Themes by tag: Kyiv

Ksenia Kostenko quit a successful IT career and started a farm in the Bucha district of Kyiv region. She even patented her own fertilizer production technology.

When Russia landed troops in the Kyiv region in February 2022, there were no workers on her field, which was a great joy to Ksenia. The farmer left for Kyiv and later learned that her house had been destroyed and the fields around her contaminated with mines. Ksenia engaged in volunteering and helping the Ukrainian army. Upon the de-occupation of the Kyiv region and having received permission from the sappers, she returned home. Now, the farmer is working to restore the capacity of her enterprise. 

• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

Presentation of the report “Business and startups: joint steps towards the reconstruction of Ukraine” to take place in Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform on November 8th. The creators’ goal was to find out how Ukrainian startups can participate in the reconstruction and transformation of Ukraine in various directions (infrastructure, health care, education, trade, etc.) right now. Also, they wanted to investigate the actual needs of local authorities and institutions involved in the development and reconstruction of the regions. The obtained data will help to create innovative products and services that meet Ukraine’s needs and can be used to the benefit of the country in the future.

This is the third time that the Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge (PUSB) together with its partners, the Ukrainian Startup Fund and the Warsaw Stock Exchange, are conducting a large-scale analysis of the Ukrainian startup ecosystem.

Participants: 

– Lukasz Wawak, Manager of Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge

– Pavlo Kartashov, Director of the Ukrainian Startup Fund

– Kateryna Hrechko, CEO of Techosystem

– Roman Nikitov, Co-Head of ICU Ventures.

Event accreditation is required.

• reconstruction
• Kyiv

EOD specialists of the Municipal Guard of Irpin community can now demine not only land contaminated by explosives, but also local bodies of water. They will do it with an underwater drone. It can descend to a depth of 150 meters and examine the bottom without endangering divers.

A local resident helped to raise funds and purchase a drone. In this way, she wanted to thank the EOD specialists who neutralized the mine in her yard.

In addition, two EOD specialists of the Municipal Guard have already completed a two-month training course for divers at the Kyiv State Maritime School. The priority plans are to clear the local quarry, where russian shells landed during last year’s fighting in Kyiv region.

By prior agreement, journalists are welcome to cover how EOD specialists work with an underwater drone.

For reference: 40 days after the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, the specialists of the EOD Department of Municipal Guard, public utility service under the Irpin City Council began demining the territory of the community. The land is cleared by local residents who have undergone training and mastered the EOD profession. (Among them are, in particular, war veterans, former special forces, and retired sappers). Over the course of their work, the team discovered 1,000 artillery shells and mortar mines, more than 100 tripwire grenades and about 1,000 anti-tank mines.

• Kyiv
• demining

On November 4-5 in Kyiv, “Sirius” shelter for homeless animals is organizing “AdoptMe Days”: a dozen puppies and cats will be waiting for new families. These are animals that were abandoned on the streets, left at the shelter’s doorstep or rescued from the frontline areas. Anyone can get to know the animals, consult with experts and adopt a four-legged companion. Also, people are welcome to visit the shelter in Kyiv region over these days. Today, more than 3,000 dogs and more than 200 cats live there.

Journalists have the opportunity to cover this topic in Kyiv or visit the shelter in Kyiv region.

For reference: “Sirius” is the largest shelter for homeless animals in Ukraine. It has been working since 2000. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, more than 1,500 animals have been sheltered there. These are, in particular, four-legged animals abandoned by their owners, as well as those brought by volunteers and soldiers from the front-line territories: Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. The shelter is located in Kyiv region – therefore, at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, many animals experienced stress due to enemy shelling.

Currently, the shelter, like many others in Ukraine, is full of abandoned pets.

• animals
• Kyiv

“Recover together. Psychological issue of military rehabilitation” information seminar aims to bring together key participants in the rehabilitation process for a professional discussion on the psychological aspects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams and their interaction with patients in the military.

Event participants:

• Viktor Liashko, Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine,
• Vasyl Strilka, Director General of the Directorate of High-Tech Medical Care and Innovation of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine,
• Masi Nayyem, Co-Founder of Human Rights Center for Military Personnel “Principle”,
• Yulia (Taira) Paievska, paramedic, volunteer,
• Kseniia Voznitsyna, Chief Doctor of Lisova Poliana Veterans Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,
• Hlib Stryzhko, marine, veteran, head of the Veteran Hub in Kyiv.

Prior accreditation is required to attend the event. 

• psychological support
• Kyiv

Nadiia is a teacher of the art of making coffee. The woman and her family had moved from Mykolaiv to Kherson, a city in the south of Ukraine that was under russian occupation for more than half a year. This had happened two months before the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion. Nadiia wanted to open a barista school in the city. The official opening was scheduled for February 26, 2022, but the war changed everything.

The woman found herself under occupation, worked at a friend’s coffee shop, and volunteered by cooking food. When threats from the occupiers poured in, she decided to leave. She had to overcome 70 roadblocks. From Zaporizhia, she went to Kyiv, where she started all over again. On August 7, 2023, precisely on the anniversary of her escaping the occupation, she was able to open a coffee shop near Kyiv with the help of a state grant. Nadiia also helped a displaced woman from Zaporizhia region by employing her as a barista in her coffee shop.

Together with her close circle, Nadiia created the “Welcome to Ukraine” charity foundation in Mykolaiv, which helps the military and civilians.

For reference: November 11, 2023 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Kherson from the occupiers. Last year’s counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the South of Ukraine also liberated some of the districts of Kherson region and a part of Mykolaiv region on the right bank of the Dnipro. 

• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

On October 30, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, together with partners, will present an interactive map of veteran businesses within the framework of the “Veteran’s Way. Business” concept. Businesses of veterans and their families from different regions of Ukraine will be gathered on one platform. This way everyone can easily find and support a veteran business in their city.

Participants:

• Ruslana Velychko-Trifonyuk, Acting Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund
• Dmitry Dubrovskyi, Co-Founder and CEO of Uklon, Ambassador of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation
• Denys Sudilkovsky, Chief Marketing Officer at LUN, Ambassador of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation

Accreditation of journalists is required and will be open until 6:00 PM on October 29.

• Kyiv

Colonel Monte and Colonel Chuck from the U.S. call themselves the “Traveling Colonels.” They are retired US Marine Corps officers, both are Iraq War veterans. The men help Ukraine: they bring medical and other supplies purchased, in particular, with funds donated by U.S. citizens. All this is transferred to the Ukrainian military at the front.

Monte and Chuck, together with volunteers from Ukraine, Canada and the U.S., prepared and packed 1,167 IFAKS (Individual First Aid Kit — standard individual first aid kit in NATO member state) and 16 medical bags this week in Kyiv.

Journalists will have an opportunity to talk with Colonel Monte in Kyiv over the next week.

For reference: Colonel Monte first came to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees in April 2022 and worked with World Central Kitchen. Then he went to Ukraine, now this is his 10th trip. Colonel Chuck made 7 trips. Currently, he is not in Ukraine.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Stefan came to Ukraine from Finland. He is an entrepreneur consulting asset and fund management companies and a fund management director, previously working in Luxembourg. He attained education in accounting and law. 

The foreigner decided to help Ukrainians and joined the Brave to Rebuild project volunteers in early October. He dismantled the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Kyiv region. In addition, the volunteer helped make concrete for masons and dug a trench for a water supply system.

The man believes that the war in Ukraine is highly illustrative of the battle between good and evil that a person can witness nowadays.

Journalists are welcome to talk to Stefan during his volunteer work in the Kyiv region.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On October 27, the final event to mark the completion of the SportAmbassadors project will take place in Kyiv. Journalists are invited to join the event and meet the sports ambassadors, learn firsthand about the motivation of the participants and the results achieved during the project.

In addition, the event will feature a demonstration of adaptive training equipment, including wheelchairs for basketball and concepts for rowing that will be used for training. The importance of adaptive sports and the involvement of veterans will be discussed as well. 

Press registration is required to attend the event.

SportsAmbassadors are veterans from different regions of Ukraine who underwent a personal recovery journey following an injury sustained on the front line. They are united by a common feature and mission—recovery through sports and motivation to share their experience with their brothers and sisters-in-arms, to engage them in adaptive sports, and to create such opportunities for other veterans in their local communities to go through this path.

For reference: The SportsAmbassadors project is implemented by the Come Back Alive Foundation supported by the US Embassy in Ukraine in partnership with the NGO “Invictus Games Ukraine”.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv