Themes by tag: Kyiv

Marking the 4th anniversary of the russian occupation of the village of Yahidne, the Public Interest Journalism Lab (PIJL) has produced an audio guide titled “Yahidne. A Village in Captivity.”
The presentation took place on March 3 in Yahidne itself, in the Chernihiv region, where 368 local residents became victims of russian war crimes.

It was on March 3, 2022, that russian troops herded almost all residents of the village into the basement of the local school, including dozens of elderly people, children, and infants. They were held there for nearly a month and used as a human shield, forbidden to leave the cramped space while russian soldiers set up a military headquarters inside the school building. Under these horrific conditions, ten people died in the basement.

The audio guide is a documentary tour of the site of a war crime — the school grounds and its basement.
The English-language version is narrated by American historian Timothy Snyder, while the voices of Yahidne residents in English are read by American writer and journalist Anne Applebaum, Canadian politician Khrystya Freeland, British journalist and propaganda researcher Peter Pomerantsev, American journalist Sabra Ayres, American-French writer Jonathan Littell, and American historian Marcy Shore.

The audio guide is available in Ukrainian and English on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
A QR code with the link is displayed on banners next to the school, which continues to be visited by tourists and foreign delegations.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with representatives of the Public Interest Journalism Lab online or in person in Kyiv.

Background: The PIJL team has a unique connection to the village community, as its journalists were among the first to visit the liberated Chernihiv region in April 2022.

Based on testimonies documented from Yahidne residents, the team produced a documentary film, which—together with a written report from the village—was published in TIME magazine in an issue dedicated to the publication’s centennial. In addition to English, the film has been translated into eight other languages: Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, and French.The story of Yahidne was also included in the reportage book “The Scariest Days of My Life”, which became a historical record of the first year of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

• casualties
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On March 14, the capital will host the exhibition “Rights in Our Hands,” organized by the international movement Amnesty International Ukraine in conjunction with the Boris Paton State Polytechnic Museum at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

The project tells about the protection of human rights in the context of full-scale war and the daily struggle of Ukrainians for their rights. The exhibition will feature 12 portraits and stories of human rights defenders, activists, educators, volunteers, and other concerned individuals whose actions help preserve human dignity every day and prove that human rights exist not only on paper.

The faces of the exhibition are: Marta Levchenko, founder of the charitable project and Ukraine’s largest crisis center, “City of Good”; Masy Nayem, veteran, lawyer, and human rights activist; Ivan Lyubish-Kirday, Reuters war correspondent who was wounded in a rocket attack on a hotel in Kramatorsk; and other heroes.

The exhibition is free and will run until April 1.

• culture
• Kyiv

Myroslav Chornomor is a choreographer by profession who danced and toured abroad with a folk ensemble. In 2016, he received his draft notice, and after completing his mandatory military service, he signed a contract. He then mastered the profession of scout.

Myroslav enrolled at Ostroh Academy to study national security, then at the Security Service of Ukraine Academy, and in June 2022, he was to receive two diplomas.

The soldier met the start of the full-scale invasion at his position near Mariupol as commander of the reconnaissance unit of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade. On April 12, Myroslav, along with his comrades who were defending Azovmash, decided to surrender. For the next two years, the soldier’s family did not know where he was or what had happened to him.

The Ukrainian soldier was one of those whom the russian occupiers illegally sentenced to life imprisonment on fabricated charges of alleged crimes against civilians in Mariupol. In the russian colony where he was serving his sentence, his cellmates included a serial killer, and the cell next door held the perpetrator of the Beslan terrorist attack. Myroslav was returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange on February 5, 2026. The soldier plans to seek medical treatment, see his father, who is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and resume his studies to obtain his diplomas.

Journalists can speak with Myroslav Chornomor online or in person near Kyiv from March 20, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Ukrainian Amputee Football Cup has begun. In total, the tournament will bring together 16 teams from different regions of the country, who will compete for one of the main national trophies.

In recent matches, all quarterfinalists have already been determined and will continue the fight. On March 14-15, the quarterfinal matches of the Ukrainian Amputee Football Cup will take place, and the Final Four will be held in Kyiv on March 21 and 22.

For reference: The Strong League project was launched by the Ukrainian Football Association in 2024 with the aim of involving people with amputated limbs and limb function impairments in the most popular game in the world.

• casualties
• culture
• Kyiv

Serhiy Petrenko, a soldier with the pseudonym “Bashnya” — Natalia Petrenko’s son — died on the night of July 29, 2022. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended the city, then Azovstal, and before being taken prisoner on orders, he called his parents and told them to prepare his ammunition so that he could rejoin the army upon his return.

Serhiy Petrenko’s name was on one of the first lists of those killed during the russian terrorist attack in Olenivka. His mother, Natalia, decided not to shut herself away in her grief and to support Serhiy’s comrades. In memory of her son, she created the online platform “Basht,” which helps military personnel find their place in civilian life.

Natalia and her like-minded friends gathered useful information for veterans in one place: from medical, psychological, and legal assistance to courses and training.

Journalists can speak with Natalia Petrenko both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

On March 13, an event dedicated to Ukrainian Volunteer Day, which Ukraine celebrates on March 14, will take place in Kyiv. This holiday honors the courage and self-sacrifice of those who consciously stood up to defend their country in the most difficult times. The date was not chosen at random: on this day in 2014, the first 500 volunteers left Independence Square for a training base in Novi Petrivtsi to form the first volunteer battalion. They were not professional soldiers, but they had a common desire — to defend their homeland.

During the meeting, they will talk about the mood and motivation of those who took up arms in 2014 and those who joined the defense of the country in 2022 from the very first days. They will try to understand what motivated people to make this decision then and what supports them today. They will discuss the challenges veterans face after returning to civilian life. Special attention will be paid to the issues of veteran employment and the role of the state and society in shaping a culture of support for people with military experience. They will also talk about the lives of families after the loss of a son or daughter — about memory, pain, and the need for sensitivity and solidarity.

Participants:

Dmytro Kraslyansky — combatant in eastern Ukraine, veteran, founder of the veteran business “Barbecue BBQ`72”;

Marianna Kuzmenko — mother of the deceased volunteer Daniel Kovalchuk “Francuz”;

Serhiy Mokrenyuk — veteran, community activist, representative of the Regional Council of Ukrainians of Crimea, deputy director for development of a Ukrainian UAV manufacturer,

Anastasia Rozlutska — head of the Nazustrich project at Work.ua, expert on veteran employment, head of the Ukrainian World NGO.

Advance registration is required.

For reference: In response to russian aggression in 2014, the volunteer movement quickly gained mass popularity. With the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, territorial battalions began to form, and under the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, volunteer units of the National Guard and special police forces were created. In addition, independent volunteer battalions appeared, which became the country’s shield in the first months of the war. Thanks to their dedication, it was possible to gain time for mobilization and save Ukrainian statehood.

In 2014-2015, nearly 40 volunteer battalions took part in combat operations in eastern Ukraine. Subsequently, most of them became units of the security forces, and many volunteers pursued military careers and became experienced commanders.

The volunteer movement was revived with renewed vigor after russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. From the very first hours of the war, thousands of Ukrainians joined the ranks of the Armed Forces, territorial defense, and volunteer formations. Many returned from abroad to defend their homeland.

• culture
• Kyiv

On March 12, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II will host an event to commemorate Benjamin Asher, a volunteer of Hungarian and Jewish descent who fought and died for Ukraine.

Benjamin was born on May 10, 2004, in Budapest, Hungary. In 2019, he moved with his father to Toronto, Canada, and became a permanent resident of that country.

In 2021, he signed a contract with the Hungarian Armed Forces, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. In March 2023, despite being diagnosed with “high-functioning autism” and serving in the military in another country, he went to Ukraine, where he joined one of the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In January 2025, he transferred to the Third Army Corps, where he joined the logistics unit of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd OSBr, while also serving as a combat medic and rifleman.

Benjamin quickly made friends and brothers-in-arms in both units where he served. For his silence and concentration, he was given the nickname “Nemo.” He took part in battles in the Donetsk and Kharkiv directions.

He was killed on May 24, 2025, in the Kharkiv direction as a result of an enemy drone attack while helping another wounded foreign volunteer.

Benjamin was buried on November 27, 2025, at the National Military Memorial Cemetery (village of Markhalivka) with full military honors in the presence of representatives of the Hungarian and Jewish communities of Ukraine. The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, led a prayer over his coffin together with the military chaplain.

Benjamin Asher was posthumously awarded the Iron Cross by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Order of Courage, 3rd degree. On February 25, 2026, in the hall of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Toronto), Benjamin was also awarded the “For Self-Sacrifice” medal.

Benjamin’s father, Nathan Asher, will be present at the memorial event.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Nazarі Krasovsky signed a contract with the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in 2020. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended Azovstal, and, together with his comrades, carried out the command’s order and surrendered in May 2022.

Nazari spent 3.5 years in captivity. To keep himself going, the soldier wrote poems, scratched lines on a bar of soap, and when the opportunity arose, transferred the texts to scraps of paper. The man was returned home in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange.

Since then, Nazarі has been undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN center in Lviv. The soldier has a serious spinal injury, which he sustained while in captivity. The soldier said that he had long wanted to sing with Khristina Soloviy. During a gala evening organized by the rehabilitation center, Nazarі managed to fulfill this dream. On stage, they performed the song “Who, if not you?”, and the audience gave them a standing ovation.

You can speak with Nazari Krasovskyi both online and in person in Lviv or Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv
• Lviv

The NGO “Civilians in Captivity” invites the public to a peaceful action titled “We Are Not Waiting for Flowers — We Are Waiting for Our Own,” dedicated to supporting Ukrainian civilians who remain in captivity. The event will take place on March 7 in Kyiv.

The program includes speeches by government officials and civil society representatives, performances, a minute of silence, statistics on civilian detainees, and calls to action.

The purpose of the event is to draw public and governmental attention to the tragedy of civilian captivity and to demand urgent measures for the return of unlawfully detained Ukrainians.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Yuriy Shapovalov is 61 years old. He is a neurophysiologist from Donetsk with 30 years of experience. He was also the head of a local cactus club and had a large collection of these plants.

After the russian occupation began in 2014, Yuriy did not leave the city and, under the pseudonym “Zalyshenets Donetskyi,” reported on Twitter about how Donetsk was changing. In January 2018, when he was returning home from work, he was detained by security forces of the so-called “Ministry of State Security of the DPR.” Yuriy was accused of “spying” for Ukraine and ‘sentenced’ to 13 years in prison.

In particular, he spent 100 days in the “Izolyatsia” prison in occupied Donetsk, where he was beaten, intimidated, and tortured.

In total, he spent 7 years, 7 months, and 3 days in enemy captivity and was released on August 14, 2025, during a prisoner exchange.

By prior arrangement, journalists can talk to Yuriy in Kyiv.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv