Themes by tag: military

Once a front-end developer in civilian life, a Ukrainian soldier known by the call sign “Mavka” now leads a UAV strike unit within the Yastruby regiment.

Mavka was born in Luhansk, a city under russian occupation since 2014, into a military family; her father held the rank of 2nd class captain. As a teenager, she dreamed of joining the armed forces, but at the time, she says, “it wasn’t considered something for girls.”

Following russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine in 2014, she relocated from her native Luhansk to Kyiv. In 2020, she began training with the 135th Obukhiv Battalion.

In 2022, the war came for her home once again. On the first day of the full-scale invasion, she and her husband arrived at the military enlistment office at five in the morning. Just weeks later, on March 15, 2022, she took the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people.

Today, Mavka commands a strike team. She previously led a smaller strike crew, and before that, she served in an infantry unit.

The UAV commander is currently deployed on the front line. Interviews can be arranged in person or online with prior approval from the unit’s press officer.

• military
• women

Oleksandr Kunhurov voluntarily joined the Ukrainian military in 2015. Since then, he has served on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia fronts.

In July 2023, he sustained a severe injury and had to wear a tourniquet on his leg for over nine hours, which ultimately led to amputation.  His rehabilitation lasted one and a half years. Unable to access a prosthetic for his above-the-knee amputation in Ukraine, Kunhurov traveled to the United States for specialized care funded by donors.

After becoming proficient with his prosthetic, Oleksandr took up dancing and learned the rumba, tango, and waltz. In February 2025, he became a model at Ukrainian Fashion Week.

Oleksandr has since returned to military service. He also fundraises for prosthetics for wounded soldiers and civilians, and plans to train as a psychologist to support veterans.

Journalists may interview Oleksandr Kunhurov online or in person by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military

The 114th Territorial Defense Brigade’s Striking UAV Company team claimed bronze at the “Wild Drones” military drone racing championship. Consisting of operators with the call signs Moriachok, Djin, Palkovnik, Khors, and Yach, the team demonstrated exceptional coordination, resilience, and combat skill. They were awarded a certificate for the “Vampir” drone complex and a cash prize from the organizers.

The pilots are currently deployed on the front lines. Journalists may arrange online interviews with the team by prior request. Media assets, including photos and videos from the competition, are available upon inquiry.

Background: “Wild Drones” is Ukraine’s largest military drone racing event, held this year on May 16–17. The pilots from the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade won in the FPV category. The second place went to the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment, and the third to the 114th Territorial Defense Brigade.

• military

On May 23, Kyiv will host a commemorative gathering marking the Day of the Marine Corps of Armed Forces of Ukraine, bringing together families of prisoners of war, veterans, fellow service members, and supporters from across the country.

Observed annually, Marine Corps Day honors Ukraine’s elite fighting force – soldiers who are first to respond, operate in the most dangerous conditions, and remain steadfast in their duty.

This year, the date carries added weight. For the third consecutive year, hundreds of Ukrainian marines remain in enemy captivity. These are the defenders of Mariupol, Vodiane, Pavlopil, and Shyrokyne, soldiers who followed orders in the fiercest battles and were taken prisoner. Many are still unaccounted for.

The Kyiv event will offer a space for remembrance, solidarity, and public support. The program includes:

– A formal ceremony honoring the Marines;

– A moment of silence for the fallen;

– Remarks from recently released POWs and families who have endured three years of waiting;

– A musical and spoken-word segment featuring veterans, artists, and volunteers;

– Open mic: an opportunity for attendees to share words of support;

For reference: Organized by the “Marine Corps Strength” Association

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Rusudana Pavlichenko is of Georgian descent. When the full-scale invasion began, she was abroad for her father’s funeral. For the first time in her life, Rusudana had to flee the war (the war in Abkhazia) when she was only 10 years old. She then came to Ukraine and has lived here her entire life.

Rusudana’s husband, Serhii Pavlichenko, defended Ukraine from the occupiers since 2014. He held the defense of Azovstal during the beginning of the full-scale invasion and was captured afterward. He died in a terrorist attack in Olenivka (a village in the occupied Donetsk oblast) on July 28-29, 2022. The couple had two children: 12-year-old Adeliia and 8-year-old Nazar.

Journalists can arrange to interview Rusudana in Cherkasy or online.

Currently, the family is being supported by the charitable foundation “Children of Heroes.” The foundation helps children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion. The foundation provides financial assistance, psychological support, legal support, and promotes education and development for children until they reach adulthood.

Background: On July 29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act by detonating an explosion in a barrack of a correctional colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 Azovstal defenders were killed in the attack.

• dead
• military
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Cherkasy
• Mariupol

Yevhen is originally from Mariupol. He began serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014 when russia first attacked Ukraine. He was carrying out combat missions near the village of Pisky in Donetsk oblast when the full-scale invasion began. At that time, Yevhen’s family was still in Mariupol. They only managed to escape russian encirclement in mid-April 2022.

The idea to start his own business came to Yevhen before the full-scale war began. However, he only began to implement it after his family found safety in the Kyiv oblast. Together with his sister and her husband, Yevhen applied for a grant from the Ukrainian Veteran Fund and received financial support to open a café.

Their family-run burger café, “Domakha,” now welcomes guests in Hostomel, Kyiv oblast. The name “Domakha” refers to an old term for the region where Mariupol, now temporarily occupied, is located. Yevhen envisions the café as more than just a place to enjoy good food; he also wants it to be a hub where veterans can gather, host charity events, and hold workshops.

Yevhen is currently in the Chernihiv oblast. You can communicate with him online or offline by prior arrangement.

• culture
• food
• military
• Chernihiv

A new initiative, Heroes Glory Golf, has launched in the Kyiv region, providing free golf training for Ukrainian military veterans. Tailored for those with combat experience, the program offers:

– golf instruction;

– participation in tournaments and competitions;

– outdoor recreation in a nature reserve;

– peer support and new connections within the veteran community.

The program aims to help veterans transition to civilian life through physical activity, skill-building, and a sense of community. Participation is entirely free of charge.

Eight women veterans have already enrolled, and recruitment for additional teams remains open.

Journalists may attend training sessions near Kyiv by prior arrangement.

Background: Heroes Glory Golf is organized by Heroes Glory, a veteran service organization, and is supported by the DTCare Foundation and the Women Veterans Movement.

• culture
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Daniel, 35, arrived in Ukraine from Sweden and now serves with the Hospitallers medical volunteer battalion.

A seasoned traveler who has visited 50 countries, Daniel studied nursing at Malmö University and later worked as a private nurse in Sweden.

He first came to Ukraine in 2010 and returned in 2013, inspired by the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and a desire to visit Chornobyl.

Last year marked his third visit to the country, this time to join the Hospitallers Medical Battalion. Daniel is currently learning Ukrainian and plans to enroll in an online Ukrainian language course this summer through Lund University in Sweden. He also has a girlfriend in Ukraine.

Now serving on the front line, Daniel is available for interviews, either in person or online, by prior arrangement and with the approval of the battalion’s press officer.

• doctors
• military

Amnesty International Ukraine, in cooperation with the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, is launching an open-air photo exhibition entitled “Deafening Silence”, dedicated to the stories of Ukrainian prisoners of war and their families. The exhibition is based on extensive research into the rights abuses of POWs held by russia. The opening will be on May 9.

This project is part of an international campaign to raise awareness of violations of international humanitarian law and to strengthen the protection of prisoners of war by mobilizing civil society.

The purpose of the event is to highlight systematic violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the russian federation, to support initiatives aimed at protecting their rights, and to raise global awareness of these humanitarian challenges.

Media accreditation is required to attend.

• culture
• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Vitalina “Baba Yaga” is a junior sergeant with the 208th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion. Every day, she prepares care packages for soldiers that are then airlifted by units of the 114th Brigade’s Strike Drone Company to the front lines where they’re needed most.

The drones deliver anything that can’t be sent by other means — as long as the payload doesn’t exceed the drone’s weight limit. Typical packages include medicine, sleeping mats and thermal blankets. Vitalina has also perfected special packaging techniques, such as freezing drinking water beforehand because bottles can break on impact during the drop, wasting precious cargo.

Sometimes soldiers make special requests, like one soldier who asked for birthday cake and milk. Thanks to the drone, his request was delivered directly to his position.

Vitalina is currently stationed on the Kupiansk axis. You can contact her online or in person, subject to prior coordination with the press officer.

• military
• women