Themes by tag: Kyiv
Bioengineer and veteran Oleksandr Zozuliak began defending Ukraine in 2014. He served in the artillery unit of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ground Forces, then known as the Mountain Infantry. His brigade fought in the Zolote area of Luhansk Oblast and later in Debaltseve, Donetsk Oblast, where Zozuliak commanded a mortar battery platoon.
On January 25, 2015, during fierce fighting near Debaltseve, a russian tank drove directly into Zozuliak’s trench. He tried to dodge the vehicle, hoping to destroy it with a hand-held grenade launcher. His quick reaction caused the tank to get stuck in the trench, allowing his comrades to hit it. The damaged vehicle was later towed away with a cable to free him from underneath.
Zozuliak suffered severe injuries: multiple broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, damaged right arm and left leg, torn muscles, chest and abdominal trauma, head contusions, and burns. His left arm was the most badly injured and had to be amputated. Doctors told him he would never walk again. Yet, within a year, he was back on his feet, and soon after, back at work, this time in the police force.
Refusing to give up an active life, Zozuliak discovered archery. Working with a prosthetist, he designed a custom prosthesis for shooting, later improving it himself. The modified device includes a special clamp that lets him draw the bowstring. In 2023, he became Ukraine’s national archery champion among athletes with disabilities. He also represented Ukraine at the Invictus Games in 2017 and 2018, competing in cycling, swimming, and archery.
Zozuliak was among the first in Ukraine to receive a cutting-edge bionic prosthesis. Today, he works as a prosthetist-orthotist technician, manufacturing and fitting advanced prosthetic limbs for veterans who lost theirs in the war. These modern prostheses feature multi-sensor systems, and Zozuliak personally tests new designs on himself before adapting them for others.
By prior arrangement, journalists can meet with Oleksandr Zozuliak in Kyiv.
A peaceful march titled “Our People Are Not Home Yet” will take place in Kyiv on November 8. The march is organized by the families of missing and captured military personnel from the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The march aims to draw attention to the fate of Ukrainian defenders in captivity or missing in action, and to raise awareness among society, state institutions, and the international community.
Approximately 500 participants, including relatives of the missing and captured, representatives of state bodies, fellow soldiers, volunteers, civil activists, and concerned citizens, will march through central Kyiv to remind everyone that the fight for freedom continues not only on the front lines, but also in the hearts of those waiting for their loved ones.
Objectives of the event:
- To publicly acknowledge that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are still in captivity and that tens of thousands are missing.
- To support families who have lived in uncertainty for years while waiting.
- To call for active state and international efforts to bring every defender home.
- The event will demonstrate society’s unity around the common goal that no hero should be forgotten.
The organizers invite representatives of Ukrainian and international media outlets to cover the “Our People Are Not Home Yet” march.
The Center for Civil Liberties invites you to the presentation of its study, “How to Improve the System for Searching for Missing Persons?”. The study assesses the effectiveness of the current system, examines international best practices, and develops concrete proposals for reform. The event will take place on November 4 in Kyiv. The exact location will be provided to confirmed participants the day before the event. The working language of the event is Ukrainian.
In the context of the ongoing full-scale war, the issue of locating missing persons, both military and civilian, has reached an unprecedented scale. As of August 2025, the Unified Register of Persons Missing under Special Circumstances lists over 70,000 individuals. The current search mechanism, designed for peacetime, cannot cope with this immense workload.
The study is an analytical document with recommendations for changes that the Center for Civil Liberties will submit to state authorities. It will be presented by Volodymyr Yavorskyy, Program Director of the Center for Civil Liberties; Nataliia Yashchuk, Senior Manager for Countering the Consequences of War; Valentyn Serdiuk, Legal Analyst. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, will deliver the opening address.
Afterwards, there will be a discussion with family members of missing persons and Artur Dobroserdov, the Commissioner for Persons Missing under Special Circumstances.
Key discussion topics:
- What changes does the current mechanism for searching for missing persons require?
- Which practices from other countries (e.g., the USA or Colombia) could be useful for Ukraine?
- How can a “single window” system be created for families of missing persons?
Media, relevant state authorities, human rights organizations, international organizations, and families of missing persons are welcome to attend the event.
Registration is required to attend.
Serhii Ofitserov was born in Kherson, Ukraine, but his parents took him to russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula as a child. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, his father, Hennadii, returned to Ukraine, and Serhii followed in 1998. While in russia, Serhii received a russian passport and lived in Kherson with a residence permit. He had applied to renounce his russian citizenship to obtain Ukrainian citizenship, but he was unable to complete the process due to the start of the full-scale invasion.
russian forces kidnapped Serhii on August 3, 2022, while Kherson was under occupation. That autumn, his father, Hennadii, learned of his son’s fate: first, a former detainee who had been released from a torture chamber in Kherson reported seeing Serhii there. Later, Ofitserov appeared in a video filmed by russian propagandists about the detention of people allegedly “part of a terrorist group”.
Serhii is currently being held in a pretrial detention center (SIZO) in Rostov. He is one of nine Kherson residents kidnapped by the russians who have been accused of international terrorism under three articles of the criminal code. The trial is ongoing. According to his father, Serhii was held in a Kherson torture chamber for two or three months, where he was tortured and forced to sign everything demanded of him. Consequently, the fabricated case against Serhii is riddled with inconsistencies.
While in captivity, Serhii began drawing with simple pencils. His drawings depict Kherson landscapes, portraits, fantasy scenes, and life as a prisoner, including barred windows. Some of these drawings have been smuggled to Ukraine and are kept by his father who only receives about half of the letters his son sends.
By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Serhii’s father, Hennadii Ofitserov, in Kyiv, Kherson, or online.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine will host a special event in Kyiv on October 29 to mark 100 days until the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games and unveil the country’s new Olympic uniform.
The program will feature an exclusive presentation of the official Olympic attire, with appearances by renowned Olympians from past games, future members of the 2026 national team, and well-known figures from the entertainment industry.
Highlights of the evening will include words of encouragement and the symbolic “fire of victory” passed on by athletes of previous generations, as well as a unity teleconference connecting attendees with national team members currently training abroad. Musician Vlad Darwin will also perform in support of Ukraine’s future Olympians.
Among the guests expected at the event are:
– Vadym Gutzeit, president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine;
– Matvii Bidnyi, the Minister for Youth and Sports of Ukraine;
– decorated Olympians Olena Pidhrushna, Oleksandr Abramenko, Vita Semerenko, Olena Petrova, Valentyna Tserbe-Nessina, Mykhailo Kokhan, Yulia Bakastova; and athletes preparing for the 2026 Games.
Accreditation for journalists will remain open until October 28, 2025.
Viktoriia Kramarenko worked at a burn center in Kyiv from 2008. When russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014, she began volunteering, traveling to the east to help save and evacuate wounded soldiers from the front lines.
Starting in 2015, Viktoriia officially served as a medic with military units, deploying on rotations to the front lines. In 2018, she founded the Wings of Victory charitable foundation.
Following the start of the full-scale invasion, Viktoriia began teaching tactical medicine to new recruits immediately. Once she acquired an ambulance, she began evacuating the wounded from Irpin, Bucha, and Hostomel. Subsequently, she worked near Lysychansk in the Luhansk region, assisting Ukrainian fighters in hospitals.
Through her foundation, Viktoriia launched a rehabilitation and recovery program for military personnel, purchasing sports equipment and setting up a swimming pool. They even bought a horse for hippotherapy. Viktoriia is currently applying for grants to secure financial aid and continue her work with service members.
Viktoriia Kramarenko is available for interviews, both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.
The project “Light of the Unbroken,” created by YARMICH and Azov.Support, was presented in Kyiv. The project launched a special service that adapts classic clothing for military personnel who have lost limbs. This initiative aims to provide veterans with comfort, style, dignity, and confidence — foundational elements for psychological recovery after war.
The classic menswear brand has partnered with the Azov.Support initiative, which helps veterans with their physical and social rehabilitation. Together, they have developed a format combining individual tailoring, deep empathy, and an engineering approach.
Thanks to this service, military personnel can receive a free personal consultation with specialists who consider all physiological particularities, including prosthetics, changes in body shape, and limited mobility. YARMICH designers then create a custom cut to ensure comfort and a natural fit. Suits, shirts, and coats are sewn from elegant yet functional fabrics that are soft yet hold their shape and classic yet practical. The result is clothing that allows you to look in the mirror with pride once again.
The first Light of the Unbroken ambassadors are Pavlo, whose call sign is “Pakhom,” and Stanislav “Morti” Ryzhenkov. Pavlo is a fighter in the 12th “Azov” Brigade, and Stanislav is an “Azov” veteran and the Commissioner for Veterans’ Affairs in Kyiv.
YARMICH and Azov.Support plan to expand the project to reach more veterans in various Ukrainian cities. Future plans include creating an open partnership program for brands that wish to contribute by providing fabrics, supporting adaptation services, or assisting with logistics.
By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to cover the project and speak with brand representatives and veterans.
Rallies in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war and those still missing in action will take place across the country on October 25-26, aiming to remind the public of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers who remain in russian captivity. Peaceful gatherings are planned in 30 cities nationwide.
On October 25, events will be held in Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Irpin, Shpola, Volochysk, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Pavlohrad, and Lviv. The following day, similar rallies are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Lozova, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Dolynska, Rivne, Poltava, Kovel, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.
The events are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Former captives who have since been released often join the demonstrations, standing alongside families to call for the return of those still held by russia.
A peaceful action titled “Autumn of Captivity” will take place in Kyiv on October 25 to show solidarity with Ukrainian civilians unlawfully held in russian captivity. The event is organized by the non-governmental organization Civilians in Captivity.
The program will feature remarks from government officials, civil society representatives, and artists, as well as live performances, a moment of silence, and presentations highlighting the scale of civilian imprisonment. Iryna Shvets, a member of the NGO whose husband remains in captivity, will host the gathering.
Organizers say the rally aims to draw public and government attention to the ongoing suffering of Ukrainian civilians detained by russia and to press for immediate action to secure their release.
They are calling on media outlets, international organizations, and all concerned citizens to join the gathering and support efforts to bring the captives home.
On October 24, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing entitled “Launch of a training program for coaches on veterans rehabilitation through sports”.
Participants:
Part 1:
– Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs;
– Yana Voitovska, Head of the IREX Veteran Reintegration Program;
– Vira Pasishniuk, Head of Veteran Projects at StratCom Ukraine, Coordinator for the Invictus Games in Ukraine.
Part 2:
– Vira Pasishniuk, Head of Veteran Projects at StratCom Ukraine, Coordinator for the Invictus Games in Ukraine;
– Ilona Voloshyna, Military Service Member, National Coordinator for the Invictus Games 2023-2025, Training Program Developer;
– Oleksii Prokopenko, Endurance Sports Coach, Coach for the Ukrainian National Team at the 2025 Invictus Games, Founder of the Endurance School;
– Khrystyna Kravchenko, Program Participant, Personal Trainer;
– Nina Matsiuk, Expert on Inclusivity and Accessibility;
– Tetiana Huranska, Sitting Volleyball Coach for the Ukrainian National Team at the 2025 Invictus Games, International Master of Sports in Sitting Volleyball, Participant in the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games, Psychologist, Director of the Khmelnytskyi Municipal Institution “Veteran Space ‘Veteran PRO'” (online).
Key topics:
– The importance of the project for Ukraine in the context of veteran support.
– Project achievements: outcomes and opportunities for improvement.
– A multidisciplinary approach to veteran rehabilitation. The importance of a comprehensive strategy encompassing not only sport, but also mental health, physiotherapy, inclusivity, and accessibility.
– The role of coaches in the rehabilitation of veterans through sport. The importance of training coaches to work with veterans and the impact of veteran sports initiatives on communities;
– Opportunities for scaling the program after a successful pilot phase. Prospects for program development and integration in various regions of Ukraine.
Accreditation is required for the event.
Background: This program is a critical step towards building a community of trainers who can effectively support veterans in their transition back to civilian life or in their recovery before returning to service.
