Themes by tag: Kyiv

Oleksandr Tereshchenko, a veteran of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, is turning personal tragedy into a mission to assist others. In 2015, while defending Donetsk airport, Tereshchenko sustained critical injuries, losing his right arm and left hand. Today, he leads the International Charitable Foundation bearing his name and has launched a social project titled “I Did, So Can You” to help fellow veterans navigate life after amputation.

The initiative includes a series of 12 films featuring practical advice on everyday tasks for those with similar injuries. Drawing on his own experiences, Tereshchenko demonstrates how individuals with amputated arms can handle daily challenges. The project primarily targets military personnel who recently lost limbs and are struggling to adjust to their new reality.

Set for completion in 2025, the project aims to assist not only the veterans but also their families. According to Tereshchenko, the videos will provide loved ones with insights into supporting amputees on their journey toward independence.

Those interested can arrange in-person meetings with Tereshchenko in Kyiv or Lviv. Journalists are also welcome to observe the filming process by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv
• Lviv

In Kyiv and its surrounding region, the Ukrainian Valkyrie NGO is equipping women with essential self-defense skills. The organization’s training sessions aim to dispel fears around weapons, instill a culture of responsible handling, and teach practical armed defense techniques. The initiative seeks to empower women—whether wives, mothers, or professionals—to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from potential threats.

Classes are held four times a week and incorporate two core elements: mental resilience and armed defense training. Participants can practice using a multimedia shooting simulator, learn the basics of firearm laws, and engage in practical shooting drills with rifled and smoothbore weapons. The program also includes first aid and psychological preparation, ensuring a comprehensive approach to safety and security.

The program attracts women from diverse professions, including teachers, accountants, IT specialists, police officers, firefighters, artists, psychologists, models, and bloggers. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, approximately 3,500 women have completed the training, with many going on to serve in Ukraine’s armed forces.

Media representatives can arrange to observe and report on these training sessions in Kyiv and the region.

• women
• Kyiv

The Territory of Change conference serves as a platform for the exchange of innovative ideas aimed at advancing Ukraine’s development and recovery across multiple sectors, including public administration, urban planning, environmental sustainability, economics, migration, finance, and demographics.

The event will feature speakers from government, business, academia, and the public sector, who will explore strategies for turning these ideas into reality. The most promising proposals will be presented to experts for evaluation and may receive support for implementation.

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) backs the event, with the Media Center Ukraine serving as the media partner.

• Kyiv

In Kyiv Oblast, a new eco-friendly recycling line has been set up in Borodianka to process construction waste, utilizing equipment provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The initiative aims to repurpose debris from damaged structures into usable materials.

The recycled materials will serve multiple purposes: forming the base of roads, acting as filler for concrete and other building materials, and reinforcing riverbanks. 

This process supports sustainable rebuilding efforts in an area heavily impacted by war. With approximately 4,000 structures damaged by ongoing hostilities, Kyiv Oblast faces significant cleanup and reconstruction. 

Journalists are invited to observe and report on the region’s ecological recycling efforts.

• ecology
• Kyiv

Veteran Oleh Kostiukov, who served in Ukraine’s Armed Forces engineering corps for 28 years, is applying his expertise to an unusual form of warfare: deception. Believing that misdirection has always played a key role in military strategy, Kostiukov began crafting decoy of Ukrainian military vehicles when russia’s full-scale invasion began. These dummies, placed at the front lines, are designed to draw enemy fire and prompt russian forces to reveal their positions.

Each replica weighs about 100 kilograms and can be set up within five to seven minutes. Constructed with a metal frame and canvas, the models bear realistic details, including hatches, tracks, and other vehicle features.

Kostiukov’s team manufactures the decoys in the Kyiv region, with each unit costing around 100,000 hryvnias. According to Kostiukov, reports from Ukrainian soldiers indicate that at least once a month, enemy forces mistake the dummies for actual military equipment and open fire.

For reference: Journalists with Defense Ministry accreditation can arrange a visit to the production site, where Mr. Kostiukov is open to interviews, both online and in person.

• Kyiv

Volodymyr Marchenko, head of the marketing department at Osvita Publishing House, was preparing for a new adventure just days before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He and his wife had planned a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, after she won a ticket to any destination in the world, along with a discount for her husband. However, the onset of war altered their plans dramatically. On February 25, 2022, Volodymyr enlisted at the military registration office to defend his country.

