Themes by tag: military

Hanna is the mother of two sons and the wife of a soldier who died in the war. Their family first lost their home back in 2014. Before that, the family lived in Olenivka in the Donetsk region. After hostilities began, the family left with their four-year-old child, leaving their home and all their belongings behind in the occupied territory. After several moves, they settled in the town of Bilozerske in the Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast. They bought a home, her husband won a grant and started his own business, and the couple had a second son.

In 2022, due to the full-scale russian invasion, they were forced to leave everything behind once again. The family donated their home to the Ukrainian Armed Forces—Ukrainian soldiers lived there for a time.

In the summer of 2024, the husband joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He completed training and served as an operator of a multiple launch rocket system. He was listed as missing in action as of October 23, 2024. Four months later, the family was informed that the DNA of a body repatriated during an exchange matched his samples. He was buried in March 2025.

After her husband’s death, the woman was left with her children in a new city without the support of relatives. The hardest part, she said, was telling her sons about their father’s death.

The family received psychological support from the “Children of Heroes” charitable foundation. The support of specialists became a crucial part of helping the children and their mother adapt to their new reality.

The family currently lives in Kyiv, renting an apartment. The older son spent almost his entire childhood moving from place to place, while the younger one was born during the war.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with the family online.

• children
• dead
• military
• women

Stepan Vlasyuk joined the Ukrainian military in 2014, when russia first attacked Ukraine. While carrying out one of his combat missions, Stepan was seriously wounded and lost his leg.

After his injury, treatment, and prosthetics, Stepan found a new calling—a job at the technology company BlueBird Tech, where veterans and specialists are trained to work with modern military technologies, including drones and electronic warfare systems.

Journalists can connect with Stepan Vlasyuk and the BlueBird Tech team both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military

Before the full-scale invasion, brothers Ruslan and Valery Pelekhaty lived ordinary lives. Valery worked at the post office, and Ruslan was a barista. He dreamed of opening his own coffee shop, but the war put all his plans on hold.

From the very first days of the russian full-scale invasion, both brothers were already at the military registration office. Due to the long lines of people eager to enlist, only Valerii was able to join the army; Ruslan was asked to stay with his family.

After a year of service, Valery died from shrapnel wounds. His brother’s death completely devastated Ruslan—they had been the closest of friends their entire lives. Looking through their shared photos, Ruslan decided to open a coffee shop in Valery’s honor, making his photo the centerpiece of the interior. Today, the “Remember” coffee shop in Ternopil has become not only a symbol of remembrance for his brother and a defender of Ukraine, but also a place of support for other soldiers.

Ruslan Pelekhaty is available for interviews online or in person in Ternopil, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• Ternopil

Myroslav Chornomor is a choreographer by profession who danced and toured abroad with a folk ensemble. In 2016, he received his draft notice, and after completing his mandatory military service, he signed a contract. He then mastered the profession of scout.

Myroslav enrolled at Ostroh Academy to study national security, then at the Security Service of Ukraine Academy, and in June 2022, he was to receive two diplomas.

The soldier met the start of the full-scale invasion at his position near Mariupol as commander of the reconnaissance unit of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade. On April 12, Myroslav, along with his comrades who were defending Azovmash, decided to surrender. For the next two years, the soldier’s family did not know where he was or what had happened to him.

The Ukrainian soldier was one of those whom the russian occupiers illegally sentenced to life imprisonment on fabricated charges of alleged crimes against civilians in Mariupol. In the russian colony where he was serving his sentence, his cellmates included a serial killer, and the cell next door held the perpetrator of the Beslan terrorist attack. Myroslav was returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange on February 5, 2026. The soldier plans to seek medical treatment, see his father, who is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and resume his studies to obtain his diplomas.

Journalists can speak with Myroslav Chornomor online or in person near Kyiv from March 20, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Serhiy Petrenko, a soldier with the pseudonym “Bashnya” — Natalia Petrenko’s son — died on the night of July 29, 2022. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended the city, then Azovstal, and before being taken prisoner on orders, he called his parents and told them to prepare his ammunition so that he could rejoin the army upon his return.

Serhiy Petrenko’s name was on one of the first lists of those killed during the russian terrorist attack in Olenivka. His mother, Natalia, decided not to shut herself away in her grief and to support Serhiy’s comrades. In memory of her son, she created the online platform “Basht,” which helps military personnel find their place in civilian life.

Natalia and her like-minded friends gathered useful information for veterans in one place: from medical, psychological, and legal assistance to courses and training.

Journalists can speak with Natalia Petrenko both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

General military training for civilians at the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Charter” will begin in April. The training will last three days and will take place in Kyiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The training for civilians will be conducted by experienced veterans from various brigades. The program for recruits will include weapons training, tactical medicine, basic military training, terrain orientation, small group work, and planning.

Anyone interested in gaining new skills and understanding how the Ukrainian army functions can join the training.

Journalists can cover the training by prior arrangement and agreement with the press officer.

• military

Ahead of March 8, International Women’s Day, the VETERANKA Movement is launching a large-scale communication campaign called “Women Can Do Anything!”, which tells the real combat stories of four Ukrainian female soldiers in comic book format. The main mission of the campaign is to change society’s perception of the role of women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to highlight their impact on civilian safety.

As part of the project, throughout March and April, social advertising will be displayed in the capital’s metro, on billboards in Kyiv, and on screens in shopping malls.

The heroes of the campaign:

• Eva “Yunga” — FPV drone operator for the Rubizh brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Eva joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the age of 18 after graduating from school. During her first 1.5 years of service, she managed to destroy 250 enemy targets. Her superpower is to see in the dark and hit targets that pose a threat to our cities.
• Anya Tatu “Ksenia” — UAV operator of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her story is one of unconditional love for life and Ukraine. A Polish woman with a Belgian passport who chose our country as her destiny. Despite living with a prosthesis, she chose the front line and earned the right to serve in the marines. Her superpower is her incredible accuracy and ability to be the first to spot threats in the night sky, saving thousands of lives.
• Oksana “Oksi” is the commander of the combat group of the special forces unit “OMEGA.” First, she wrote her will, evacuated her two children abroad, and then joined the army. A successful entrepreneur in civilian life, she turned her strategic talent into a weapon of the future in the military. Today, she is the first female commander of a group of robotic complexes in the special forces unit “OMEGA.”
• Yana “Multik” is the commander of the women’s platoon of the 141st Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is a symbol of resilience and sisterhood. Having survived the occupation of her native Kherson region and numerous injuries, Yana not only returned to the ranks, but also headed the first female unit of UAV operators. She is breaking down prejudices and building a new army where every woman is protected and heard.

The author of the visual part is Ukrainian illustrator Anna Ivanenko, known for her collaboration with The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Economist, Forbes, and other international media.

In addition, the communication campaign aims to close a large charity fundraiser for 6,000,000 hryvnia. The funds will be used to equip mobile air defense groups of the 37th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to purchase Heavy Shot bomber drones for the Rubizh Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.

By prior arrangement, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to the heroines of the campaign, as well as representatives of the VETERANKA movement.

• military
• women

On March 12, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II will host an event to commemorate Benjamin Asher, a volunteer of Hungarian and Jewish descent who fought and died for Ukraine.

Benjamin was born on May 10, 2004, in Budapest, Hungary. In 2019, he moved with his father to Toronto, Canada, and became a permanent resident of that country.

In 2021, he signed a contract with the Hungarian Armed Forces, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. In March 2023, despite being diagnosed with “high-functioning autism” and serving in the military in another country, he went to Ukraine, where he joined one of the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In January 2025, he transferred to the Third Army Corps, where he joined the logistics unit of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd OSBr, while also serving as a combat medic and rifleman.

Benjamin quickly made friends and brothers-in-arms in both units where he served. For his silence and concentration, he was given the nickname “Nemo.” He took part in battles in the Donetsk and Kharkiv directions.

He was killed on May 24, 2025, in the Kharkiv direction as a result of an enemy drone attack while helping another wounded foreign volunteer.

Benjamin was buried on November 27, 2025, at the National Military Memorial Cemetery (village of Markhalivka) with full military honors in the presence of representatives of the Hungarian and Jewish communities of Ukraine. The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, led a prayer over his coffin together with the military chaplain.

Benjamin Asher was posthumously awarded the Iron Cross by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Order of Courage, 3rd degree. On February 25, 2026, in the hall of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Toronto), Benjamin was also awarded the “For Self-Sacrifice” medal.

Benjamin’s father, Nathan Asher, will be present at the memorial event.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Nazarі Krasovsky signed a contract with the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in 2020. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended Azovstal, and, together with his comrades, carried out the command’s order and surrendered in May 2022.

Nazari spent 3.5 years in captivity. To keep himself going, the soldier wrote poems, scratched lines on a bar of soap, and when the opportunity arose, transferred the texts to scraps of paper. The man was returned home in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange.

Since then, Nazarі has been undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN center in Lviv. The soldier has a serious spinal injury, which he sustained while in captivity. The soldier said that he had long wanted to sing with Khristina Soloviy. During a gala evening organized by the rehabilitation center, Nazarі managed to fulfill this dream. On stage, they performed the song “Who, if not you?”, and the audience gave them a standing ovation.

You can speak with Nazari Krasovskyi both online and in person in Lviv or Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv
• Lviv

Before the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Savelyev worked in 3D design. After the war began, he started volunteering, and in the summer of 2023, he signed a contract and became a combat medic. Later, he became the commander of a reconnaissance platoon in one of the rifle battalions of the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

While carrying out a mission in Donetsk Oblast, Volodymyr stepped on a mine and was seriously wounded. Volodymyr lost both legs, underwent 12 operations, but rehabilitated himself and mastered prosthetics.

After returning to civilian life, he started doing 3D design again. This job involves sitting in front of a monitor for hours, so the veteran missed live communication. He found few inclusive places for veterans, so he decided to create his own. This is how the Bereg coworking space appeared in Lviv, where veterans can work and socialize. The space is inclusive and suitable for people with injuries.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Volodymyr Saveliev either online or in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv