Themes by tag: Kyiv

Reconstruction has begun on a building at Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, nearly a year after it was hit in a russian missile strike that killed three people and wounded dozens more.

On June 6, the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital signed agreements to begin restoration work on its medical and diagnostic building, which was damaged in the July 2024 attack. The project, including construction and technical oversight, is expected to cost 295 million hryvnias (about USD 7.2 million) and will be funded by the Okhmatdyt – Healthy Childhood Foundation.

For reference: On July 8, 2024, a russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck the hospital while 627 children were inside. A doctor and a patient’s relative were killed at the scene, and 35 others were injured, including nine children. Two days later, a critically injured boy who had been in intensive care died in a Kyiv hospital. Five hospital buildings were destroyed or damaged in the strike, and medical equipment worth an estimated 338 million hryvnias was lost.

• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On June 27, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing “The Middle East and the great game – How global conflicts are reshaping the war in Ukraine“.

Participants:

– Vadym Denysenko, head of the Dilova Stolytsia  (Business Capital) analytical center.

Key topics:

– Uranium, arms, and oil: How is the crisis in the Middle East influencing the trajectory of the russia-Ukraine war?

– Washington-Moscow dynamics: Will U.S.-russia relations shift following strikes on Iran?

– Diplomatic alignments: As the U.S. leads a complex international coalition involving the EU, NATO, and China, where does Ukraine stand?

– Defense support: Can Ukraine count on long-term backing from the American military-industrial complex?

• Kyiv

YOUkraine Hub is a support space for military personnel released from captivity, initiated by former prisoners of war themselves. It hosts meetings and peer-to-peer support sessions built on trust and mutual understanding. The goal is to create a safe environment and assist our Heroes in adapting to civilian life.

The hub provides free services, including medical, legal, social, and psychological support, as well as organizing off-site events.

YOUkraine Hub invites foreign media to collaborate in order to draw the international community’s attention to the severe physical and psychological consequences of captivity, and the need for systemic support for soldiers who have already been liberated. The hub also aims to raise global awareness of the ongoing situation and help free those still held captive.

Journalists can arrange to speak with hub representatives in Kyiv and, when possible, with defenders who have returned from captivity.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

A pre-premiere screening of the documentary People of Freedom’s Color will take place on June 30 in Kyiv, followed by a discussion.

The film chronicles the non-violent resistance of Ukrainians living under russian occupation, tracing events from 2014 to the present day. It highlights the personal stories of those who stood their ground in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Novoazovsk, Melitopol, and Kherson.

The documentary features accounts from participants in the Yellow Ribbon and Zla Mavka grassroots movements, as well as testimonies from individuals still living in occupied cities who continue to resist. Despite the risks, they paint Ukrainian flags, hang yellow and blue ribbons, distribute posters with national symbols, uphold cultural traditions, and teach others the Ukrainian language.

Following the screening, a discussion will be held with members of the creative team, individuals featured in the film, human rights advocates, and representatives of government institutions and civil society organizations.

Pre-registration is required to attend.

For reference: People of Freedom’s Color was produced by the creative team at The Locals (Tuteshni) NGO, with support from Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and the International Renaissance Foundation.

• culture
• occupation
• Kyiv

Born in Mariupol, 22-year-old Illia Iliashenko graduated from a nautical lyceum and enlisted in the 23rd Marine Guard Detachment of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. From the earliest days of russia’s full-scale invasion, Illia and his comrades worked to repel enemy forces from the sea.

When his ship docked in Mariupol and the commander called for volunteers to reinforce ground positions, Illia stepped forward. He transitioned from a naval gunner to a machine gunner on land. Later, he was ordered to move to Azovstal in what became a special operation, his unit was already encircled. Illia recalls enduring “hell” on the way to the steel plant.

In May 2022, alongside other defenders of Azovstal, he was captured by russian forces after the Ukrainian military command ordered a surrender. Initially, he was held in the notorious Olenivka prison in the occupied Donetsk region and later transferred to Taganrog, russia. It was there that Illia “celebrated” his birthday, in captivity.

He spent 10 months as a prisoner of war. Illia only realized he was being exchanged when he heard Ukrainian spoken on the bus transporting him. The date was February 16, 2023.

