Themes by tag: military

In civilian life, Kateryna Sokolenko worked as a nurse in the village of Fedorivka in the Bakhmut district of the Donetsk region. Long before the full-scale invasion, she became known for her vocal performances on the shows “X-Factor” and “Ukraine’s Got Talent.”

In 2016, she joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a senior nurse. Since then, Kateryna has been saving the lives of Ukrainian service members. She was already serving in the military when the full-scale invasion began. Currently, Kateryna holds the position of medical instructor in the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade.

She believes that military service is her true calling. At the same time, she has put her singing career on hold, although she occasionally performs for her fellow soldiers.

An interview with Kateryna can be arranged online or offline in Kyiv on February 20–21 by prior appointment and in coordination with the press officer.

• doctors
• military
• women

Volodymyr Aleksandrov is 47 years old. He is originally from Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, where he was mobilized in May 2025. He joined the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade and carried out combat missions in the Donetsk region together with his fellow soldiers.

Volodymyr and his comrade Ihor, who is currently considered missing in action, were holding a position. That day, food supplies were dropped to them by drone. The package had to be retrieved near one of the buildings. When the soldiers approached the structure, they came under automatic gunfire. Both Ukrainian fighters were wounded — the russians decided to keep Volodymyr alive and take him captive.

The occupiers inspected the Ukrainian position, where there was a generator, water, communication equipment, and food, and decided to move there together with the wounded Volodymyr. For several days, the russians forced the Ukrainian soldier to contact his command and assure them that everything was fine. Eventually, the food and water at the position ran out and the power supply failed. The uninjured russians then abandoned their wounded comrades along with Volodymyr and went in search of water. The Ukrainian serviceman persuaded two wounded russian soldiers to surrender to Ukrainian forces. The Defense Forces of Ukraine prepared an evacuation operation, involving more than three dozen personnel, including drone operators and unmanned ground vehicle crews, medics, technicians, and reconnaissance units. Ultimately, Volodymyr and one enemy soldier were brought back to Ukrainian positions.

An interview with Volodymyr can be arranged online by prior appointment and in coordination with the press officer.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• evacuation

On May 8, 2022, Maryna Aleksiuk, a repair workshop technician of an anti-aircraft missile division, was killed at Azovstal. She had been defending Ukraine since 2015. Her daughters — 14-year-old Olena and 11-year-old Oleksandra — were left without their mother.

Mykola Ivanchenko has been fighting since 2014, when russia first launched its aggression against Ukraine, serving in the “Azov” regiment.

He met Maryna in December 2018. Both were divorced at the time. When they began living together, Maryna’s daughters did not immediately accept him. Over time, however, he earned their trust.

The family initially lived in Mariupol and moved to Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region in 2021. That is where the full-scale war found them.

On February 24, 2022, Maryna left for Azovstal with her unit as part of the “Azov” regiment. Mykola arranged with his command to remain in Berdiansk with the children, waiting for his wife’s return. When russian forces occupied the city, he and the girls spent a month under occupation. Only by a miracle were they able to safely evacuate to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

After receiving news of Maryna’s death, Mykola took Olena and Oleksandra under his guardianship. They now live together in the Kyiv region. The girls are in the 9th and 6th grades. Olena is interested in Korean culture and music, while Oleksandra enjoys painting by numbers.

Journalists can access Mykola’s full story and schedule an interview with him.

• children
• dead
• military

Andrii Bieliaiev is a racer, founder and head of the NGO “Offroadbrothers.” He took part in his first competitions back in 2010, when he also met Vadym Moroz and Yevhenii Sokur. In 2022, they launched their own off-road school together.

On the site where races used to be held, they built a training ground at their own expense and now conduct daily sessions there. Requests for training from military personnel come in regularly, with bookings scheduled two to three weeks in advance.

The “Offroadbrothers” training ground includes an obstacle section, an area simulating various ruts, pits and bumps, ascents and descents, as well as a tent equipped as a lecture space. Basic skills are taught to military drivers in four hours. Most drivers come for training from frontline regions, so the program has been shortened to two hours of theory and two hours of practice. In addition to military personnel, the instructors also train drivers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine — their course lasts three days. The team is currently working with the National Guard of Ukraine and assisting in the creation of a training center for car and motorcycle training.

Interviews with the “Offroadbrothers” team can be arranged both online and offline in Kyiv by prior appointment.

• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

In the Rivne region, within the Sarny community, a social project called “Veteran for an Hour” is operating. It was launched by a group of five veterans. As part of the initiative, former service members provide assistance with repair and household tasks, including furniture and plumbing installation, as well as electrical work.

The initiative has been active since early January. During this time, more than 40 service calls have been completed. Assistance is provided free of charge to socially vulnerable groups, while others may access the services on a paid basis.

The team includes two veterans with amputations, as well as a soldier who lost the ability to speak as a result of injuries sustained in combat.

By prior arrangement, journalists may cover the initiative either offline in the Rivne region or online.

For reference: The initiative is implemented by the NGO “Code of Veterans’ Strength.”

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Rivne

A servicemember with the call sign “Student” is mastering his third specialty in the military. He began his service in an infantry unit, but was soon offered to become a UAV operator. He went on to operate reconnaissance drones and carry out ammunition drops on enemy positions.

During one of the combat operations, “Student” sustained severe injuries as a result of a strike by an enemy drone. After evacuation, treatment, and rehabilitation, he had the option to leave the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as he was no longer able to perform combat tasks. However, “Student” wanted to return to service and to his comrades. As a result, his commander offered him the opportunity to join a reconnaissance platoon, where he detects enemy UAVs and relays information so they can be neutralized in time.

Journalists may speak with “Student” online by prior arrangement and with approval from the press officer.

• casualties
• military

In Kyiv, a unique rehabilitation project is helping military personnel recover through archery, including those who have lost limbs. The initiative welcomes veterans, active-duty soldiers, and their families, offering free daily training sessions.  

Leading the effort is Dmytro Lvovskyi, an international master of sports and founder and Board Chair of the “Ukrainian Archery Space” NGO. Since 2014, he has funded archery training for wounded soldiers, including veterans of the ATO service, using his own resources. His work expanded with support from the Kyiv City Center for Physical Culture and Sports for Persons with Disabilities “Invasport” and the All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health “Sport for All,” as part of the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ “Active Parks — Unstoppable” program.  

Archery is accessible to all, even those with severe injuries. Participants missing legs train from wheelchairs, while those without arms can draw the bowstring with their teeth. Even individuals who are completely blind can take part, using specialized techniques tailored for visually impaired archers.  

Journalists can arrange to visit and cover the training sessions in Kyiv by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Serhii Zhukovskyi, 43, hails from the Zaporizhia region. Despite his childhood dream of becoming a soldier, he initially faced hurdles when got a medical certificate determining his unfitness for military service. However, when his hometown faced a full-blown invasion, Zhukovskyi and his family evacuated before it was occupied. In the Lviv region, he eventually enlisted with the 80th separate airborne assault brigade after encountering delays at the military enlistment office. His first injury occurred during the storming of Serebryany Forest, where shrapnel lodged near his spine. Despite medics’ unsuccessful attempts to remove a dangerous object from his body, the man persevered and returned to the front line after his wound healed. In the summer of 2023, serving with the 82nd Brigade, he sustained severe injuries from a mine explosion, resulting in the loss of both arms. His wife took on the task of finding the top rehabilitation centers in Ukraine, eventually leading him to the Halychyna and the Superhumans rehabilitation centers in the Lviv region. Following his prosthetic journey, the veteran received training in launching veteran-owned businesses, to which Serhii readily agreed. Subsequently, he successfully brought to fruition an idea conceived during his time on the front lines: crafting jerkies, pre-marinated and dried slices of meat. The business, named Sushena Radist (Dried Joy), was coined by Serhii’s eldest son, Ivan. It’s not just a veteran’s enterprise but also a family affair, with his wife, Daryna, handling the bulk of the work. 

Reporters welcome to seize the chance to interview Serhii Zhukovskyi in Lviv.

For context: The Sushena Radist veteran-owned enterprise emerged as a facet of the initiative “Reintegration of War Veterans through the Creation of Educational Opportunities,” spearheaded by DVV International in Ukraine and backed financially by the German Federal Foreign Office.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Alina, known by the call sign “Jess,” is originally from Kremenchuk in the Poltava region. After the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, Alina and her mother began volunteering together, collecting and delivering items to internally displaced people. In 2024, the young woman realized that she wanted to join the military and chose the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Khartiia.”

During her training, Alina came across a video showing the operation of a ground robotic complex (GRC). She obtained the contact details of a platoon sergeant who works with this equipment, told him about herself, and was appointed as a GRC operator. Today, “Jess” deploys “robots” on missions: transporting supplies to hard-to-reach areas of the front line and evacuating the wounded. At times, she has even had to retrieve another damaged or stuck GRC from a previous mission using her own ground drone. Currently, “Jess” is the only woman in her unit.

It is possible to speak with “Jess” both online and offline, by prior arrangement and with the approval of the press officer.

• military
• women

Katrin is a trained fashion designer who worked in retail before the full-scale war. She started supporting the military as a volunteer. Over time, she realized that she wanted to join the Ukrainian army.

Planning to take on a combat role, Katrin chose to work with drones. After completing training with her battalion, she now works with UAVs in a reconnaissance unit.

As the enemy does not stop, the drone operator believes that everyone must contribute to the shared victory.

Katrin is available for interviews, both online and in person, by prior arrangement with the press officer.

• military
• women