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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.
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.
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.
Maksym Maksymenko is a veteran of the russo-Ukrainian War and a participant in the Revolution of Dignity. While still a student in 2014, Maksym and his friends traveled to Maidan Square and joined the protests. He served as a “sotnyk”, or unit commander, on the Maidan. With the start of the russian occupation of Crimea and attack on eastern Ukraine, he joined the Azov unit.
In 2016, Maksym returned to civilian life. He recalls this period as a time of self-discovery, during which he volunteered, engaged in civic activism, and started a small business.
When the full-scale invasion began, Maksym immediately returned to the military. Several months later, he was wounded and had to leave the army again. However, he adapted more quickly this time, as he had his beloved wife to support him.
While shopping for gifts, Maksym and his wife noticed a lack of websites in Ukraine dedicated exclusively to handmade products. This inspired the idea for Create4Me, an online marketplace that connects Ukrainian artisans, including veterans and volunteers. The Ukrainian Veteran Fund helped bring the project to life. Maksym believes that Ukrainian artisans create items that can captivate the entire world.
Maksym Maksymenko is available for interviews, both online and in person in Ternopil, by prior arrangement.
Ukrainian veteran and public advocate Andrii Madzharov has completed a 1,500-kilometer trek from Ukraine to Brussels, a symbolic journey meant to remind Europe of the price Ukrainians continue to pay in their fight for freedom.
Madzharov, a longtime member of a veterans’ union, has served in Ukraine’s defense since 2015. After russia launched its full-scale invasion, he joined the Safari special forces unit of the National Police and took part in operations across the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions.
In August 2025, he set out on foot toward the Belgian capital, determined to share the voices of his fellow soldiers and draw attention to the cost of Ukraine’s ongoing resistance. During his journey, Madzharov met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, presenting him with the chevron he had worn in combat as a token of respect and solidarity.
After three months on the road, the veteran arrived in Brussels in early November, where he plans to stay for several days.
Those wishing to speak with Andrii Madzharov about his mission and experiences can arrange an online conversation in advance.
Maksym was 11 years old when russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014. His most vivid memories from that time are of people fleeing the war to his hometown of Berdiansk, in southern Ukraine. In 2019, his older brother joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
After the full-scale invasion began and Berdiansk was occupied, Maksym enlisted through the “18-24” mobilization program. Maksym joined the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss”, serving as an infantryman for the past seven months.
His achievements during this time include capturing an enemy soldier, holding a position single-handedly for several days, and sustaining a combat injury.
In recognition of his accomplishments, the brigade command has nominated the 21-year-old Korshun for the “For Courage” award.
Maksym is available for interviews online and in person in the Donetsk oblast by prior arrangement with the press officer.
On November 4, Kyiv will host a meeting with Swedish volunteers Caroline Nordengrip and Christopher Forsback, who took up arms to defend Ukraine against russia’s full-scale invasion. Caroline Nordengrip, a former member of the Swedish Parliament with a 15-year career in politics, joined Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura.” Serving under the call sign “Alex,” she not only defended the country but also trained members of the Ukrainian Forces of Ukraine.
Christopher Forsback, who goes by the call sign “Chris,” previously worked in forestry before volunteering to fight with the same brigade. He took part in combat operations against russian forces, helped clear mines from Ukrainian territory, and sustained serious injuries during his service.
During the event, the two volunteers will share their stories, from their peaceful lives in Sweden to the realities of war on Ukraine’s front lines, and present several personal items to the War Museum’s collection.
For reference: The meeting is part of the For Freedom project, a joint initiative of the Kyiv War Museum and the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation. The project honors international volunteers who have stood up alongside Ukrainians for the defense of the country’s independence and global freedom. It highlights the scope of international solidarity with Ukraine, from military and humanitarian support to the personal decisions of foreign citizens to join its armed forces.
Journalists are required to register to attend the event.
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.
Bioengineer and veteran Oleksandr Zozuliak began defending Ukraine in 2014. He served in the artillery unit of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ground Forces, then known as the Mountain Infantry. His brigade fought in the Zolote area of Luhansk Oblast and later in Debaltseve, Donetsk Oblast, where Zozuliak commanded a mortar battery platoon.
On January 25, 2015, during fierce fighting near Debaltseve, a russian tank drove directly into Zozuliak’s trench. He tried to dodge the vehicle, hoping to destroy it with a hand-held grenade launcher. His quick reaction caused the tank to get stuck in the trench, allowing his comrades to hit it. The damaged vehicle was later towed away with a cable to free him from underneath.
Zozuliak suffered severe injuries: multiple broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, damaged right arm and left leg, torn muscles, chest and abdominal trauma, head contusions, and burns. His left arm was the most badly injured and had to be amputated. Doctors told him he would never walk again. Yet, within a year, he was back on his feet, and soon after, back at work, this time in the police force.
Refusing to give up an active life, Zozuliak discovered archery. Working with a prosthetist, he designed a custom prosthesis for shooting, later improving it himself. The modified device includes a special clamp that lets him draw the bowstring. In 2023, he became Ukraine’s national archery champion among athletes with disabilities. He also represented Ukraine at the Invictus Games in 2017 and 2018, competing in cycling, swimming, and archery.
Zozuliak was among the first in Ukraine to receive a cutting-edge bionic prosthesis. Today, he works as a prosthetist-orthotist technician, manufacturing and fitting advanced prosthetic limbs for veterans who lost theirs in the war. These modern prostheses feature multi-sensor systems, and Zozuliak personally tests new designs on himself before adapting them for others.
By prior arrangement, journalists can meet with Oleksandr Zozuliak in Kyiv.
Dmytro Dokunov, a native of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s Kherson region, once built his career in television after studying in Odesa. Seeking a quieter life, he and his wife moved to a village in the Odesa region to be closer to nature. But their peace was shattered when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, prompting Dmytro to enlist in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
He served in the airborne assault troops and later commanded a reconnaissance company, taking part in fierce battles for Kherson, Bakhmut, and Soledar. Twice wounded and suffering multiple concussions, Dokunov endured the brutality of war while holding onto his long-time passion for videography. Even at the front, he continued filming, capturing raw moments of combat and resilience. His wartime documentary, shot amid the hostilities, is now set to premiere at a European film festival.
During his recovery, Dokunov began envisioning a space where veterans could heal both physically and emotionally. That idea became Toloka – a rehabilitation retreat he founded in a village in the Odesa region. As he describes it, Toloka is a place where people can face their inner fears, listen to silence, and find the strength to move forward.
The project received financial backing from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, enabling Dmytro to turn his vision into reality. Today, he helps fellow veterans adjust to civilian life, offering support and community to those who share the scars of war.
Those who wish to connect with Dmytro Dokunov can reach him either online or in person at Toloka, located in the village of Konceba in the Odesa region, by prior arrangement.
