Themes by tag: military

At the end of September, a team of three Ukrainian veterans who have undergone amputations will attempt to swim across the Strait of Bonifacio. This narrow channel between southern Corsica, France, and northern Sardinia, Italy, is known for its challenging currents, shallow areas, and sudden wind shifts. At its narrowest point, the strait spans 11 kilometers, with a maximum depth of about 100 meters.

Each participant is a war veteran with their own recovery story. Demian Dudlia is a fire safety engineer. He voluntarily joined the National Guard at the start of the full-scale invasion and served as a grenade launcher operator and AGS-17 gunner. In April 2023, he sustained severe injuries resulting in an above-the-knee amputation of his leg.

Maksym Hrinchenko was injured in October 2022 during one of the missile attacks on Kyiv. Prior to 2022, he worked in construction. In February 2022, he voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, later training as a sapper. He also underwent an above-the-knee amputation.

Ihor Oliinyk has pursued various interests, ranging from photography and the restaurant industry to military service and sports. In 2023, he was injured by shelling in the Serebrianske Forestry and lost an arm and an eye.

This trio will be the first team with disabilities to attempt this distance, starting and finishing together.

Journalists can cover the veterans’ training in Kyiv by prior arrangement. There will also be opportunities to interview participants online or in person in Italy.

Background: The veterans are members of the ONE TEAM FORCES community, which provides personalized and coordinated support to help injured service members fully recover — from initial rehabilitation to long-term social integration.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

Svitlana and Mykhailo both serve in the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, also known as “Khartiia”. They serve together in the brigade’s medical company on the Kharkiv front. They have been together since 2003.

When russia’s full-scale invasion began, the couple was in Zaporizhzhia, where Svitlana worked as a therapist at a regional hospital. She received an offer to help evacuate wounded soldiers. She later considered enlisting in the military, and Mykhailo supported her decision.

In spring 2024, they applied to three brigades and ultimately chose “Khartiia”. Their main condition was to remain together. Currently, Svitlana is the chief of the collection and evacuation department, and Mykhailo is a driver in the motor transport unit of the support platoon.

Interviews with Svitlana and Mykhailo can be arranged online or in person with prior coordination and agreement with the press officer.

• military
• women

Serhii Railian, a sergeant in Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces from Mykolaiv, carries the scars of war both seen and unseen. At 28, with three military contracts behind him, he has endured profound loss and emerged with a story of resilience.

In 2014, Serhii enrolled in university, aspiring to a career as a programmer. But a year later, at 18, he signed his first military contract and was sent to the front lines.

By late 2021, Serhii had married and was preparing to leave military service. Those plans were shattered when russia launched a full-blown war. He first encountered the intensity of the renewed conflict near Shchastia in Luhansk. In November of that year, while serving in Donetsk, an anti-tank mine claimed both his legs and his eyesight. Serhii survived a coma, but doctors were unable to restore his vision.

Recently, Serhii graduated from the Pottery in the Dark project at the EthnoChary art space in Vinnytsia. The program brought together ten participants from across Ukraine, offering them the chance to learn the fundamentals of pottery. Beyond teaching a craft, the project aims to empower participants to continue working with clay independently. Every graduate received a junior pottery wheel, along with a complete set of tools and materials to pursue their work at home. For Serhii, this has sparked the idea of launching his own pottery business.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Serhii either offline or online in Kyiv. Viktoriia Nikolaieva, a mentor for the Pottery in the Dark project in Vinnytsia, is also available for comment. An exhibition featuring pottery by blind veterans is scheduled in Vinnytsia at the end of September.

The Pottery in the Dark project was organized by the Center for Socially Inclusive Partnership in collaboration with EthnoChary, as part of the Enhanced Partnership for Sustainable Recovery (EPSR) initiative. The project is funded by the Swedish government through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented in Ukraine by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv
• Vinnytsia

Pavlo Skshetuskyi is a participant of the Revolution of Dignity and a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He joined the military after russia first attacked Ukraine — serving in the 1st Operational Battalion of the National Guard. Pavlo fought in the battles for Sloviansk, Debaltseve, Popasna, the Svitlodarsk arc, and Stanytsia Luhanska.

In 2018, Pavlo was demobilized for health reasons and opened a workshop where he produces knives, swords, and axes. He had planned to expand by purchasing land near Lutsk, but the full-scale war disrupted his plans. Production was put on hold, and Pavlo spent all his savings supporting the military.

In May 2022, he decided to restart his workshop. His products are now being ordered from abroad, and his axes can be found in Lithuania, Germany, and Ireland.

In 2023, Pavlo applied for a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Fund and a year later, he built a new workshop. In the future, he plans to teach veterans the craft of blacksmithing.

Interviews with Pavlo Skshetuskyi can be arranged online or in person in Volyn, by prior agreement.

• culture
• military
• Lutsk

On August 29, Ukrainians will honor the memory of the defenders who lost their lives protecting their homeland. The nationwide moment of silence will be observed at 9:00 AM in the following cities:

Kyiv, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Bila Tserkva, Khorol, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Stryi, Uzhhorod, Myrhorod, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa.

Ukrainian businesses, including Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), are also joining the initiative.

Journalists are invited to cover the event and speak with organizers from the VSHANUI NGO.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Maksym Kolesnykov defended Ukraine during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) when russia first attacked the East and occupied Crimea. On February 24, 2022, he joined the Ukrainian military once again. Alongside his fellow soldiers, he guarded a facility in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast. In March 2022, Russians captured Maksym and held him captive for 10 months. He says that during his imprisonment, he endured starvation and torture.

Maksym returned to his homeland on February 4, 2023. A photo was taken during the prisoner exchange of Maksym gazing at an apple — a poignant moment, as he had not seen fresh fruit or vegetables during his captivity. This image quickly spread across the media and social networks.

After rehabilitation, he decided to return to service. Now, in collaboration with the charity foundation Vesta, Maksym gives lectures to social workers who assist veterans on how to communicate with former prisoners of war. The primary goal is to improve interactions with former captives and prevent retraumatization.

Interviews with Maksym Kolesnykov can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv with prior agreement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Maryna Bohush’s husband’s brother joined the territorial defense. In May 2022, he was deployed to reinforce positions near Bakhmut and went missing. At the time, Maryna was on maternity leave, but she began attending every available event in hopes of learning what happened to her relative. In 2023, she founded the Women of the Territorial Defense Forces Association of Families of Territorial Defense Defenders, which now unites families from 25 territorial defense brigades of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

During one of her search trips, Maryna met Iryna Taranova. Iryna’s son had enlisted in the first days of the war and disappeared in December 2022 near Bakhmut. The women decided to join efforts in their search, leading to the creation of the WOMEN’S FAMILY NGO. The group’s co-founder, opera singer Olena Hrebeniuk, also plays a key role by engaging artists in the organization’s events. Regional coordinators across Ukraine provide additional support to the team.

By prior arrangement, journalists may meet with Maryna Bohush and Iryna Taranova in Kyiv. Relatives of missing persons will also be available for interviews on August 29 during the nationwide event Silent Voices: When Absence Screams, dedicated to the International Day of the Disappeared.

• military
• women
• Kyiv

Vitalii Nuzhnyi, a Kharkiv native, once pursued a career as a professional wrestler before discovering his passion for cooking. He rose through the ranks from kitchen assistant to chef, gaining recognition after competing in the popular culinary show MasterChef Ukraine. He later entered the national qualifier for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or World Championship, where he earned a bronze medal.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Nuzhnyi evacuated his family abroad and returned to Kharkiv to volunteer at a military hospital. Shortly afterward, he was mobilized and took up the role of cook with the 429th Achilles Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems. He believes soldiers’ morale and motivation are closely tied to the quality of their meals.

Today, Nuzhnyi is building a large-scale kitchen to meet the growing demand for food deliveries to the front line.

Interviews with Vitalii Nuzhnyi can be arranged in advance, either online or in person in the Kharkiv region, with approval from the unit’s press officer.

• food
• military
• Kharkiv

Andrii Khomiak served on the front lines from 2015 to 2018, defending Ukraine after russia’s initial assault. Once his contract ended, he returned to civilian life. But when the full-scale war broke out, he rejoined the military. Khomiak served in the artillery, where he also trained combat crews.

On March 22, 2022, during the defense of Kyiv, Khomiak was caught in enemy fire. A mine explosion tore off one of his legs, and doctors were forced to amputate the other. He later underwent months of rehabilitation and prosthetic treatment in Israel.

Using the compensation he received for his injuries, Khomiak invested in building a woodworking shop of his own. Today, he and his team craft decorative pieces from thermally treated wood. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand production to provide stable jobs for other veterans wounded in the war.

Khomiak can be reached for meetings both online and in person in Zhytomyr, by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Zhytomyr

Daria Ulman is the wife of soldier Kyrylo Ulman, who was killed in action on February 15, 2024. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Daria’s husband joined the ranks of the Volunteer Territorial Defense Unit in Dnipro, established by veterans of the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. In December 2022, he became part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade as a member of an anti-tank battalion. Kyrylo was killed by a sniper’s bullet.

Daria shares that her husband was passionate about military affairs. After his death, she regretted not having started training alongside Kyrylo. Over the past year, Daria has completed six courses and undergone two full-scale training programs. She later founded her own community, which focuses on military training for women, naming it Community Ulman in honor of her fallen beloved.

To date, 30 women have already participated in the training sessions, and the project has successfully donated 76,000 hryvnias to Kyrylo’s fellow soldiers.

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the training sessions, which will take place in Kyiv on August 30–31.

Interviews with Daria Ulman can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv, by prior agreement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv