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Nataliia Tarabalka, mother of the late Ukrainian Hero and renowned fighter pilot Stepan Tarabalka, has opened a rehabilitation center for service members in memory of her son, who was killed in an air battle in March 2022.
Working with a psychologist helped Nataliia process her grief. Inspired by this experience, she used the state compensation she received for her son’s death to establish the “Warmth of a Winged Soul” rehabilitation center in Prykarpattia. The facility offers both physical and psychological support for active-duty and former military personnel.
Nataliia Tarabalka is available for consultations—both in person in Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, and online—by appointment.
For reference: Captain Stepan Tarabalka, 29, was killed in an aerial battle on March 13, 2022, in the skies over Zhytomyr. On the first day of russia’s full-scale invasion alone, he reportedly shot down six enemy aircraft, including a Su-27, MiG-29, two Su-35s, and two Su-25s. Flying a MiG-29, he went on to destroy a total of 40 enemy aircraft. Tarabalka served with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, which in 2024 was awarded the honorary title “The Ghost of Kyiv.”
Before the full-scale invasion, Andrii was a musician, played bass guitar, ran his own auto repair shop, and repaired cars for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With the start of the full-scale war, he was mobilized into the military and became a sapper.
In the summer of 2023, Andrii and his comrade were assigned to demine a road. Before completing the task, the soldier suffered a concussion, but continued working and stepped on a mine. He applied a tourniquet while his comrades evacuated him to safety.
Doctors were unable to save his leg. Despite the loss of his limb, Andrii was determined to return to the military. For eight months, he underwent treatment and rehabilitation, and learned to use a prosthetic limb. Now, the soldier has returned to duty and has become a sapper instructor for infantry soldiers. Between combat missions, Andrii performs at concerts, including for soldiers undergoing rehabilitation.
You can communicate with Andrii both online and offline, by prior arrangement and with the permission of the press officer.
Before russia’s full-scale invasion, the man who now goes by the call sign “Leshy,” named after a forest spirit from Slavic pagan mythology, worked as a forester and crafted wooden furniture. He had no ties to the military and never imagined himself in uniform.
That changed in Mariupol, where “Leshy” found himself at the outbreak of war. When the first shells hit, he joined the territorial defense forces, helping to evacuate the wounded and administer first aid.
In March 2022, a 120-millimeter russian mortar exploded just three meters away from him. The blast cost him his arm—but not his life.
Even while hospitalized, “Leshy” was determined to support his fellow soldiers. Just days after his injury, he launched a fundraiser to help his unit.
A year of rehabilitation followed. Fitted with a prosthetic arm, “Leshy” eventually rejoined the army.
He is available for conversations both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
On April 7, at the Media Center Ukraine, the Media Initiative for Human Rights will present the research “Interaction with military units and support for families of fallen and missing service members”.
The event will address the most common problems faced by families of fallen and missing servicemen in their interactions with military units and territorial recruitment centers; as well as how the state can improve its interaction with families and make it less traumatic.
Speakers:
- Olena Kopina, Author of the Analysis, Expert, MIHR;
- Olena Bieliachkova, Coordinator for Groups of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing Soldiers, MIHR;
- Yulia Sharapaniuk, Head of the Association of Families of Missing Soldiers and Prisoners of War;
- Dmytro Bohatiuk, Head of the Department for Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances of the Secretariat of the Ombudsman;
- Oleh Neshchadim, Head of the Search Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Registration for the event is required.
Anna’s husband, Illia, was half Ukrainian and half Georgian. His mother’s family was forced to flee the war in Abkhazia, so his childhood was spent in Ukraine.
In 2014, Illia began his compulsory military service, and when russia occupied Crimea and attacked Ukraine in the east, he voluntarily went to fight in the Donetsk oblast. Illia was demobilized in 2015. He met Anna, they got married, and later had a daughter, Polina.
On February 24, 2022, the family woke up to explosions. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Illia defended the Kyiv oblast, participated in the liberation of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts. His comrades tell how he shot down enemy helicopters, assisted reconnaissance groups, defended positions even in the most dangerous conditions.
During one of those missions he was seriously wounded and could not be evacuated from the battlefield. Illia’s family is convinced that his merits should be recognized at the highest level. His wife is making every effort to secure for him the title of Hero of Ukraine, as his deeds are examples of courage and self-sacrifice for the sake of the country.
Background: Currently, the family is supported by the charitable foundation “Children of Heroes”. It helps children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation. The foundation provides financial assistance, psychological and legal support, and promotes education and development for children until they reach adulthood.
Oleh Leliakin took up arms to defend Ukraine in 2014. He joined the volunteer battalion “Aidar”. At the front, he saw how important it is to be able to provide medical assistance in combat conditions.
After returning to Kyiv, Oleh continued to study tactical medicine. Eventually, he became an instructor at a training center, and over time, he became a lecturer in tactical medicine at the National Academy of Internal Affairs.
