Themes by tag: Kyiv

On July 28, Kyiv will unveil the exhibition “OLENIVKA: The Quintessence of Cruelty,” marking the second anniversary of the Olenivka terrorist attack. This event, organized in collaboration with the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, aims to highlight the suffering endured by Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The exhibition’s opening coincides with an action organized by the Association of Azovstal Defenders’ Families, which has been holding weekly demonstrations across Ukrainian cities. Their posters, featuring slogans such as “They saved us, now we have to save them” and “Fight for them as they fought for us,” call for support for prisoners of war and missing persons under the #FREEAZOVSTALDEFENDERS campaign.

Journalists planning to attend the exhibition must register in advance.

Additionally, on the same day, Kyiv will host a requiem event titled “Olenivka – pain that will never go away.”

For context: The attack occurred on the night of July 29, 2022, when the russian federation targeted a barracks at the Olenivka penal colony, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 Azovstal defenders and injuring over a hundred.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Vitalii Lytvyn, raised in a military family, initially pursued a different path—studying at a pedagogical university with aspirations of becoming a legal historian. However, when russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, Lytvyn followed in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps by enlisting in the army. He began his service with the 4th Kruk Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine and later transferred to the 4th Rubizh Brigade of the NGU, where he served as a scout. Lytvyn currently leads the same battalion as its commander.

In June 2022, his exceptional bravery earned him the title of Hero of Ukraine. Recently, he became an ambassador for the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, committed to supporting his former comrades, both active and retired.

Lytvyn is based in Kyiv and is available for interviews with journalists by appointment, either online or in person.

• military
• Kyiv

The Media Center Ukraine will host a panel discussion titled: “Restoring the Ukrainian Economy: Managing Blackouts, Taxes, and Labor” on July 25. 

Participants:

– Hlib Vyshlinsky, Executive Director at the Center for Economic Strategy;

– Andrii Dlihach, Doctor of Economics, CEO of Advanter Group;

– Oleksii Herashchenko, economist, lecturer in finance at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (KMBS);

– Oleksii Kushch, analyst at the United Ukraine Think Tank (online). 

Topics of focus:

– Impact of blackouts on industry, Ukraine’s GDP, and economic growth;

– Tax legislation and recovery: Essential policy decisions;

– Labor market recovery: Its role and impact on economic growth;

– Government actions needed for economic restoration and growth.

• Kyiv

On July 25, Kyiv will organize a special concert titled “Music that Saves” in honor of Medical Worker’s Day. The event will celebrate doctors and wounded soldiers receiving treatment and will include a presentation on efforts to prevent amputations among military personnel.

Performers at the concert will include Oleh Sobchuk (of SKY), Marta Adamchuk, Dima Libra, Alex Peakman, Daria Minieieva, and Vasyl Lohay. The concert is organized by the National Program #SavetheLimb team.

Prior to the concert, a press cocktail will feature appearances by wounded soldiers who have avoided amputation thanks to the efforts of doctors and the program. These defenders will share their personal stories of injury and recovery.

The event requires accreditation.

For context: #SavetheLimb is the largest program in Ukraine, following the National Health Service of Ukraine, offering support to war victims across over 20 cities. It funds costly limb-saving surgeries that are not covered by state health services.

• casualties
• doctors
• Kyiv

On July 24, Media Center Ukraine will hold a press conference entitled: “Missing 16 Sailors: The Fate of the Crews from the Sunken ‘Sloviansk’ and ‘Stanislav’ Boats.” Two Ukrainian ships sank in the spring of 2022 following missile strikes by the russian forces in the Black Sea. Some of the sailors were saved. The fate of 16 remains unknown. For two years, the United by the Sea NGO, founded by the families of missing sailors, has been collecting information about how the ships went down. However, there is still no information about what happened to the 16 sailors. At the same time, some unofficial reports have started circulating claiming that the sailors were captured by the russians.

During the press conference, representatives of the families of the missing sailors, the Navy Command and the Media Initiative for Human Rights will talk about the search for the crews, attempts to reach the boats, cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Maritime Coalition led by the UK and Norway.

