Themes by tag: Kyiv

“Swimming from 0 to 1,000 Meters in 2 Months” is a rehabilitation initiative designed to help injured military personnel regain physical and mental confidence. This program, based in Kyiv, focuses on intensive swimming training, specifically catering to soldiers who have lost limbs. Over two months, participants engage in rigorous pool sessions aimed at building strength and endurance.

Training occurs three times a week, with rehabilitation and massage therapists providing additional support twice a week. Since October 2023, the program has seen over 100 participants.

The current cohort is preparing for the Oceanman open water competition, scheduled for June 28-30 in Kyiv. This weekend, they will be practicing at a local lake.

Journalists interested in covering the “Swimming from 0 to 1,000 Meters in 2 Months” project can do so by prior arrangement.

For reference: The program is an initiative of ONE TEAM FORCES, a public organization committed to offering personalized, comprehensive recovery opportunities for wounded soldiers. Its community supports combatants who served before and/or after February 24, 2022, and were injured or traumatized due to the armed aggression of russia.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

The Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi 36th Marine Brigade was one of the units defending Mariupol until the very end. In April-May 2022, about 1,300 servicemen from this unit were captured by the enemy. According to their families, the International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed the detention of about 800 of these servicemen.

The enemy is especially reluctant to exchange Mariupol defenders, who are subjected to daily torture, beatings, hunger, and moral humiliation. For over two years, these prisoners of war have endured terrible conditions in pre-trial detention centers and colonies. Relatives of the POWs from the 36th Marine Brigade believe that the prisoners’ endurance is nearly depleted, and their health is in critical condition.

During the press conference, the relatives will provide detailed accounts of what they have learned about the prisoners of war and their conditions of detention.

Participants:
– Tetiana Katrychenko, Executive Director of the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR);

– Milana Kompaniets, mother of Yurii Hulchuk, a POW from the 36th Marine Brigade;

– Yuliia Petryk, wife of Mykyta Petryk, a POW, and Major of the 36th Marine Brigade;

– Hanna Bei, wife of Pavlo Bei, a POW, and Senior Sailor of the 501st Separate Battalion of the 36th Marine Brigade;

– Maryna Holinko, Major of the Medical Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who survived captivity in 2022.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

On June 20, Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform will host a discussion entitled: “Global Peace Summit: Conclusions, Results, Solutions for Ukraine’s Recovery”

Participants:

• Yevhen Mahda, Executive Director of the Institute of World Policy;
• Nataliya Plaksiienko-Butyrska, expert on East Asia, Master of International Relations;
• Vadym Denysenko, political scientist;
• Volodymyr Horbach, Executive Director of Institute for Northern Eurasia Transformation.

Topics of focus:

• Expectations and results: the key conclusions of the Global Peace Summit;
• What’s next: how will the situation develop after the Summit?
• Reaction of the russian federation and prospects for its participation in the next Summit;
• The reaction of the East and the Global South, lessons for Ukraine;
• What “homework” should Ukraine work on before the next Summit?

For reference: on June 15-16, the Global Peace Summit initiated by Ukraine was held in Switzerland. More than 100 countries and organizations from around the world took part in it.

• Kyiv

USAID TCA invites the media to the meeting “Ukraine’s National Strategic Narrative: the Second Year of the Full-Scale Invasion” on June 19. For two years, CAT-UA organization has been monitoring the Ukrainian media space and analyzing changes in the public discourse on the war. The media is invited to discuss the annual report, which covers more than 350,000 social media and online media posts between 24 February, 2023 and 24 February, 2024.

This report highlights a significant change in public sentiment: from strong confidence in victory to a weak hope for it. The state narrative has become less clear, and the once coherent story of Ukrainian resistance is now fragmented. In addition, russian narratives in the temporarily occupied territories are getting increasingly more aligned with the occupiers’ communication with the russian audience. Despite these alarming signals, the report contains numerous recommendations for the media that could strengthen Ukraine’s national strategic narrative.

The speaker is Artem Zakharchenko, Head of CAT-UA NGO.

Accreditation is required.

For reference: The event is organized in partnership with the Recovery Window media network.

• Kyiv

On June 30, the capital will host a charity Run of Honor to Remember Rekrut. Rekrut is the call sign of Oleksii Chubashev, a military journalist who created and hosted his program about military training entitled Rekrut.ua. All funds from the registration fees of those participating in the run will be directed to the needs of the International Legion (Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine).

The event includes 5 and 10-kilometer runs, which you can join both in person in Kyiv and online from anywhere in the world. Civilians and the military will participate in the competition, most of whom will cover the distance in their units.

Throughout his life, Oleksii paid a lot of attention to physical training and actively engaged in running and other sports, so his wife, Yuliia Chubasheva, together with the Run Ukraine company, decided to initiate a race in honor of the military man.

Oleksii Chubashev took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in the East of Ukraine, and after the start of the full-scale invasion, he joined the International Legion of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. On June 10, 2022, Oleksii Chubashev died in battle near Sievierodonetsk.

Media accreditation for the event starts next week.

For reference: The event is organized by Run Ukraine with Rekrut acting as a co-organizer.

• Kyiv

Journalist accreditation for the Land of Dreams anniversary festival, set to take place in Kyiv from June 21 to 23, is now open. The festival will kick off on June 21 with the Kupailytsia rite, a traditional Kupala tree decorating ceremony, which attendees can participate in. Journalists will also have the opportunity to speak with the festival’s founder, Oleh Skrypka.

This year’s program features 15 thematic areas, 35 ethnic and folklore groups, a book fair, artisan alleys, a children’s playground, and Crimean Tatar and Japanese cultural spaces. New additions include a spiritual mystical stage and a poetry workshop.

The Land of Dreams International Ethno Festival, established in 2004, is Ukraine’s largest and oldest music festival. It aims to support the needs of children and the military. Oleh Skrypka’s Land of Dreams Charitable Foundation will host special meetings and activities.

Highlights include a zone for writing Letters to a Free Crimea, exhibitions on military personnel from Crimea, and a collection for the Crimea Special Forces. The event will also feature frontline poetry written and performed by soldiers. 

Accreditation is required. Journalists can access the detailed festival program and cover the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

Oleksandr Shvachka first mobilized to the Defense Forces in 2015 when russia initially attacked Ukraine. He served in the 79th Air Assault Brigade and was transferred to the operational reserve after demobilization. Oleksandr voluntarily rejoined the military during the full-scale invasion, serving with the 95th Brigade.

In March 2022, while in the Kyiv region, Oleksandr was struck by a tank shell, resulting in the loss of his leg. Initially, he was determined to quickly adapt to a prosthetic and return to his unit. However, his recovery required extensive treatment and rehabilitation. To maintain muscle strength, Oleksandr began exercising and was later contacted by the Strongman Federation of Ukraine.

Driven by a mission to support fellow veterans in their training and recovery, Oleksandr co-founded TRENVET, a mobile app designed to help military personnel locate nearby training facilities or connect with trainers, rehabilitation therapists, and massage therapists, all at no cost.

Currently based in Kyiv, Oleksandr is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

For reference: The TRENVET app was developed with support from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, as part of a project by the NGO Association for the Promotion of Physical Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities “Zvytiaha Neskorenykh” (Victory of the Invictus).

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

On June 15, Kyiv will host the second “Protasiv Yar” festival in memory of Roman Ratushnyi, a civic activist and scout with the 93rd Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar.” The event will begin with a press briefing featuring the festival organizers.

Speakers:

– Svitlana Povaliaieva, writer, mother of Roman Ratushnyi;

– Sofia Cheliak, Executive Director of the Protasiv Yar Festival in memory of Roman Ratushnyi;

– Yulia Bartle, head of the NGO “Let’s Protect Protasiv Yar”;

– Myroslava Barchuk, journalist, TV presenter, Vice President of PEN Ukraine;

– Artur Kharytonov, president of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine;

– Tetyana Teren, executive director of PEN Ukraine;

– Hryhoriy Baran, Director of the Social Capital Program at the International Renaissance Foundation.

Moderator: Tetiana Vlasova.

Accreditation is required to attend.

The festival aims to continue its mission of promoting contemporary and traditional art, Ukrainian history, human rights initiatives, and honoring the legacy of Roman Ratushnyi. Inspired by Roman’s vision, the festival, held under the motto “Never Fear Anything,” has grown significantly and returns for a second year at Protasiv Yar. 

Journalists will have the chance to gain detailed insights into the festival’s program.

• culture
• Kyiv

The event, which is part of the second Summer School on International Humanitarian Law organized by the Ukrainian Red Cross for civil servants, aims to explore the conventions’ implementation amid the ongoing conflict to be held on June 17. 

Speakers:

– Iryna Vereshchuk, Vice Prime Minister – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Head of the Interagency Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine;

– Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine;

– Gillan Defourne, Chief of Operations of the ICRC Delegation in Ukraine;

– Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor and Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation;

– Anton Korynevych, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;

– Oksana Senatorova, Member of the Interdepartmental Commission on the Application and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law in Ukraine;

– Inna Zavorotko, Deputy Head of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. 

International and Ukrainian experts, along with representatives from the government and non-governmental organizations, will provide their insights on several key issues: the current relevance of the Geneva Conventions, the realities and prospects of their implementation in Ukraine, and whether adherence to International Humanitarian Law truly paves the way to peace. 

Prior accreditation is required for attendance.

• Kyiv

On June 18, Kyiv will see the launch of classes for the “The Veterans’ Theater” pilot project. This initiative, spearheaded by the Public Relations Service of the Territorial Defense Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (TRO Media) in collaboration with the Theater of Playwrights, aims to create an innovative rehabilitation system combining therapeutic effects and the creative potential of veterans.

The project seeks to use modern theater as a medium for rehabilitation and socialization, offering military personnel and their families a platform to discuss their challenges and needs with communities and audiences. It aims to build communication bridges and alleviate emotional stress.

As part of the program, organizers and a group of veterans will collaborate to create a play based on texts that reflect the life experiences, fears, and dreams of the military. Veterans will also participate in an educational program on contemporary theater and explore acting.

The program is estimated to run for two months, with a performance based on veterans’ texts scheduled for August 2024.

• culture
• Kyiv