On February 25, 2022, Oleh returned to military service. He participated in the liberation of the Kyiv oblast and fought in the Mykolaiv, Kherson and Donetsk sectors. Initially, he worked as a platoon medic and later became the senior medic of a company. In Bakhmut, Donetsk oblast, Oleh was injured and gradually began to lose his hearing. Eventually, the veteran was discharged from service due to health reasons.
Oleh mastered the skill of lip-reading, learned to manage his own voice, and soon became a tactical medicine instructor at SICH, the largest Ukrainian tourniquet manufacturing company.
You can interview Oleh Leliakin both online and offline in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.
Oleksandr Androshchuk and Oleksii Tiunin, members of Ukraine’s national team for the 2025 Invictus Games, are launching wheelchair rugby training sessions for military personnel and army veterans in Kyiv.
This marks the first time such training has been offered in Ukraine, presenting a unique opportunity for soldiers to engage in an adaptive sport that promotes both physical and emotional recovery. Participants can experience the thrill of team play, feel the support of their fellow soldiers, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a supportive environment.
Andrii Bakun, a native of Kherson, had a life that seemed far removed from the enemy invasion that would soon engulf his country. Before russia’s all-out aggression, he made his living on the seas, earning a degree as a third-rate mechanic. On February 23, 2022, while returning to his hometown, Andrii learned of the outbreak of the full-blown war while aboard a train. Although he could not immediately enlist due to a disability, he joined the municipal guard. However, after just one patrol, the team disbanded.
By March 1, Andrii crossed paths with a territorial defense unit. He assisted them in finding shelter, leaving their weapons behind, and entering the city disguised as civilians. One of the soldiers, Oleh Leshchyna, refused to relinquish his arms, prompting Andrii to make the brave decision to hide him in his family’s home. For four months, Oleh remained hidden until Andrii’s sister managed to safely retrieve him.
After Kherson had returned to Ukrainian control, Andrii, determined to serve, concealed his disability documents and joined the territorial defense. Not long after, during a fierce battle, a shell exploded nearby, inflicting severe damage to Andrii’s spinal cord and thoracic spine. For his bravery and service, he was awarded the Golden Cross by the Commander-in-Chief.
Now, two years later, Andrii continues his journey of recovery, undergoing extensive treatment and rehabilitation. He remains hopeful about the possibility of surgery and the implantation of an American neurostimulator, which would help alleviate his pain, restore sensation, and potentially allow him to walk again.
Currently undergoing rehabilitation abroad, Andrii Bakun plans to return to Ukraine on April 25. He is available for meetings both online and in person, by prior arrangement.
For reference: Kherson fell under russian occupation at the onset of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. It wasn’t until November 11, 2022, that the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the city from russian control. Despite this liberation, the occupiers persist in regularly shelling the city.
On April 3, Kyiv will host the Ukrainian premiere of Tommy Gun: On the Road to Kupyansk, a powerful documentary offering an unfiltered glimpse into the war in Ukraine through the lens of a foreign volunteer. The R. T. Weatherman Foundation and the War Museum in Kyiv are behind this exclusive screening.
The film is the work of Mark ‘Gino’ Jannetta, a foreign volunteer who joined the International Legion of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine in 2022, participating in three major military operations. Among them was a daring crossing of the Dnipro River aimed at recapturing the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. Gino also fought near Kupiansk, where he sustained severe injuries. His life was saved by Thomas ‘Tommy Gun’ Harris, a fellow soldier whose bravery inspired Gino to create this documentary. After undergoing rehabilitation, Gino returned to Ukraine to document the war’s harsh realities from the perspective of those fighting for freedom and independence.
Tommy Gun: On the Road to Kupyansk has already garnered international acclaim, earning multiple awards and accolades at prestigious film festivals.
Following the screening, viewers will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion with director Mark ‘Gino’ Jannetta and Thomas Harris’s father, who will join the conversation online.
Journalists are required to obtain accreditation to cover the event.
For reference: The R. T. Weatherman Foundation, recognized globally for its support of Ukraine, is organizing the screening as part of its extensive FOR FREEDOM project. This initiative, featuring a documentary exhibition running until the end of May at the Motherland Monument, seeks to highlight the struggle of foreign volunteers fighting for freedom. The film’s premiere marks a crucial effort to share the truth about the war and underscore the vital role international volunteers continue to play.
“Solar power plant installer” is a course for veterans under the UNIT 6.0 program of the Reskilling Ukraine project. During the course the participants will get acquainted with the main elements and principles of operation of autonomous, grid-connected and hybrid solar power plants, as well as learn how to select the necessary equipment for each type of system. They will study the process of installing solar panels, configuring inverters, and connecting solar power plants.
The training will take place in Kyiv from April 14 to May 2.
Background: The UNIT 6.0 program is designed for veterans to provide them with more opportunities for professional development as they transition back to civilian life.
Reskilling Ukraine is a project of the Swedish non-profit organization Beredskapslyftet, implemented in Ukraine. The initiative focuses on free training programs for women and veterans to help them start a career in a new field.
