Themes by tag: Lviv

On July 12, Khartiia Hub in Lviv will host a memorial tour dedicated to the life and legacy of combat medic Iryna Tsybukh.

The tour will be led by licensed guide and Iryna’s brother, Yurii Tsybukh, who will share personal stories that offer a deeper understanding of her remarkable life and character.

Participants will:

• visit places that played an important role in Iryna’s civic activism;
• reflect on her values, discuss ways of preserving memory, and explore how remembrance can be transformed into meaningful everyday actions.

The tour will conclude at Iryna’s burial site.

Background: Iryna Tsybukh, a paramedic with the Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion known by the call sign “Cheka,” was killed on May 29, 2024, during a troop rotation in the Kharkiv sector. She was 25 years old.

She joined the volunteer battalion in February 2022. Before the full-scale invasion, she worked as a reform manager at Suspilne, Ukraine’s public broadcaster, and led educational projects in remote villages across the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

• dead
• military
• Lviv

Ivan Kucher dreamed of a military career from a young age. While he was completing his mandatory service, russia occupied Crimea and attacked Ukraine’s eastern regions. His family hoped he would be kept away from the front line, but Ivan had other plans; as soon as his mandatory service ended, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He told his mother he was undergoing training, even as he was already fighting russian forces in the Luhansk region.

After his contract expired, Ivan settled in Kyiv. However, following the start of the full-scale russian invasion, he rejoined his former “Donbas” battalion to defend Ukraine in the east once again.

In late April 2022, Ivan was taken prisoner. Later, reports emerged that he might have been killed, though his military unit refuted this information and officially declared him missing in action.

Released Ukrainian prisoners recounted hearing about Ivan Kucher while in russian detention, though they had not seen him personally. In February 2023, his mother spotted him in a piece of russian propaganda footage and provided the material to the Red Cross and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Ivan spent 1,388 days in captivity and was finally returned home on February 5, 2025, as part of a prisoner exchange. He is currently awaiting a medical clearance from the Military Medical Commission to return to service.

Interviews with Ivan Kucher can be arranged both online and in person in the Lviv region by prior appointment.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv

UNBROKEN ANIMALS aims to establish a comprehensive canine therapy system in Lviv. To achieve this, 10 “handler + dog” teams will be formed. Following specialized training and certification, these teams will regularly visit patients at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center.

The program will be Ukraine’s first systemic initiative providing emotional support to veterans, female veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families with the help of therapy dogs. The initiative is designed to help people undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation recover through interaction with specially trained animals.

• animals
• casualties
• psychological support
• Lviv

The NGO “Titans Under Sails”, an initiative that organizes adaptive and rehabilitative sailing expeditions for defenders with amputations and survivors of russian captivity, invites participants to the Fourth Lviv Sailing Meetup. The event will take place on July 4–5 near Lviv.

For the first time, this year’s gathering will span two days, bringing together over 100 veterans (the “titans”), volunteers, families, and friends—all those who have taken part in rehabilitative sailing voyages to the Canary Islands, Greece, and Croatia over the past 18 months.

The Lviv Sailing Meetup is an annual tradition for the “Titans Under Sails” community. It offers participants of the rehabilitation voyages an opportunity to reconnect on home soil, share their experiences, and map out future maritime expeditions.

Participants can look forward to:

• Sailing boats, kayaks, canoes, and SUP boards on the lake;
• Beach activities and games;
• Traditional kulish (porridge) and fish appetizers;
• An evening DJ set;
• A campsite right on the shore;
• The announcement of the next rehabilitative sailing voyage and its participation criteria.

Background: “Titans Under Sails” is a non-governmental organization that runs free, seven-day rehabilitative sailing voyages for Ukrainian defenders who suffered injuries or endured russian captivity. The program combines seamanship training, onboard teamwork, and psycho-emotional recovery within the unique environment of a sea voyage. Here, there is no division between “those who help” and “those who receive help”—there is only a single, united crew. Since the project’s inception, more than 100 veterans have participated in expeditions across the Canary Islands (2025–2026), Greece (2025–2026), and Croatia (2025).

• culture
• Lviv

Leading Ukrainian human rights organisations invite you to the launch event of the project “Documentation and Analysis of International Crimes Committed by the Armed Forces of the russian federation since 24 February 2022, Support for Victims of These Crimes and Public Awareness-Raising”, funded by the European Union. During the event, participants will discuss the achievements and challenges faced by civil society in the field of documenting international crimes.

The event will take place on 6 July in Lviv.

Participants: 

• Asier Santillan, EU Delegation to Ukraine;
• Yevhen Zakharov, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group;
• Ruslan Topolevskyi, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;
• Oleksandra Romantsova, Centre for Civil Liberties.

The presentation will also provide an opportunity to outline the next phase of the project. On 7–8 July, a professional seminar will be held in Lviv, bringing together sociologists, public officials, psychologists and human rights defenders to discuss the methodology for interviewing children about violations of their rights during the war.

Languages of the event: Ukrainian and English (simultaneous interpretation).

Participation is possible only upon prior registration.

Background: Since the beginning of russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, and particularly following the full-scale invasion in 2022, civil society organisations have played a pivotal role in documenting international crimes. During this period, they have recorded more than 100,000 incidents of such crimes, collecting testimonies, evidence and information necessary for holding perpetrators accountable in future proceedings.

• russian crimes
• Lviv

Nazari Krasovskyi signed a contract with the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in 2020. The soldier was in Mariupol when the full-scale invasion began; he defended Azovstal and, alongside his brothers-in-arms, followed command orders and surrendered into captivity in May 2022.

Nazari spent 3.5 years in captivity. To keep his spirits up, the serviceman wrote poems, scratching the lines onto a piece of soap, and whenever the opportunity arose, he transferred the texts onto scraps of paper. He was returned home in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange.

Since then, Nazari has been undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv. The soldier suffered a severe spinal injury while in captivity.

The serviceman shared that Ilona had been his friend for 15 years. During his rehabilitation, she immediately came to visit Nazari, and he realized he wanted to marry her. Ilona said yes to his proposal.

Interviews with Nazari Krasovskyi can be arranged either online or offline in Lviv by prior agreement. Photo and video materials of the marriage proposal moment are available for journalists upon request.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv

Lviv will host the “Chamber Studies of Lviv” cinema residency for teenagers aged 14–17 from June 24–30, led by film director Hala Koziutynska.

Participants will master the basics of film directing, cinematography, editing, and sound design, while also learning how to create video essays and video poetry.

The teenagers will explore Lviv’s cultural and lesser-known locations through the lens of a camera and their own perspective on reality. They will create their own sound library of the city, concluding the residency with a final public screening of their works followed by a discussion.

Participation is free of charge.

Background: Funded with UK aid from the UK government (British Embassy Kyiv) and implemented by the “Voices of Children” Foundation within the PULSE National Consortium, coordinated by the “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation. The UK government’s support for this project in Ukraine is provided through the SHARP component of its Humanitarian Assistance, Recovery, and Protection Programme.

• children
• culture
• Lviv

Media accreditation is now open for the 3rd round of the 2026 Ukrainian Amputee Football Super League, which will take place in Lviv. The event will be held on June 13–14.

Reference: Amputee football is a modification of association football designed for players with an amputated limb or a limb function impairment.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

In Lviv, Poltava, and Kyiv, from May 28 to 30, a presentation of the new artillery brigade “Hregit” within the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Khartiia” will take place, focusing on high-precision strikes against russian occupying forces.

During the event, participants will learn how artillery operates today and how the new Ukrainian military force is being formed. Brigade representatives will speak about personnel training, command work, military service, and opportunities for people with different backgrounds and civilian professions.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Poltava

UNBROKEN University was created to develop knowledge and solutions shaped by practical experience, international dialogue, and real-world expertise.

The institution includes the School of Municipal Governance and the School of Medicine. Specialists can deepen their practical knowledge and skills in infection control, rehabilitation, surgery, anesthesiology, psychological support, and other areas of healthcare. Alongside postgraduate education and simulation-based training, the university is actively developing scientific research, interdisciplinary cooperation, and innovative approaches to treatment and patient recovery. Training sessions in emergency care, critical care, and resuscitation are also held there.

On May 14, a new educational space at the university will be presented in Lviv. The purchase of the building was made possible thanks to support from Direct Relief, the largest donor to Ukrainian medical institutions.

As part of the event, visitors will be able to join a practical basic life support training session. Participants will learn how to respond correctly in critical situations, including cardiac arrest, loss of consciousness, and breathing difficulties.

Journalists are required to register in advance for the event.

Background: Direct Relief is an international humanitarian non-profit organization founded in California in 1948. Its mission is to help people affected by poverty, wars, and emergencies by supplying hospitals and patients with essential medicines and medical equipment.

Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organization has delivered more than 3,000 tons of medical aid to Ukrainian hospitals and has supported the development of rehabilitation, prosthetics, mental health services, and energy resilience for medical facilities.

Representatives of Direct Relief will also attend the official opening. Among them will be the organization’s new CEO, Amy Weaver, who will visit Ukraine for the first time to learn more about the work of UNBROKEN University.

• doctors
• Lviv