During the war, he suffered a devastating brain injury that left him in a coma for two weeks, followed by a month in intensive care. At that time, medical professionals could not predict whether he would regain his sight, walk, speak, or even care for himself. Despite these grim forecasts, Volodymyr has defied the odds. He now leads an active lifestyle, focusing on rehabilitation through sports and travel. In recognition of his determination and resilience, he has also been selected as a member of the Ukrainian national team for the 2025 Invictus Games.

Journalists interested in learning more about Volodymyr’s remarkable story can arrange to speak with him in Kyiv.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Ivan Rozuman worked as a miner in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. At the beginning of the great war he joined the defense forces and took part in the battles in the Liman sector.

However, when he returned to his hometown of Marhanets, he was wounded. Ivan’s fiancée, Tetiana, also came to the town, eager to meet his parents. That very day the russians attacked the city. Ivan suffered injuries to his windpipe, eyes, arms and legs. Tetiana suffered an open skull wound and her legs were broken.

Ivan spent a month in a coma after his injuries. He lost his right arm and his eyesight completely. He urged Tetiana to leave him. Instead, he received a proposal of marriage from his beloved.

On February 2, 2024, the couple married. Since then, they have been adjusting to life in the new conditions.

Ivan Rozuman is in Kyiv. The army veteran is ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Kyiv will host a press conference on November 1 at Media Center Ukraine to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity and the 20th anniversary of the Orange Revolution.

This year’s celebration of the Day of Dignity and Freedom will carry the slogan, “WE CANNOT BE DEFEATED! 20 years of the Orange Revolution and 11 years of Euromaidan.”

Throughout November, and especially on November 21—the anniversary of both the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2013 Revolution of Dignity—the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, in collaboration with partners, will host a series of commemorative events. 

The full program of events, along with informational and educational materials, will be introduced at the press conference. Organizers will also unveil this year’s social campaign and key messages for the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

Participants:

– Andrii Nadzhos, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine for European Integration;

– Ihor Poshyvailo, General Director of the National Memorial Complex of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes – Museum of the Revolution of Dignity

– Kostiantyn Rieutskyi, participant of the Orange Revolution, coordinator of the Euromaidan civil sector in Luhansk, officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

– A representative of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory;

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• Kyiv

Daria Bondar, once a lawyer, and Olena Tkach, a former translator and communicator, left their established careers to train in the USA as end-of-life doulas, offering support to individuals in their final days. Their goal was to ease the dying process and provide comfort to families. Yet in Ukraine, they found a different need—helping those grieving war-related losses.

Today, Daria supports people grappling with various forms of loss due to the conflict: homes, pets, marriages, identities, and even the joy of life. Olena works directly with those mourning loved ones lost in war, as well as the families of missing persons and prisoners of war.

Doulas, they emphasize, are not psychologists or medical professionals; they do not treat but offer compassion and companionship. Their sessions, lasting up to two hours, can be held online or in person when possible.

Daria is based in the Kyiv region, while Olena lives in the capital. Both are available for interviews with journalists, in person or online, by prior arrangement.

For reference: “Doula” comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “maid.” Traditionally assisting women in childbirth, the term evolved in the 2000s in the U.S. to include professionals offering end-of-life companionship. 

• casualties
• women
• Kyiv

Since the beginning of this school year, schoolchildren in the village of Bohdanivka, Kyiv oblast, have been able to study in a modular Temporary Educational Space (TES).  The space is accessible, with a generator for uninterrupted power supply, comfortable furniture, modern tablets and multimedia panels. The TES has six classrooms and now serves 250 schoolchildren who previously had to travel to a neighboring village.

Bohdanivka was occupied in 2022. russian soldiers set up camp in the local school and burned it down when they withdrew. They also blew up the kindergarten, where they had stored ammunition, leaving the village without any educational facilities.

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the work of the modular temporary educational space in Bohdanivka.

Background: Temporary Education Spaces are being built as part of USAID Dream and Act program, implemented by IREX in partnership with the savED Foundation and the GoGlobal NGO. This project is being implemented in close cooperation with local communities who have lost their educational institutions due to russian aggression.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv