Themes by tag: Kyiv

The Kyiv Hippodrome, in collaboration with the Kyiv Military Hub, invites combat veterans and service members to participate in free horseback riding lessons. The lessons take place outdoors or in an indoor arena and last 40 minutes. The initiative was launched last November. 74 veterans have already participated in the program.

Journalists can cover the session scheduled for March 4 in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

In 2019, Yevheniia Vyrych became the head of Kavun.City, a Kherson-based media outlet, that covered local news. She worked on developing the platform, securing grants, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a project to debunk myths about the disease and vaccination.

After the russians occupied Kherson, Kavun.City continued its work, covering everything that happened in the city, from russian raids to the distribution of bread to the residents. The occupiers searched for Yevheniia, forcing her to constantly go into hiding — changing her residence, dyeing her hair, and taking extra precautions. She remained in occupied Kherson for four months before finally deciding to escape under a false name.

After reaching Kyiv, Yevheniia began working to revive Kavun.City. The media team launched projects focused on local governance, documenting russian war crimes, and, most recently, debunking fake news about the Kherson oblast and its still-occupied territories.

To support Kavun.City, the team launched an online store selling branded merchandise and handmade items from Kherson artisans.

Yevheniia Vyrych is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.

• occupation
• women
• Kyiv

The Unstoppable Adaptive Clubs were established to support veterans, their families, and individuals with disabilities affected by the war, offering them a path to recovery through physical activity. The clubs are fully equipped and staffed with experienced instructors.

Veterans, in particular, have the opportunity to participate in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

Journalists can attend and report on wheelchair basketball or sitting volleyball training sessions in Kyiv upon prior arrangement.

Background: The Unstoppable Adaptive Clubs were founded by the state institution “Sport for All.”

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

On February 25, Media Center Ukraine will hold a presentation of Realna Gazeta’s investigation, followed by a discussion on “How China Invests in russian-Occupied Territories of Ukraine.”

Participants:

– Andrii Dikhtiarenko, editor-in-chief and founder of Realna Gazeta, author of the investigation;

– Maksym Savchuk, journalist and correspondent for the Schemes project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Ukrainian Service.

Despite Beijing’s official stance of neutrality, Chinese businesses are playing a key role in large-scale construction projects in russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. An investigation by Realna Gazeta has uncovered evidence that firms from China’s Henan Province have partnered in the development of an industrial complex in the occupied Donetsk region.

Between 2023 and 2024, two factories—one for concrete production and another for grinding—were rapidly built at the Karansky Quarry in the Volnovakha district with Chinese involvement. russian state media have hailed the project as the centerpiece of a so-called “major development” effort, with its materials used for road construction and infrastructure projects not only in the occupied ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ regions but also in Kherson and Zaporizhia. While moscow remains tight-lipped about foreign investment, the findings suggest China’s economic footprint in the region is deeper than publicly acknowledged.

• Kyiv

On February 27, Kyiv will host the opening of the exhibition project “For Freedom,” a tribute to the foreign defenders of Ukraine. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the R. T. Weatherman Foundation and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II (War Museum).

The “For Freedom” project highlights the scale of international support for Ukraine—ranging from humanitarian efforts to the personal decisions of foreign volunteers who joined the country’s armed forces. Through artifacts, personal accounts, photographs, and documentary materials, the exhibition tells the stories of foreign fighters, their journey to Ukraine, and their battle for freedom. Visitors will also learn about the international military units serving within the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the individuals who have become symbols of global solidarity.

The solemn part of the event will feature the following speakers:

– Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II (War Museum);

– Meaghan Mobbs, President of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Elizabeth Weatherman, Co-founder of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Andrew Duncan, Co-founder of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation;

– Colonel Ruslan Myroshnychenko, initiator of the formation and former commander of the Second International Legion of Ukraine;

– Foreign soldiers featured in the exhibition—volunteers who took up arms to defend Ukraine. 

Attendance at the event is restricted to accredited guests.

Background: The R. T. Weatherman Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Elizabeth H. Weatherman and Andrew P. Duncan that operates in crisis zones, undertaking missions where others cannot.

Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in March 2022, the foundation has:

– Delivered more than 10,000 pallets of humanitarian aid to 70 Ukrainian organizations;

– Partnered with over 20 government agencies;

– Assisted in repatriating American volunteers killed or injured in Ukraine;

– Evacuated children and women from active war zones to Poland. 

On February 27, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on foreign citizens to join the fight for freedom. In the past three years, thousands of volunteers from over 55 countries have answered that call.

• culture
• Kyiv

In August 2024, russia illegally sentenced Ukrainian activist Iryna Horobtsova to 10 years and 6 months in prison, accusing her of “espionage”.

Iryna Horobtsova, a resident of Kherson, worked for a Ukrainian IT company. In the spring of 2022, when russian forces occupied the city, she became known for her social media posts documenting life under occupation. Iryna shared photos with Ukrainian symbols and even referred to her apartment as the “resistance headquarters.”

On May 13, 2022, russians abducted her from her own home and held her in a detention center in occupied Crimea. She was held in total isolation, with no contact with the outside world.

Journalists can talk to Irina’s parents (online), as well as her lawyer and experts from the Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Peaceful events are planned in 22 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On February 22, rallies will take place in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Arbuzynka, Vinnytsia, Svitlovodsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Obukhiv, Poltava, Zaporizhia and Pavlohrad.

On February 23, events are scheduled in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Uman, Krolevets, Korop, Ovruch, Irpin, Cherkasy, Korosten, Uzhhorod, and Mykolaiv.

The events are organized by the families of POWs from the Mariupol garrison. The rallies are often attended by Ukrainians who have been released from captivity.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 23, the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, the ceremony “The Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War” will be held. This event is to remind everyone of Ukrainians who are in captivity, missing or victims of forced deportation.

The ceremony will begin with a liturgy at the Refectory Church, led by Bishop Avraamii, Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will strike 11 times, marking 11 years of war in Ukraine. Families of prisoners of war will also take part in the ceremony.

Program of the event:
– Liturgy in the Refectory
– Ceremony “Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War”.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will ring daily until victory is achieved and all defenders return home. This initiative was launched in December 2023 at the Lavra with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

• culture
• prisoners
• religion
• Kyiv

On February 21, the Media Center Ukraine will present the public opinion survey “russia Ahead of Negotiations: russian Socio-Political Views in January–February 2025.”

Participants:

– Vadym Denysenko, political scientist

The study on public attitudes “russia Ahead of Negotiations. russian’ Socio-Political Views in January–February 2025” is a joint initiative by Dilova Stolytsia (Business Capital) newspaper, Media Center Ukraine, and the New Image Marketing Group research firm. The findings reveal a sharp increase in the number of russians who acknowledge the scale of wartime losses and express a negative outlook on their financial situation. Moreover, social research indicates that half of the russian population no longer aligns with vladimir putin’s claim that russians and Ukrainians are “one people.”

Registration is required to attend the event.

• Kyiv

On February 21, the Kyiv War Museum and the DOCU/CLUB network of the NGO Docudays will hold a screening of the documentary Witnesses. To the North of Kyiv.

The film is based on materials from the Ukraine War Archive project, which was launched by Docudays in cooperation with Infoscope in the early weeks of russia’s full-scale invasion. The initiative aims to document wartime events and firsthand testimonies that could support future investigations into russian war crimes and help bring those responsible to justice.  

The documentary follows residents of Pushcha-Vodytsia, a northern suburb of Kyiv, as well as the nearby villages of Moshchun and Horenka. The protagonists recount how they endured the russian occupation, volunteered, supported the Ukrainian military, and resisted the invaders.  

Following the screening, a discussion will take place with the film’s director, Tetiana Symon, who also serves as the coordinator of the Ukraine War Archive project’s interviewing department. The conversation will be moderated by Olha Babchuk, a journalist and communications manager at DOCU/CLUB.  

Registration is required to attend the event.

Background: From the earliest days of the conflict, Ukrainian documentary filmmakers have been diligently recording eyewitness testimonies. These recordings not only capture the unvarnished truth of the war but also serve to convey its realities to a global audience. Ultimately, they may be employed as crucial evidence in international courts to hold perpetrators accountable.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv