Themes by tag: military

The Shkola Rekruta (Recruit School) training by Khartiia-Khab will begin in the capital on August 14. Over three days, experienced instructors will train anyone interested in learning more about and preparing for military service.

The instructors will help participants improve their existing skills, acquire new ones and better understand how service in the Ukrainian military is organized.

• military
• Kyiv

Markiian was raised by his father, along with his grandmother and grandfather. His mother left the family when he was one and a half years old and has not been involved in raising him for the past eight years. The family lives near Lviv.

Before the full-scale russian invasion, Markiian’s father, Ihor, worked as a driver. In November 2022, he joined Ukraine’s defense forces. He was killed in the fighting for Bakhmut in the spring of 2023.

Markiian’s grandmother, Halyna, had to become the family’s main source of support: she raised her grandson, supported her husband, and could only grieve when she was alone.

Markiian was six years old when his father was killed. He struggled deeply with the loss: within a week, he began experiencing knee pain and sleep problems. The family sought help from a psychologist.

The family is available for both online and in-person interviews by prior arrangement.

Background: The Children of Heroes Charity Foundation supports children who have lost one or both parents because of the war. The foundation provides immediate, personalized assistance, including humanitarian aid, psychological and medical support, as well as educational and development opportunities until the children reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military

The press conference will present new information that should become the subject of thorough investigative work and remain under constant public scrutiny. 

Participants:

– Anna Lobova, wife of a man seriously wounded during the terrorist attack in Olenivka;

– Anastasia Gondyul, wife of a man seriously wounded during the terrorist attack in Olenivka.

The organizers will also raise the following questions:

• Why have seriously wounded defenders still not been returned from captivity?
• Why, despite high-profile promises, has not a single person from this category of prisoners been returned over the past year?
• What are the results of the investigation into the tragedy four years after the attack? Why is there no information about the key witness?

Background: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by blowing up a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than 100 were wounded.

The Ukrainian servicemen seriously wounded in the attack have remained in russian captivity for four years.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

On July 29, Kyiv will host the event “BASHTA. Memory That Unites,” dedicated to the anniversary of the deaths of Ukrainian defenders in Olenivka.

On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out one of the largest terrorist attacks against Ukrainian prisoners of war by blowing up a barracks in Olenivka, where more than 200 Azovstal defenders were held.

The event will commemorate those killed in Olenivka, discuss the challenges veterans face after returning from captivity, and present the online platform Bashta — a space bringing together veterans, military families, civil society organizations and everyone working on issues of memory, recovery and the development of the veteran community.

Speakers:

• Natalia Petrenko — founder of the Bashta platform; 
• Oleksandra Mazur — co-founder of the NGO Olenivka Community;
• Oleh Krisenko — veteran, former prisoner of war and founder of the IT Veterans NGO;
• Anton Kalakutskyi — representative of the IT Veterans NGO and the Veterans Movement of Ukraine;
• Semen Makhlin — veteran, professional adaptation specialist and career consultant at UNIT 6.0;
• Daria Ulman — founder of Community Ulman;
• Oleksandr Batalov — veteran and director of the Ankonkard Foundation;
• Yaryna Chuchman-Myno — founder of the Blast brand and communications manager at the Ankonkard Foundation.

Background: The organizers are the Bashta online platform, the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, the National Memorial Complex of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes — Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, and the Olenivka Community.

• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On July 28, the exhibition “Olenivka: The Quintessence of Cruelty” will reopen in Kyiv for the third time. The event is dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the Olenivka terrorist attack.

The exhibition was created in cooperation with the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and the NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights. The exhibition will be open until November 16.

Background: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by blowing up a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than 100 were injured.

Ukrainian soldiers who were seriously wounded in the attack have remained in russian captivity for four years.

• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The press conference will present new information that should become the subject of thorough investigative work and remain under constant public scrutiny. The organizers will also raise the following questions:

Why have seriously wounded defenders still not been returned from captivity?

Why, despite high-profile promises, has not a single person from this category of prisoners been returned over the past year?

What are the results of the investigation into the tragedy four years after the attack? Why is there no information about the key witness?

Background: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by blowing up a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than 100 were wounded.

The Ukrainian servicemen seriously wounded in the attack have remained in russian captivity for four years.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Mariia-Viktoriia and Ivan lived in Hlukhiv, Sumy region, and were raising their five-year-old son, Volodymyr. After February 24, Hlukhiv was under enemy siege for a month and a half. The city lacked medicine and food. Mariia-Viktoriia worried that her son and grandmother might fall ill.

Ivan joined the military in the first days of the war. He initially served at checkpoints in the city. In late May 2022, he was sent to Kyiv and later to Donetsk region as part of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade. Mariia and her son remained in Hlukhiv. She ran a children’s development center and worked a lot. They did not see each other often, but Ivan always tried to get away and come for his son’s birthday or September 1.

In the summer of 2023, while stationed near Avdiivka in Donetsk region, Ivan decided to pursue a second degree and enrolled at Poltava State Agrarian University. In February 2024, the couple spent two weeks together while Ivan was attending a university session. In March 2024, he was killed.

Life in Hlukhiv became unbearable for Mariia and her son because of constant russian shelling. In addition, as the city is located close to the border, enemy FPV drone strikes became a regular occurrence there.

Mariia and her son now live in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. Little Vova goes to school and attends extracurricular activities, and has made friends.

Vova’s biggest dream is for the war to end. After that, he wants to travel to Japan.

By prior arrangement, the family is available for in-person and online interviews.

Background: The Children of Heroes Foundation supports the family. In the summer of 2025, Vova went to a summer camp for the first time and enjoyed it very much. In December 2024, one of the boy’s biggest dreams came true: he met Ukrainian television host Dmytro Komarov.

• children
• dead
• military
• women

The Shkola Rekruta (Recruit School) training by Khartiia-Khab will begin in the capital on August 14. Over three days, experienced instructors will train anyone interested in learning more about and preparing for military service.

The instructors will help participants improve their existing skills, acquire new ones and better understand how service in the Ukrainian military is organized.

• military
• Kyiv

Peaceful rallies will be be held in 24 Ukrainian cities to remind the public about the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainian service members who remain in russian captivity.

On July 18, rallies will take place in Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Bila Tserkva, Shpola, Volochysk, and Lviv.

On July 19, events are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Ovruch, Uman, Obukhiv, Dolynska, Lozova, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, and Odesa.

The events are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol Garrison. Ukrainians who have been released from russian captivity also frequently join the rallies.

• military
• prisoners

Yehor Babenko is 27. After finishing school, he enrolled in a border guard officer training program and later signed a military contract. He was serving with a border guard unit in Mykolaiv Region when russia launched its full-scale invasion. On March 9, 2022, he was seriously wounded after a russian munition exploded nearby. Yehor sustained severe burns to his body and face. Due to the extent of his injuries, doctors had to amputate both of his hands at the wrists.

Yehor spent a long time undergoing treatment abroad before returning to Ukraine, where doctors were able to restore his voice. He then started sharing his story on social media.

His online presence led a theatre company for veterans to invite him to join its production of Eneida, directed by Akhtem Seitablaiev. Yehor now plans to take part in other theatre projects as well.

He also works as a psychologist at the TYTANOVI Rehab sports rehabilitation center for veterans, where he helps fellow veterans overcome the consequences of trauma and recover.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Yehor Babenko either online or in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv