Themes by tag: Lviv

From November 30 to December 3, the fourth international “Vision for Ukraine” oculoplastic mission will take place in Kyiv. A team of medical professionals will work to reconstruct the faces of defenders who have sustained severe trauma and lost an eye.

The international surgeons are preparing a series of advanced reconstructive procedures, including restoring the orbit and soft tissues, microvascular skin flap transplantation, and installing custom titanium implants created with a 3D printer. According to the mission organizers, one such implant can cost approximately $10,000, but the defenders will receive them free of charge.

The mission’s schedule includes consultations on November 30 and operating days from December 1 to 3, with approximately 30 surgeries and over 40 consultations planned. From December 4 to 5, the team will continue working in Lviv, providing care to children affected by the war.

Background: Over the past two years, “Vision for Ukraine” medics have provided assistance to more than 130 patients.

Interviews with medics and patients will be available online and in person in Kyiv and Lviv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• doctors
• Kyiv
• Lviv

St. Nicholas’ residence opened its doors in Lviv on November 1, welcoming thousands of letters from children hoping for a holiday miracle. For 29 years, Malteser International, the worldwide relief agency of the Order of Malta, has been bringing those wishes to life, supporting young Ukrainians facing hardship.

This year, the residence has already received more than 2,000 letters from children across Ukraine, including those displaced to the Lviv region by the war, as well as from frontline communities in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

Members of the public are invited to join the campaign and help fulfill children’s wishes by becoming part of St. Nicholas’ team of helpers.

Journalists who arrange visits in advance will have the opportunity to film the residence in Lviv, observe the packing and distribution of gifts, and speak with the project manager, volunteers, and benefactors.

For context, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in Ukraine on December 6.

• children
• Lviv

A Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran who lost three limbs in combat has set a national record for climbing the country’s highest peak. The official announcement will take place in the Lviv region on November 17, recognizing Zakhar Biriukov for the first ascent to the summit of Hoverla by a person with three amputated limbs.

Biriukov, 35, sustained devastating injuries in 2022 while serving on the front lines – losing both arms, one leg, an eye, and part of his hearing, along with severe facial wounds. Despite the trauma, he has dedicated his recovery to helping other service members find purpose after injury.

With his mission focused on supporting fellow service members to rebuild their lives, this climb up Hoverla, Ukraine’s 6,762-foot mountain, became a testament that physical loss is no match for inner strength and determination. “Life is not over, it’s just beginning,” Biriukov said, reflecting on his achievement and his determination to inspire others facing similar challenges.

Journalists are invited to attend the record announcement. Media accreditation is required.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

On World Prematurity Day, November 17, a unique event will take place at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv: an official Ukraine Record attempt. Fifty children who were born prematurely at this very hospital, together with their parents, will assemble the country’s largest puzzle.

The installation will cover a total area of 100 square meters. Each puzzle piece represents a saved childhood — a small story of victory. When all the parts are connected, a grand picture of hope will emerge.

This record attempt will launch the large-scale charity initiative, Energy of Life, by SOCAR, UNBROKEN, and dobro.ua. The goal is to raise funds for a modern transport incubator with a built-in ventilator, enabling doctors to safely transport critically ill newborns. Approximately 13,000 children are born prematurely in Ukraine each year. St. Nicholas Hospital — a key part of the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center ecosystem — provides care for infants from across the entire country.

Journalists are required to register for the event.

• children
• Lviv

A project by Lviv-based reproductive specialist and four-time Fertility Award winner Liubov Mykhailyshyn, “Preserve Your DNA for the Future,” offers free egg cryopreservation to 20 women in the military who risk their lives every day. The program is open to women between the ages of 21 and 41.

More than 80 women submitted their applications. The program will run until the end of 2025.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Liubov Mykhailyshyn in Lviv or online, and, if possible, with program participants.

Background: The “Preserve Your DNA for the Future” project is funded by a grant from L’Oréal Paris and UNFPA Ukraine (the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine).

Similar programs have been successfully implemented in the United States (Fertility Preservation Program) and Israel. According to American researchers, service members experience a significant decline in reproductive potential compared to control groups, even without physical injury. Chronic stress is a major contributing factor.

While sperm cryopreservation is a relatively quick and simple process for military personnel, egg freezing is more complex and requires an initial consultation with a reproductive specialist; controlled ovarian stimulation with specific medications; egg retrieval from the ovaries; cryopreservation and long-term storage of the oocytes.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Lviv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Roman Chernenko worked as a bartender in Kharkiv, leading an ordinary civilian life. But in the summer of 2022, he enlisted in Ukraine’s Defense Forces and was later deployed to the embattled Bakhmut area.

Two years later, in 2024, Chernenko’s life changed in an instant when he stepped on an anti-personnel mine and lost his leg. After undergoing extensive treatment, he began rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv, where he learned to walk again using his first prosthesis.

Determined to help others facing the same challenges, Chernenko stayed on at the center – this time as a member of its team. Drawing from his own experience, he now supports fellow veterans on their path to physical and emotional recovery.

Looking ahead, Chernenko plans to introduce golf therapy for wounded soldiers, saying the sport helps alleviate phantom pain and restore confidence.

Those who wish to meet or speak with Roman Chernenko can do so by prior arrangement, either online or in person in Lviv.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Oleksii Polukhin is a resident of Kherson and an open representative of the LGBTQ+ community. In the first days of the russian occupation, the 21-year-old Oleksii joined the resistance movement in Kherson and began establishing contact with the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and intelligence units.

By May 2022, Oleksii was gathering information in the city that was crucial for Ukrainian special services. On May 9, during one of his missions, he encountered a new enemy checkpoint. He is certain someone had informed the russians about his activities, as they were already waiting for him at the checkpoint. The occupiers took his phone and passport and forced him to undress. They then blindfolded him, put him in a car, and drove him around the city for several hours before taking him to a pre-trial detention center (SIZO), where interrogations continued.

When the occupiers learned that Oleksii was queer, they forced him to wear a dress. He was denied showers, prohibited from going outside, and was provided with no medical or legal assistance. While his captors did not use physical violence, they subjected him to constant psychological pressure. Oleksii was released after two months of this psychological torture. Despite this, he remained in Kherson for a long time afterward and only left his hometown after its liberation. Oleksii is currently receiving psychological support and continues to volunteer in support of the Ukrainian military.

Oleksii Polukhin is available for interviews, both online and in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv
• LGBT

On November 6, Lviv will host a special pre-premiere showing of the play “Alone”. The play tells the profound story of a severely wounded defender’s journey to adapt to his injury and civilian life.

The play’s author, Mykhailo Fatieiev, is a veteran and a soldier of the 103rd Lviv Territorial Defense Brigade who received treatment at the UNBROKEN Center. He wrote “Alone” earlier this year during his rehabilitation after sustaining a gunshot wound to the spine. Drawing from his experience, Fatieiev explores the inner world of someone who has endured war, loss, and severe injury.

The play will be performed by three UNBROKEN Center patients. In addition to the author himself, two other severely wounded defenders, Oleksii Stoliar and Ruslan Kukhta, will take the stage. They are joined by rehabilitation center mentor Viktoriia Khemych and two professional theater actors with personal experience in the military.
Journalists are invited to attend the pre-premiere of “Alone”. Accreditation is required for the event. Journalists will also have the opportunity to attend the official premiere performances on November 7 and 8.

• culture
• Lviv

When russia’s full-scale invasion broke out, Maksym Levchenko, known by his callsign “Roger,” didn’t think twice about joining the Ukrainian army. In the early days of the war, he and his comrades defended the Kyiv region. Later, when he learned there was a chance to reach the besieged city of Mariupol by helicopter, Maksym volunteered without hesitation. 

He says his decision was simple, his friends were fighting there, and he wanted to stand by them. Maksym went on to defend Mariupol until May 2022, when, acting on his commander’s orders, he surrendered to russian forces and was taken into captivity. 

He spent the next 13 months in captivity. During that time, he and a fellow soldier often talked about what they would do once they returned home. Their shared dream was to open an airsoft club, a place for camaraderie, training, and purpose beyond the battlefield.

In June 2023, Maksym was finally freed in a prisoner exchange. While waiting for his comrade’s release, he decided to bring their idea to life. He launched an airsoft club in Lviv, turning their wartime dream into a reality. Part of the club’s mission, he says, is to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces by raising funds for the military.

Maksym Levchenko is available for interviews online or in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• Lviv

Oleksandr Zhavnenko is 36 years old. When the full-scale invasion began, he supported the Ukrainian army as a volunteer. In 2023, he was mobilized and joined the ranks of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov”, serving as a drone operator.

In October 2024, Oleksandr sustained severe injuries that resulted in the loss of both his legs. After undergoing rehabilitation, he dreamed of dancing with his wife again, this time with prosthetic legs. The couple had first fallen in love in a dance studio years earlier.

While recovering, Oleksandr participated in a business course for patients of the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv, organized by the ReStart project: “From an Idea to a Veteran-Owned Business”. After completing the course, he developed a business plan, applied for a state grant, and secured funding to open his own dance studio. Named Yavir Dance Space, the studio officially opened in Lviv on October 18.

Oleksandr is available for interviews, both online and in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv