Themes by tag: Kyiv

Nataliia Ilina, a resident of Bucha in the Kyiv region, has been organizing peaceful rallies in her city since early 2026 to remind society about those who have yet to return home, and to draw attention to the issue of the missing and prisoners of war. A total of eight such actions have already taken place.

One of them, titled “Light of Hope,” saw participants release lanterns into the sky, while an empty chair stood at the center of a circle — a reminder of the place still waiting for its owner.

Nataliia met her future husband, Mykola, on February 6, 1998, at Bucha City Hospital, where they had both come as patients. She says it was love at first sight. Exactly a year later, on February 6, 1999, they got married. On February 6, 2004, they were married in church, and on February 6, 2007, their daughter was born.

The full-scale invasion found the family in Bucha. On the third day, they managed to evacuate to Ivano-Frankivsk. (Bucha was under russian occupation from late February to March 31, 2022).

On March 6, 2022, Mykola volunteered to defend the country. He served in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and took part in combat near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. Later, he continued his service with the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On February 3, 2025, he went missing near the village of Dachne in the Donetsk region.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Nataliia Ilina in Bucha. Another peaceful rally in support of the missing and prisoners of war is scheduled to take place in the city on May 2.

• military
• women
• Kyiv

The NGO Care Academy (Akademiia Turboty) is presenting its social and educational initiative “Different Together” and its main character, Pascal the Cat, who has a bionic ear and paw.

The initiative aims to foster a culture of accepting differences and respecting others among primary school children.

Visitors can meet Pascal and learn more about the initiative at the Book Country festival in Kyiv.

Schedule:

• April 23–24 (Thursday–Friday): 12:00–18:00
• April 25–26 (Saturday–Sunday): 10:00–18:00

The Care Academy’s mental health space is an interactive zone at the festival, where children and adults can meet Pascal and discuss care, support, respect, and acceptance of differences. The programme features creative, physical, and educational activities led by ambassadors, influencers, bloggers, authors, and public figures.

Highlights include a fitness session with veteran, psychologist and athlete Oleksandr Chumak, who was part of the Ukrainian team that won a regatta at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf; a workshop titled “Metal Paw: How Bionic Prosthetics Are Made”; “Talisman of Faith,” a pottery session with veteran and ceramic artist Volodymyr Dovhan (DOVGAN-ART); and a masterclass “Friendship Bracelets” by Oleksandra Paskal.

The full programme is available online.

Background: Pascal the Cat is the central figure of the initiative. The character was created by Care Academy in cooperation with Daria Herasymchuk and named after Ukrainian gymnast Oleksandra Paskal, who, after sustaining a severe injury and losing a leg in a missile strike, continued training and inspiring others.

Care Academy is Ukraine’s first online child development platform focused on mental well-being, operating on its own methodology.

• culture
• psychological support
• Kyiv

The Irpin territorial community is implementing a course titled “Training of Civilians for National Resistance.” Since the programme’s launch, 240 residents have completed professional training.

The course lasts five months, with sessions held twice a month. The programme combines theoretical instruction with regular field exercises at training grounds. It covers military technologies, UAV operation, firearms and engineering training, mine safety, and pre-medical aid in combat conditions.

Training is delivered by certified instructors with combat experience who defended the Irpin community during the battles for the Kyiv region in February–March 2022.

Journalists can contact the Irpin Volunteer Formation of the Territorial Community (DFTG) both online or in person in Irpin, by prior arrangement.

• Kyiv

January 2026 began with high-profile exposures: law enforcement uncovered a 3-billion UAH scheme involving defective mortar shells, while an investigative report revealed thousands of cans of inedible meat approved by official labs for frontline troops. This is only the tip of the iceberg regarding substandard defence supplies in the fifth year of the full-scale war.

Why did the decades-old “Military Representation” system fail to prevent systemic malpractice — from substituting meat with tendons to delivering faulty ammunition? How will the new reform, built on NATO standards and launched in Ukraine this year, put an end to this era of failure?

On April 21, as part of the “Defence Talks” series, the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), in partnership with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT), will analyze a fundamental shift in the rules of the game: the Government Quality Assurance (GQA) system. This event serves as a milestone in the strategic roadmap between the Public Anti-Corruption Council (GARC MoD) and the Main Directorate for GQA, who have joined forces to implement anti-corruption policies and new control standards within the Armed Forces.

SPEAKERS:

• Mstyslav Banik, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine (TBD);
• Viktor Byvalkevych, Colonel of Justice, Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption, MoD;
• Stanislav Haider, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT);
• Anastasiia Shuba, Representative of the Public Anti-Corruption Council (GARC), MoD;
• Yevhen Krasnikov, Head of the Main Directorate for Government Quality Assurance, MoD;
• Olena Tregub, Executive Director of NAKO.

Accreditation for the event is required by April 20, 9:00 PM (the address will be provided upon confirmation of accreditation). 

Background: “Defence Talks” is a high-level discussion platform organized by NAKO for government officials, diplomats, and civil society to address critical challenges in the security and defence sector.

NAKO (The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission) is an NGO dedicated to strengthening Ukraine’s resilience through independent research and advocacy. NAKO provides institutional, legal, and communication support to the MoD’s Main Directorate for Government Quality Assurance in its mission to implement NATO-compliant reforms.

• military
• Kyiv

The NGO “Steel Hearts of Relatives of the 32nd Separate Mechanised Brigade” invites families of missing persons, prisoners of war, and all concerned citizens to join a joint car rally in Kyiv on April 25.

This will be more than just a column of vehicles. It is the voice of families who live each day between hope and pain — the voice of those waiting for the return of their loved ones, missing in action or held in captivity by Ukrainian servicemen.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

On April 16 The War Museum will host an event dedicated to the establishment and activities of the Kyiv Regional Center for National Resistance Training. This is one of Ukraine’s largest projects focused on preparing civilians for resistance.

The Center was the first to recruit veterans of the russo-Ukrainian War as instructors, achieving significant results through their dedicated work. Today, national resistance efforts in the Kyiv region serve as a model for similar organizations and actively contribute to the development of a nationwide network of training centers.

Speakers will discuss the organization’s history, the specifics of the training process, and how citizens can join the preparatory courses. A Q&A session will follow, offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and ask pressing questions.

Speakers:

Anastasiia Rymar – Officer of the 3rd Separate Army Corps, Founder of the Center

Volodymyr Avdieienko – Veteran of the russo-Ukrainian War, Head of the Center

Journalists are required to be accredited for the event.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

A presentation of the book “Guide to Military Leadership” will take place in Kyiv on April 16.

In the context of an existential struggle for independence, leadership is no longer just a position — it is a matter of survival. Leading military experts and combat officers (Oleh Boiko, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Hennadii Verkholantsev, Mykhailo Tsymbal, Viktor Shydliukh) will present the publication, which offers practical tools for preparing individuals to face modern challenges.

We live in an environment where the old model of peaceful life no longer works. Decisions must be made quickly, responsibility must be shared, and trust must be built consciously. The book systematically explains:

• how the roles of leaders and teams are changing;
• how their interaction is structured;
• what makes a unit resilient in critical conditions.

Participants of the presentation:

• Oleh Boiko (“Case”) — researcher of military leadership;
• Hennadii Verkholantsev (“Znakhар”) — leadership coaching researcher;
• Serhii Alymov (“Hrom”) — entrepreneur, volunteer, lecturer in military leadership.

Moderator — Inessa Kravchenko, PhD, publisher of “Koleso Zhyttia”, co-owner of an investment holding, philanthropist.

Media accreditation is required.

Background: The book was published by “Koleso Zhyttia” publishing house. The event is supported by the “Liudyna Dyvo Svitu” project.

• culture
• Kyiv

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Franky and Сoen — two Dutch entrepreneurs — have been continuously providing humanitarian assistance across Ukraine. What began as a small initiative at the Polish border, where they distributed free French fries to refugees, has grown into a large-scale humanitarian effort spanning the country, including frontline areas.

Today, their work includes:

• distributing hundreds of thousands of hot meals;
• evacuating people and animals from frontline areas;
• delivering medical supplies, food, and humanitarian aid;
• providing financial support to vulnerable families;
• operating a shelter for internally displaced people in Dnipro (Holland House); a second Holland House is set to open in western Ukraine in the coming months, expanding support capacity for more than 100 additional people;
• organizing recovery trips for children affected by the war.

The volunteers are well known in the Netherlands not only for their work in Ukraine but also for how they communicate it. Through social media, documentaries, and national television, they bring the reality of the war directly into Dutch homes.

Franky and Сoen experienced the reality of war firsthand while dining at the Ria Pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk. On June 27, 2023, a russian missile strike hit the city center, killing 13 people and injuring 64 others, including the Dutch volunteers.

By prior arrangement, journalists can meet Franky and Сoen in Kyiv (April 15), Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region. Online interviews are also available.

• casualties
• food
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• evacuation

A presentation of the book “Our Long Road to April” by Mykola Shteynberg will take place on April 22 in Kyiv.

Mykola Shteynberg rose through the ranks from reactor operator, shift supervisor, and workshop head at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant to become its chief engineer during the most difficult post-accident period. He also headed a commission within the governmental committee investigating the causes and circumstances of the April 26, 1986 accident at Unit 4 of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the author and learn more about the disaster.

Registration is required to attend.

• culture
• Kyiv

For the third consecutive year, spring songs, circle dances, chants, psalms, and choral music will be performed under Easter bells inside Saint Sophia Cathedral and in the courtyard of the Saint Sophia of Kyiv National Reserve.

The programme includes:

• blessing of Easter baskets;
• a folk art fair;
• a festive Easter bell performance at the 17th-century bell tower;
• performances by folk groups Roksolaniia, ShchukaRyba, Mykhailove Chudo, Stodyvnytsia, Shumia, and Yevshan-Zillia, as well as flute players Ivan Prudko and Yevhen Dmytrychenko;
• a children’s programme on spring traditions;
• traditional Easter egg games;
• charity workshops;
• performances showcasing kobzar and lirnyk traditions by Taras Kozub, Mykola Tovkailo, Zhdan Bezverbnyi, Dmytro Radchenko, Vitalii Kobzar, Eduard Drach, Taras Dorotskyi, Oles Sanin, Roman Lysenko, and Yurii Kocherzhynskyi;
• a shared meal for participants and guests;
• the Easter communal performance VOLODAR, featuring circle dances, traditional kryvi dances, and games from different regions of Ukraine;
• a traditional ritual of singing for married couples based on the customs of Rozkoshivka village in Vinnytsia region;
• a ceremonial singing procession around the cathedral;
• traditional dances with the group ShchukaRyba.

Journalists can request the full programme of the event.

Background: Easter at Saint Sophia of Kyiv revives traditional Easter customs in the historic and cultural heart of Kyiv. The event is jointly organised by the National Reserve Sophia of Kyiv and the Ivan Honchar National Center of Folk Culture, in partnership with the Vytoky project by Zagoriy Foundation.

• culture
• Kyiv