After his release, he underwent rehabilitation and began writing a book about the defense of Mariupol. Due to health reasons, Illia was discharged from military service. He now works at the YOUkraine Hub, a support center for former POWs, where he helps fellow soldiers navigate their recovery.

Illia Iliashenko is based in Kyiv and available for interviews, online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

On June 22, Kyiv will host the “Match for Heroes 2.0” charity amputee football tournament. The event will bring together veterans, Ukrainian celebrities, and business leaders to raise awareness for adaptive sports development in Ukraine and support fundraising for the Ukrainian Football Association’s “Liga Duzhykh” (League of the Strong) social project, which helps military amputees reintegrate into active life.

This year’s event will be held in the format of a tournament according to amputee football (football on crutches) rules. Four teams will compete in two semifinals, a third-place match, and a final. Each match will consist of two 20-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime break.

Over 50 amputee football players from across Ukraine will take to the field for the tournament. Ukrainian celebrities will join as goalkeepers, including Yevhen Klopotenko, Oleksandr Sydorenko (Fozzy), and others. According to amputee football rules, the goalkeeper can only play with one arm, so the other will be secured under a special corset to maintain fair play conditions.

Background: The event is co-organized by Mastercard and Oschadbank in partnership with the Ukrainian Football Association. “Match for Heroes 2.0” builds on last year’s successful initiative where amputee veterans on prosthetics first played alongside Ukrainian stars. That inaugural event raised 7.7 million UAH for sports prosthetics at Superhumans Center.

• culture
• Kyiv

The 411st Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment “Yastruby” will conduct free training at the YASTRUBY DRONE CAMP UAV pilot school in Kyiv. Starting June 23, two courses will be offered: aerial reconnaissance with Mavic drones (5-day course), and FPV drone operation (2-week course).

Civilians will learn to operate high-tech drones and master one of today’s most promising professions.

Organizers have condensed their accumulated expertise into a practical curriculum, equipping participants with team-based operational skills.

Journalists may cover the training by prior arrangement.

• Kyiv

Oleksandr Romenskyi, 29, joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces in September 2022. He was first wounded during combat operations near Kherson and hospitalized. After recovering, he returned to the front, serving in the Donetsk region. In 2023, near Bakhmut, Oleksandr suffered a traumatic head injury and multiple concussions caused by artillery fire. The damage left him struggling to see and with a stutter that made speaking difficult. But singing makes the stutter disappear.

Through intensive treatment and rehabilitation, Oleksandr slowly began to walk again. As his story gained attention, Ukrainian singer Serhii Lazanovskyi reached out, and the two eventually recorded a song together titled “Black Cloud.”

Today, Oleksandr performs on stage with Ukrainian artists, including Anna Trincher and the Kozak System. He says he doesn’t dwell on the hardships he’s endured. Instead, he’s focused on building a new life.

Currently based in Kyiv, Oleksandr is available for interviews in person or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

The NGO “Live Despite Everything” invites media representatives to a community workday at the Memory Garden — a unique space dedicated to preserving the memory of soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Ukraine. The event will take place on June 22 in Kyiv.

In March 2025, 38 large trees — a gift from the Netherlands — were planted in the garden. During the workday, participants will install supports and prepare tree pits to ensure the trees root properly.

Speakers:

• Olha Zhurba, co-founder of the NGO “Live Despite Everything”, author of the Memory Garden concept, project lead, and wife of a fallen soldier;
• Olena Balzhyk, initiative coordinator, landscape designer of the Memory Garden, and head of the company TERi-TORi.

Accreditation is required to attend.

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

On September 4, 2023, Taras Kozub was injured and lost his left arm during a combat mission in the Zaporizhzhia sector. He served as a soldier in the 25th Separate Assault Battalion, which was part of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” at the time.

Before his service, Taras worked as a craftsman, making ancient musical instruments such as the kobza, bandura, lyre, and torban, and he taught at a kobzar art school.

A recent video of Taras playing the traditional beggars’ song “There Is No Truth in the World” on the lyre has gone viral online. Taras performs the piece using a custom device attached to the shoulder of his amputated arm. He crafted the lyre himself, in 2017. Taras is also a member of the Veterans Theater.

Journalists can talk to Taras in Kyiv or online by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv