Hotel Ukraine in Luhansk, painstakingly recreated by the Skeiron studio team.

Several of the structures now exist only in digital form, including the Donetsk Drama Theater in Mariupol and the Skovoroda Museum in the Kharkiv region, both destroyed during russia’s invasion.

The exhibition incorporates advanced technologies, offering VR tours, musical works by Ukrainian composers, and video installations that give the monuments “voices” and allow visitors to immerse themselves in their atmosphere. The project has already been shown in Finland, Latvia, France, Hungary, and Germany, and will now be presented in Kyiv for the first time.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Maryna Bohush’s husband’s brother joined the territorial defense. In May 2022, he was deployed to reinforce positions near Bakhmut and went missing. At the time, Maryna was on maternity leave, but she began attending every available event in hopes of learning what happened to her relative. In 2023, she founded the Women of the Territorial Defense Forces Association of Families of Territorial Defense Defenders, which now unites families from 25 territorial defense brigades of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

During one of her search trips, Maryna met Iryna Taranova. Iryna’s son had enlisted in the first days of the war and disappeared in December 2022 near Bakhmut. The women decided to join efforts in their search, leading to the creation of the WOMEN’S FAMILY NGO. The group’s co-founder, opera singer Olena Hrebeniuk, also plays a key role by engaging artists in the organization’s events. Regional coordinators across Ukraine provide additional support to the team.

By prior arrangement, journalists may meet with Maryna Bohush and Iryna Taranova in Kyiv. Relatives of missing persons will also be available for interviews on August 29 during the nationwide event Silent Voices: When Absence Screams, dedicated to the International Day of the Disappeared.

• military
• women
• Kyiv

Daria Ulman is the wife of soldier Kyrylo Ulman, who was killed in action on February 15, 2024. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Daria’s husband joined the ranks of the Volunteer Territorial Defense Unit in Dnipro, established by veterans of the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. In December 2022, he became part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade as a member of an anti-tank battalion. Kyrylo was killed by a sniper’s bullet.

Daria shares that her husband was passionate about military affairs. After his death, she regretted not having started training alongside Kyrylo. Over the past year, Daria has completed six courses and undergone two full-scale training programs. She later founded her own community, which focuses on military training for women, naming it Community Ulman in honor of her fallen beloved.

To date, 30 women have already participated in the training sessions, and the project has successfully donated 76,000 hryvnias to Kyrylo’s fellow soldiers.

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the training sessions, which will take place in Kyiv on August 30–31.

Interviews with Daria Ulman can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv, by prior agreement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

For the first time in the history of Ukrainian football, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) is launching the Ukrainian Amputee Football Championship — a major event in adaptive sports. (Amputee football is a sport for individuals with limb amputations or congenital limb deficiencies).

The championship will run from September to December and will be held in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The first gathering round will take place from August 29 to 31 in Kyiv. The champion will represent Ukraine in the EAFF (European Amputee Football Federation) Champions League in 2026.

Participating teams from across Ukraine include MSC Dnipro (Cherkasy), Pokrova AMP (Lviv), Shakhtar Stalevi (Donetsk), Burevii (Kyiv oblast), Hrestonosci (Lutsk), Vinnytsia AMP (Vinnytsia), Nezlamni (Kharkiv), Tytany (Zhytomyr), FC Bartka (Ivano-Frankivsk), Vikinhy (Ternopil).

Background: The tournament is organized with the support of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Agency for Mass Sports of Ukraine.

One of the key strategic priorities of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) is the development of social projects that transform society and create opportunities for everyone. The project for the development of amputee football is one such initiative, as there are over 100,000 individuals with limb amputations in Ukraine.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

The meeting between the leaders of the two nations in Alaska made it clear that, despite hopes for Western support, Ukraine must develop its own strategy to ensure the country’s resilience amid constant threats from Russia. At the same time, broad international support and steadily increasing pressure on the aggressor remain crucial for successfully implementing such a strategy.

In light of this evolving context and new challenges, the Crimea Platform Expert Network has initiated the Fourth International Forum. During the event, leading Ukrainian and international experts, alongside government representatives, will analyze the current situation and develop recommendations for Ukraine and its international partners.

Forum participants include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, international analytical centers, non-governmental organizations, independent experts, human rights defenders, and representatives from the diplomatic corps.

The Media Center Ukraine is the information partner of the forum.

The event will take place on August 28. Registration for the event is required. The location will be confirmed upon accreditation approval.

Organizers: The Crimea Platform Expert Network, with the support of the Office of the Crimea Platform, the Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

• occupation
• Kyiv