Themes by tag: Kyiv
Ivan Moisiienko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor at the Department of Botany of Kherson State University, and board member of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group, has conducted nine expeditions with fellow experts across the territory of the former Kakhovka Reservoir following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam by russian forces in 2023.
Researchers have documented protected plant species, including those listed in Ukraine’s Red Book of endangered species. A unique ecosystem of willow and poplar forests is rapidly developing on the former reservoir bed. This habitat type is protected across Europe under Resolution No. 4 of the Bern Convention.
Experts have also recorded unprecedented tree growth rates. Trees now reach an average height of more than five metres, with some exceeding seven metres. During the most recent expedition, scientists completed 47 geobotanical surveys.
Immediately after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, researchers identified only 11 plant species in the area. By autumn 2023, that number had risen to 69. Today, more than 350 species have been recorded.
Conservationists are proposing the creation of a biosphere reserve on the site.
By prior arrangement, journalists can interview Ivan Moisiienko either in the Kyiv region or online.
Background: On June 6, 2023, russian forces destroyed the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Ukraine’s Kherson region. According to the report Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment Following the Kakhovka Dam Disaster, prepared by the United Nations and the Ukrainian government, the disaster caused nearly $14 billion in damages to Ukraine.
On June 13, a peaceful rally titled “Civilians Are Waiting. The World Must Act” will be held in Kyiv. The NGO “Civilians in Captivity” is inviting international media, diplomats, and representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend an event dedicated to Ukrainian civilians who have been held in captivity for more than five years without the possibility of exchange, access to normal life, or basic human rights.
The event highlights serious violations of international law by russia, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which guarantee the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Organizers are calling on world leaders, international organizations, and human rights institutions to take immediate action to secure the return of Ukrainian civilians.
Representatives of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as families of civilian hostages, are expected to attend.
A public discussion titled “To Show or To Protect: The Ethics of Documenting War” will take place in Kyiv on June 7.
During wartime, journalists, documentary filmmakers and human rights advocates are constantly confronted with a difficult question: how can the truth about war crimes and human suffering be reported without causing additional harm to survivors?
The discussion will explore:
- how visual materials become part of evidence-gathering efforts and where the line lies between informing the public and shocking audiences;
- how to work with former prisoners of war and survivors of violence without retraumatizing them or those documenting their stories;
- how society responds to traumatic content;
- whether there are ethical boundaries that should not be crossed, even in pursuit of the truth.
Speakers will include:
- Maksym Butkevych, human rights advocate, media professional, co-coordinator of the Hope Principle Charitable Foundation, and member of the expert council of the Center for Civil Liberties;
- Alisa Kovalenko, documentary filmmaker, human rights activist, and board member of Sema Ukraine;
- Oksana Romaniuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information;
- Oleksandr Avdieiev, psychotherapist and psychiatrist, founder of 4help | Online Psychotherapy, and author of the book Who Jokes Like That?
The discussion will be moderated by Olesia Bida, a journalist with the War Crimes Investigations Unit of the Kyiv Independent.
Admission is free upon prior registration. The exact venue will be shared with registered participants.
Background: The event is organized by the Center for Civil Liberties, the Hope Principle Charitable Foundation, and Docudays NGO.
A discussion on access to psychological support for Ukrainian children will take place in Kyiv on June 4.
Speakers at the event include Sofia and Yevheniia, beneficiaries of the Voices of Children Foundation; Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation; Nataliia Sosnovenko, head of the foundation’s Center for Psychological Expertise; and Larysa Hretchenko, a lawyer specializing in children’s rights protection and chair of the Ukrainian National Bar Association’s Family Law Committee.
Staff at the Voices of Children Foundation regularly work with children who directly request psychological support. However, many are unable to receive it. Ukrainian law requires consent from a parent or another legal guardian before a child can access psychological services — even when parents are serving on the front line, living under temporary occupation, have died, hold negative views toward mental health professionals, or are themselves a source of danger to the child.
The foundation’s proposals for improving access to psychological and psychiatric care for Ukrainian children and adolescents are available at the following link.
Background: According to a study by Beyond Conflict published in September 2024, 80% of Ukrainian children live with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Access to timely support often depends on whether there is an adult available and willing to provide consent for psychological assistance.
Ukrainian legislation divides minors into two categories. Children under the age of 14 are permitted only to carry out minor everyday transactions, such as purchasing food, clothing, or toys. Adolescents aged 14 to 18 may open bank accounts and manage their own income. However, neither group is currently allowed to independently seek psychological support.
The United Nations has for the first time added russia and Israel to its annual blacklist of parties responsible for conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The organization documented 310 verified cases of CRSV involving prisoners of war and civilian detainees in russia and in russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Most victims were men.
Since late 2024, the Alumni (Graduates) network — which unites men who survived captivity and torture, alongside groups such as SEMA-Ukraine, 29 December, and Numo, Sestry! — had been advocating for the decision. Oleksii Sivak, founder of the NGO Alumni, says the move is only the beginning of a long path toward real justice and accountability for russia.
Interviews with Oleksii can be arranged in Kyiv, Kherson or online by prior appointment.
Background: Oleksii Sivak is from Kherson, a city that was under russian occupation. A former sailor, he survived captivity and torture. He currently heads the NGO Alumni, which was created to support Ukrainians affected by russian aggression, particularly survivors of torture and conflict-related sexual violence. The organization focuses specifically on supporting civilian men.
Ruslan and Oleksandr were mobilized before the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They were stationed in Mariupol when the war began, defended the city and were later taken captive alongside their fellow servicemen. For three years, they sewed clothes in a russian penal colony.
After returning from captivity, the veterans met Maksym Zakharchenko while sheltering together during an air raid alert at a rehabilitation center.
Maksym joined the military at the age of 18, returning from Poland, where his family had relocated after the start of the full-scale invasion. He later left the military due to multiple injuries and concussions.
The three veterans eventually decided to start their own business — a sewing factory called Volotsiuhy (Vagabonds).
They launched production in Kyiv three months ago and are already fulfilling large orders and partnering with established brands. Maksym, Ruslan and Oleksandr plan to expand production and are hiring new employees, including both civilians and veterans.
Interviews with the Volotsiuhy team can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv by prior appointment.
The Go to the Future 2026 charity run will take place on June 7, bringing together participants in Kyiv and online from across Ukraine. The programme includes the Unity Relay featuring veterans with prosthetic limbs and public figures, 2 km and 5 km races, children’s runs of 400 m and 800 m, as well as a 1 km race for participants with dogs.
Among the participants in the Unity Relay is 25-year-old Ivan Artiukh from the Luhansk region, who underwent 15 surgeries and an amputation after sustaining a blast injury. Just three weeks later, he was already looking for ways to return to sports. Today, he has won four gold medals in para swimming at the international veterans competition Air Force and Marine Corps Trials 2026. In June, Ivan will take part in a race on a running prosthetic leg for the first time.
Hlib Kravchenko, known by the callsign “Holden,” is participating in the run for the second time and became the main character of the social video “Taking My Life Back,” a personal story about adapting after limb loss.
Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics is the general partner of the third annual Go to the Future charity run. The event is organized by the Future for Ukraine foundation in support of veterans who lost limbs in combat.
Journalists are required to obtain accreditation.
Background: The run is being held with the financial support of Norway and Sweden as part of the “Strong Civil Society of Ukraine” project.
Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics is a specialized prosthetics and orthotics center supporting patients from their first prosthesis to a full and active life.
The Build Future educational project has launched in the Ukrainian capital, offering talented teenagers free eight-month training in practical physics and engineering at the laboratories of the Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI). The initiative’s organizers have created a space where students can not only study theory but also develop their own technological solutions.
Participants work with sensors and circuits, learn soldering and programming, explore 3D printing, create prototypes and engineering systems, attend mentoring sessions with engineers and technical specialists, and work on their own team projects.
The participants include teenagers interested in engineering, technology and science. The program brings together students who achieved an average physics grade of 9.96 during the previous academic year, including participants in Olympiads and competitions organized by the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Interviews with the project team can be arranged both online and offline in Kyiv by prior appointment.
On May 31 in Bucha, Kyiv region, the event “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” will take place. As part of the event, the Ukrainian national veterans’ team will play an advocacy football match against the Kyiv regional team to draw attention to the families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders.
The Ukrainian national veterans’ team will include well-known Ukrainian football players and former professional players: Andriy Biba, Yevhen Seleznyov, Yevhen Khacheridi, Serhiy Nazarenko, Oleksiy Bielik, Mykola Morozyuk, Yuriy Maksymov, Eduard Tsykhmeistruk, Oleh Sobutskyi, Volodymyr Lysenko, Mykola Ishchenko, Viacheslav Sviderskyi, Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Serhii Pohorilyi.
The Kyiv regional team will consist of war veterans, service members, volunteers, representatives of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, the Kyiv Regional Council, local communities, the National Police in Kyiv region, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
A symbolic installation will be created in the stadium stands: military uniforms will be placed on 500 seats as a symbol of presence. Each seat will represent a defender whose fate remains unknown and a family that continues to wait. Nearby, photographs of missing soldiers, their words, and links to personal stories will be displayed.
Before the match, participants will form a circle of solidarity around the pitch with lit torches. The first kick of the ball will be taken by a child of a missing defender together with a man from Bucha who was released from captivity.
Within the “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” initiative, families and relatives of missing defenders will be able to receive free legal and psychological support from partner organizations and, if they wish and consent, fill out a needs assessment form for further assistance and follow-up.
Journalists must register in advance to attend the event.
Background: The advocacy event is organized by the NGO “Voices of Silence.” It is an association of families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders, founded in Bucha by Nataliia Ilyina, the wife of a missing defender.
Dariia Chorna is a co-founder of the volunteer community “Kyiv Bats.” In early 2024, she joined rubble-clearing efforts as a volunteer following another russian missile strike.
On February 7 of that year, Chorna returned to another disaster site together with friends. Within days, they formed a small team that would later become the foundation of “Kyiv Bats.”
The community also began helping victims with paperwork and access to assistance. Most of the volunteers joining the group are young people. Their main goal is to lead by example and show how people can help and support those in need.
Dariia Chorna is available for interviews both online and offline in Kyiv by prior arrangement.