Participants:

– Olesia Aulina, Head of the United by the Sea NGO, wife of the missing Damir Aulina, commander of the patrol boat “Sloviansk”;

– Tetiana Sherishorina, mother of the missing Nikita Sherishorin, sailor of the patrol boat “Sloviansk”;

– Olena Bieliachkova, Coordinator for Groups of Families of Prisoners of War at Media Initiative for Human Rights;

– Andrii Ursol, Captain (First Rank), Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy for Moral and Psychological Support, Department Head. 

For reference: The Sloviansk sank on March 3, 2022, in the area between the Kinburn and Tendra spits, 2 km from the coast. The vessel was the first combat casualty of the Ukrainian Navy during russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Stanislav sank on May 7, 2022, 20 meters from Snake Island, it now lies at a depth of about 20 meters.

Pre-registration is required.

• casualties
• military
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On July 28, Kyiv will host a requiem event entitled “Olenivka – pain that will not go away.” The organizers invite everyone to commemorate the brave and loyal heroes of Ukraine who went through the defense of Mariupol with dignity. The enemy could not defeat all of them on the battlefield, and on the night of July 29, 2022, the adversary made a despicable act and blew up almost 200 Azov soldiers in the colony in occupied Olenivka.

For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, 82 of them – completely besieged. From May 16 to 20, 2022, the Mariupol garrison carried out the order to stop the defense of the city and go into captivity.

On the night of July 29, 2022, the russian federation committed a terrorist attack, setting off an explosion in the barracks of the penal colony in Olenivka, which housed Ukrainian prisoners of war. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed in the act.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Center for Civil Liberties invites journalists to cover the important topic entitled “Ukrainian prisoners who were forcibly taken to the russian federation: problems of returning them.”

According to Olena Vysotska, Deputy Minister of Justice, within the first days of the full-scale invasion, 11 penal institutions with almost 3,000 prisoners and staff found themselves in the occupation. According to the Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine NGO, about 2,000 people who were serving sentences in places of deprivation of liberty were deported from Kherson region alone. On the territory of the russian federation and temporarily occupied territories, prisoners are tortured and subjected to abuse. russians passports are forced on imprisoned Ukrainians while they are in captivity.

The organizers are ready to help journalists with getting in touch with:

– Experts for interviews and comments,

– People who went through this experience.

Also, on July 31, journalists can take part in the human rights club on this topic, where they will have an opportunity to talk with experts, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and former prisoners. (The event requires registration).

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Artem Sylko is an entrepreneur from Kyiv region. Artem has always been concerned about environmental pollution, so he decided to start a business that would be friendly to nature. At first, he made pencils that can be planted in a pot and grown as a plant.

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Artem decided to use recycled paper for postcards and business cards, and then tried to add seeds to this paper. The businessman experimented with plants, observed what grew best. In the end, he created a company called Paperiya. This is a printing house that produces “blooming paper” from the waste of several factories. If this paper is thrown away out in the open, it will decompose in two weeks, and it will also grow shoots of various plants. Currently, 80% of printing house’s customers are Ukrainians.

Artem Sylko is in Kyiv region. He is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and in person.

• ecology
• Kyiv

Accessible Wakeboard is an initiative for participants of projects by ONE TEAM FORCES NGO. Its goal is to show that even extreme sports like wakeboarding are accessible to warriors recovering from injuries, as well as to give veterans an opportunity to test their own strength and help regain confidence in themselves and their bodies.

Training sessions take place once a week. Project participants include defenders who have lost their upper and/or lower limbs.

By prior agreement, journalists can cover classes in Kyiv.

For reference: ONE TEAM FORCES is a community that helps combatants who were in service BEFORE and/or AFTER February 24, 2022 and were injured or psychologically traumatized as a result of russia’s armed aggression.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

In Kyiv, wounded defenders take part in free clay sculpting and pottery master classes organized by the Azov’s Angels Patronage Service together with Kust ceramics studio. Creative activities are part of the rehabilitation of the military.

During the class, defenders make dishes or other objects – by hand or with a potter’s wheel. Soldiers often donate completed works for various charity events.

By prior agreement, journalists have the opportunity to cover a clay sculpting master class.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv