Themes by tag: military

Markiian Krasno joined the Ukrainian army a year before russia’s full-scale invasion, a decision that would place him on the front lines from the earliest days of the war. On February 24, 2022, he and his unit defended the Kyiv region before rotating to positions along the border, where russian forces were pressing forward.

Away from combat, Krasno found an unexpected way to support his fellow soldiers – through food. In rare moments of downtime, he began cooking for his unit. When circumstances allow, he marks his comrades’ birthdays by baking cakes or roasting meat, turning makeshift kitchens into small spaces of normalcy amid the war.

In 2024, Krasno recorded and shared his first cooking video on social media. To his surprise, it quickly went viral, prompting him to continue documenting his culinary work from the front lines. He now runs a food-focused blog and is looking ahead to new ambitions, including launching a cooking show and publishing his own recipe book.

Interviews with Markiian Krasno can be arranged online or in person by prior agreement.

• food
• military

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, a serviceman known by the call sign “Morok” worked as a tattoo artist. In the summer of 2022, he volunteered for the armed forces and was assigned to a rifle company as a grenadier. He saw combat in some of the war’s fiercest battles, including Bakhmut and Soledar, where he was wounded in 2023.

While undergoing medical treatment, Morok was reported by his commander as absent without official leave. As a result, he did not serve for the next year and a half. After completing his recovery, he returned to civilian life, resuming his work as a tattoo artist and volunteering.

During this period, Morok was invited to join Yasni Ochi (Clear Eyes), a drone unit within the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He now serves as an operator of an unmanned ground vehicle, bringing his experience back to the battlefield in a new, technology-driven role.

Interviews with Morok can be arranged online or in person, subject to prior coordination with the brigade’s press officer.

• military

Volodymyr Sorochan is originally from Kherson. In 2014, he joined the Ukrainian military and served in Crimea. After russia annexed the peninsula, he remained loyal to his oath and relocated to mainland Ukraine with his comrades. He later continued his service under contract with the 36th Brigade.

Volodymyr encountered the start of the full-scale invasion while on duty near Mariupol. He was captured in April 2022 after attempting to escape the Azovmash plant in Mariupol. He spent nearly three years in russian captivity. There, he endured daily beatings and constant hunger. The former prisoner recalls receiving meager portions of slop instead of proper food.

On October 18, 2024, Volodymyr was returned to Ukraine. After receiving treatment and undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to civilian life. He now maintains a blog where he shares his experiences. He has also finished writing a book in which he recounts his story.

Journalists can speak with Volodymyr Sorochan online or in person in Lviv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv

The 25-year-old soldier who goes by the call sign “Siesha” serves with Ukraine’s National Guard. He was born in Kharkiv and holds Israeli citizenship. When russia’s all-out attack began, he crossed into Slovakia without official authorization, bypassing wartime restrictions that bar men of military age from leaving the country without a permit, before continuing to Israel.

There, Sesha spent much of his time working for a military company operating under contract with the Israel Defense Forces. In 2024, he decided to return to Kharkiv. For roughly a year after coming back, he remained a civilian, weighing his next steps as the war dragged on.

That changed in the spring of 2025, when Siesha enlisted in the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He now serves as an operator of ground-based robotic systems, contributing to Ukraine’s expanding use of unmanned technologies on the battlefield. Looking ahead, he says he plans to build his future in Ukraine.

Interviews with Siesha can be arranged online or in person, subject to prior coordination and approval by the brigade’s press officer.

• military

When the full-scale invasion began, Vesna was near the capital. After an enemy shell hit near her brother’s home, she evacuated to Kyiv with her parents. She later went abroad and lived in Germany for a year. There, she worked with Ukrainians, helping them with translations thanks to her fluency in German. In 2023, she decided to return home. She resumed her studies at the university and ultimately decided to join the military. 

Her older brother, who is also defending Ukraine in the Defense Forces, supported her decision. However, at the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC), she was denied mobilization. Instead, she joined the 13th Khartiia Brigade, which accepts women. Currently, Vesna serves in the artillery, working with personnel and monitoring the soldiers’ moral and psychological state.

Journalists can speak with Vesna online or offline by arranging an appointment with the press officer in advance.

• military
• women

Vadym Fedorov once cut the figure of a 192-centimeter-tall bodybuilder, training on his own and following routines inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He entered the military at 18, completing his mandatory service before signing on as a contract soldier. When russia launched its first assault on Ukraine in 2014, he deployed to the east, serving as a medic, grenadier, and machine gunner in some of the conflict’s most volatile areas – Stanytsia Luhanska, Pisky, Zaitseve, Hranitne, and Bohdanivka.

A year before russia’s full-scale invasion, Fedorov transferred to the 109th Mountain Assault Battalion. While holding defensive positions near Horlivka in Donetsk Oblast, he survived a sniper round that grazed his spine and exited through his shoulder. After recovering, he returned to the battlefield.

In June 2022, he was severely wounded near Bakhmut, an injury that led to the loss of both legs. With help from volunteers, he later traveled to the United States for rehabilitation and prosthetic treatment.

Fedorov now lives in the Kirovohrad region and works at a rehabilitation center supporting wounded service members. He continues treatment for an arm injury that has slowed his progress with prosthetics, but he remains deeply involved in helping other veterans rebuild their strength and mobility.

Conversations with Fedorov,  either online or in person in the Kirovohrad region, are available by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military

The project is aimed at military personnel in Kyiv for rotation or recovering from injuries. The project’s goal is to help servicemembers who have just returned from the front line recover psychologically and physically, relieve stress, improve their mood, and boost morale.

The methodology, developed by Hanna Buraho, a Gestalt therapist and the founder of the Spirit Rehabilitation Center, is based on interacting with animals (horses, dogs, and cats).

Group sessions in hippotherapy, canine therapy, and psychotherapy are conducted with groups of 12 military personnel. The sessions consist of several stages. First, participants gather in a circle and work with a psychotherapist. Then, they move to the stable where they get acquainted with the horses, groom them, and treat them with snacks under the supervision of a hippotherapist. Finally, they ride the horses and perform exercises with them.

Since its inception in the summer of 2022, the project has attracted approximately 5,000 participants.

Journalists may cover the Spirit Warrior project by prior arrangement.

• animals
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Volodymyr Ryzhenko, a combat medic with the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov, was recognized as the best European medic of 2025 in the category of military medicine after performing a high-risk rescue operation in the field.

During the winter of 2025, in the Toretsk direction, an Azov shelter came under enemy fire. One soldier suffered a severe neck injury and life-threatening blood loss. To save precious time, the brigade’s medical service dispatched blood directly to the position via drone, pre-warmed for the transfusion, along with the instruments Ryzhenko needed.

The medic carried out the procedure inside an armored combat vehicle, which advanced toward the evacuation point despite the ongoing danger. Thanks to his swift action, the wounded soldier was successfully transported to a “stabilization point,” the medical posts closest to the front lines where wounded soldiers receive emergency first aid.

In August 2025, Ryzhenko received the award in the “Military Medicine” category at the Combat Medical Care Conference, Europe’s largest event of its kind, held in Germany.

Volodymyr Ryzhenko is available for interviews by prior arrangement with the press service, and journalists can also access video footage of the rescue operation.

• doctors
• military

Until 2022, Tetiana Khimion was a ballroom dance instructor in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, teaching students who would go on to become world champions. She also served as a judge at international dance competitions on multiple occasions.

When the full-scale invasion reached her hometown, her husband immediately joined the territorial defense, and Tetiana began volunteering to support the war effort. But volunteering soon felt insufficient. Determined to take a more active role, she enlisted in the Special Operations Forces, completed rigorous training, and became a sniper. Known by her call sign Tango, she has seen combat near Kherson, Kurakhove, and Netailove in Donetsk Oblast.

During her service, Tetiana was wounded three times, most recently in an attack involving a drone. She sustained injuries to her back, torso, and both legs, requiring eight operations. Doctors say her leg may never fully recover, yet she remains undeterred. Tetiana trains daily, committed to regaining her strength and returning to active duty.

Tetiana Khimion is available to meet or chat online by appointment in Donetsk Oblast.

• casualties
• military
• women

From November 30 to December 7, participants from across Ukraine will compete in nine adaptive sports at HART, the country’s first national multisport event for military veterans recovering from injuries, wounds, or illnesses sustained in the defense of Ukraine.

Team events will include wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and sitting volleyball. Individual competitions will feature archery, indoor rowing on a simulator, laser run, powerlifting, cycling, and swimming.

Athletes are free to join.

For reference: Around the world, adaptive athletics have become a cornerstone of veteran rehabilitation. In the United States, the Warrior Games have spurred thousands of recovery programs. In the United Kingdom, the Invictus Games reshaped public attitudes toward wounded service members. Similar initiatives in Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia have helped build statewide “sport-based recovery” programs that integrate rehabilitation, mentorship, and social inclusion.

Ukraine is following suit. With support from Ukrgasbank, the Come Back Alive Initiative Center and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs have launched HART as a comprehensive sports-based rehabilitation effort for veterans.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv