Themes by tag: Kyiv

Participants:

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

– Natalia Shubak, mother of a conscript soldier missing in action near Soledar;

– Oleh Hushchyn, representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War;

– Representative of the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances;

– Representative of the Headquarters of the National Guard of Ukraine. 

Key topics: 

– Why the deployment of pre-war conscripts to frontline combat remains largely unaddressed;

– Inequalities in military benefits for pre-war conscripts and their families compared with contract soldiers and soldiers called up for wartime service;

– Pathways to ensure pre-war conscripts are prioritized in prisoner exchanges under the Istanbul Agreements. 

Background: When russia’s full-scale invasion began, conscripts from National Guard 3017 Spartan Military Unit, enlisted under peacetime obligations and stationed in Kharkiv with families expecting their eventual demobilization, remained in service. In 2023, instead of returning home, these conscripts were deployed to the Bakhmut front, where fighting was at its most intense. Currently, at least 35 National Guard conscripts remain missing or in captivity.

• military
• Kyiv

Oksana and Volodymyr met in 2020 through social media. The couple was together for two years and was planning their future together when their dreams were shattered by the full-scale invasion.

In 2013, Volodymyr participated in the Revolution of Dignity, after which he joined the Ukrainian military as a volunteer. After nearly a year of service, he was captured near Ilovaisk in the Donetsk oblast. He spent nine months in captivity before returning to civilian life following a prisoner exchange. With the start of the full-scale war, he took up arms once again. Volodymyr was killed in action in Bakhmut in July 2022.

After learning of her loved one’s death, Oksana created the “Have To Live” online community for the wives of fallen soldiers. Volodymyr had once given gifts to the children of deceased soldiers on St. Nicholas Day, a tradition that Oksana continued. The women’s community has since grown to six thousand members. Oksana established a charitable foundation and assembled a team of specialists to support those navigating loss and grief. The women work with psychologists, receive legal support, and help develop a new culture of remembrance for the fallen.

Oksana Borkun is available for interviews online and in person in Irpin, Kyiv oblast, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

The Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing on November 24 titled “Ukraine-Belarus relations: Are safe neighborly ties and cooperation within reach?”

Participants:

– Vadym Denysenko, Head of the Dilova Stolytsia Analytical Center;

– Ihar Tyshkevich, Political Analyst, Co-founder of the Research Solutions Network; 

– Iaroslav Chornogor, Russian and Belarusian Studies Program Director at the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism;

– Zmicier Shchyhelski, Acting Deputy Representative for Defense and Security of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus. 

Key topics:

– Priorities that could shape Ukraine’s future strategy toward Belarus;

– Opportunities for proactive steps to advance Ukrainian interests, depending on potential scenarios for a frozen war and the positions of regional states;

– How Ukraine envisions its relationship with Belarus once the war ends.

For reference: Ties between Ukraine and Belarus have long reflected a mix of cooperation and contradiction. Before 2022, Belarus was among Ukraine’s top three economic partners. But in February 2022, Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s regime allowed russia to use Belarusian territory and provided support for the full-scale invasion. Since then, Belarus has nevertheless taken part in prisoner exchanges and helped secure the return of Ukrainian citizens who ended up in russia. The number of Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine is also among the largest of any foreign contingent. Yet Kyiv has not defined how it wants to shape relations with Belarus after the war. The lack of a clear policy leaves Ukraine exposed, increasing the risk that its interests may be overlooked in negotiations involving international partners. Setting out the key principles of Ukraine’s approach to Belarus has become both timely and essential.

• Kyiv

On November 22 and 23, demonstrations will take place in 30 Ukrainian cities to draw attention to prisoners of war and those still missing in action, including defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers held in enemy captivity.

The events on November 22 are scheduled in Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Irpin, Shpola, Volochysk, Dnipro, Pavlohrad, and Lviv. On November 23, gatherings are planned in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Korop, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Poltava, Korostyshiv, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Lozova, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Kovel, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.

The initiatives are organized by the families of Mariupol garrison prisoners, together with Ukrainians recently released from captivity, to support ongoing advocacy efforts.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

Early this winter, Kyiv will host HART, Ukraine’s first national multisport event for military veterans recovering from injuries, wounds, or illnesses sustained in the defense of the country. From November 30 to December 7, participants from across Ukraine will compete in nine adaptive sports.

Team events will include wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and sitting volleyball. Individual competitions will feature archery, indoor rowing on a simulator, laser run, powerlifting, cycling, and swimming.

Athletes are free to join.

Around the world, adaptive athletics have become a cornerstone of veteran rehabilitation. In the United States, the Warrior Games have spurred thousands of recovery programs. In the United Kingdom, the Invictus Games reshaped public attitudes toward wounded service members. Similar initiatives in Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia have helped build statewide “sport-based recovery” programs that integrate rehabilitation, mentorship, and social inclusion.

Ukraine is following suit. With support from Ukrgasbank, the Come Back Alive Initiative Center and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs have launched HART as a comprehensive sports-based rehabilitation effort for veterans.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Journalists are invited to cover this year’s commemorations of Dignity and Freedom Day, observed annually in Ukraine on November 21.

The date marks two pivotal moments in the country’s modern history: the 21st anniversary of the Orange Revolution and the 12th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. The schedule features exhibitions, public gatherings, and a slate of academic and educational events, including a scientific forum titled “The Revolution of Dignity: Towards History.”

On November 21, official ceremonies will take place on the Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. The program includes a flower-laying ceremony, the tolling of bells in remembrance of those killed, and a prayer service. A joint prayer for Ukraine and for those who defended its freedom is also planned.

The day’s events will include the consecration of the Angels in White Lab Coats monument. The memorial was created in 2014 on the grounds of Kyiv City Hospital No. 17 by wounded participants of the Maidan protests. In 2025, the five-ton granite sculpture was transferred by hospital staff to the Maidan Museum, which is organizing this year’s program.

Journalists can access the full schedule of events.

For background: Dignity and Freedom Day is marked each year on November 21 to honor the start of the Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity in 2013.

• culture
• Kyiv

On November 25, the Human Rights Center for Military Personnel and Veterans, ‘Pryncyp’, will unveil its newly developed Legal Navigator for foreign service members in Kyiv. Representatives from units where international fighters serve will attend the event.

During the presentation, experts will introduce the Navigator, a tool designed to help foreign troops, veterans, and their families navigate legal issues and protect their rights. The resource will be available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. 

There will also be a discussion on the specific legal challenges faced by international service members in Ukraine.

Journalists must register to attend the event.

• military
• Kyiv

The Union of Wounded Military Personnel of Ukraine ‘Mitsni 300’ invites the media to the open bowling tournament, “Mitsni Shary”, which will take place on November 22 in Kyiv.

The competition will feature 30 participants, including wounded servicemen and veterans from various regions of Ukraine.

The media will have the opportunity to speak with the participants, organizers, and partners.

Accreditation is required for the event.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

The Teplokrovni donor hub – whose name means “warm-blooded” – is opening a mobile, interactive exhibition highlighting blood and the lifesaving impact of donation. The initiative, in partnership with its collaborators, invites the public to attend the exhibition and participate in blood donation.

The “Warm Weekend” event will run from November 20 to 23 in Kyiv, giving visitors the chance to explore the exhibition inside Teplokrovni’s 13-meter, two-story bus, a mobile hub designed to promote blood donation. The first floor features an interactive display where guests can discover surprising facts about blood, such as its trace gold content, and hear personal stories from donors and recipients whose lives have been saved. The second floor houses a comfortable donation area, open to donors from November 20 to 22.

Teplokrovni is a joint initiative of PUMB (First Ukrainian International Bank) and Mastercard aimed at encouraging a culture of blood donation in Ukraine. The mobile hub travels to different cities to attract donors and raise awareness about the importance of giving blood. Since the project’s launch, 225 donors have contributed 101 liters of blood, offering over 675 people a chance at life. The project is implemented in partnership with DonorUA, an automated system for recruiting and managing blood donors in Ukraine, and Blood Agents, a public organization promoting voluntary, unpaid, and regular blood donation.

• culture
• Kyiv

A briefing on November 19 at the Media Center Ukraine will showcase how technology is being used to create more inclusive and barrier-free environments across the country.

Participants:

– Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine;

– Anna Denysenko, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at LUN Real Estate Company;

– Svitlana Hnatiuk, Accessibility Expert at the Barrier-Free NGO;

– Polad Khalilov, Project Manager of the Ukrzaliznytsia’s Barrier-Free Railway Program. 

All in person.

Key topics:

– Accessibility Map statistics from Monitoring-2025: national leaders in the field and plans for the next phase;

– What sets the map-based monitoring apart, and the new opportunities it creates for government officials and everyday users;

– How communities, businesses, and civil society groups can apply the findings to inform decision-making

For reference: More than 70,000 sites have been added to the interactive Accessibility Map following a nationwide assessment of community infrastructure. The monitoring effort, initiated by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, ran from June 1 to August 31. For the first time, the results can be explored in detail and in real time thanks to the project’s technology partner, LUN. 

The collected data is now being reviewed to pinpoint systemic barriers, identify accessibility gaps, and set priorities for upcoming improvements. This approach enables communities, government agencies, and businesses to plan infrastructure upgrades more precisely, allocate resources more efficiently, and improve the quality of public spaces for all users.

• Kyiv