Themes by tag: military

On February 24, 2022, Olha Shtern found herself without identification documents. A day before russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she had submitted her passport to change her surname following a divorce. At the time, she was living and working in Mykolaiv, a southern Ukrainian city.

After the invasion began, volunteers helped Olha and her child evacuate abroad.

A host family on Portugal’s Azores Islands took them in. But neither the islands’ natural beauty, nor the support of those who had helped her, nor her volunteer activities there could persuade Olha to remain outside Ukraine. With war continuing at home, she felt she was not doing enough.

She soon returned to Ukraine. In Odesa, Olha enlisted and became a combat medic in a combat unit, where she continues to serve.

She has served in some of the war’s fiercest battle zones, including Bakhmut, Soledar and Blahodatne. She recalls how, during another shelling attack, the blast wave threw her back, and her only concern was that she had lost her radio. Although she has suffered four concussions during her service, only one has been officially documented.

Olha has also faced sexism within the military. She says she managed to overcome that difficult period thanks to the support of her fellow service members.

From time to time, she considers returning to civilian life. But she dismisses those thoughts after saving another wounded person.

Her son is waiting for her at home and is being cared for by his godmother.

Journalists interested in speaking with Olha Shtern may arrange interviews either online or in person in Kharkiv region by prior appointment.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Kharkiv

Media accreditation is now open for the 3rd round of the 2026 Ukrainian Amputee Football Super League, which will take place in Lviv. The event will be held on June 13–14.

Reference: Amputee football is a modification of association football designed for players with an amputated limb or a limb function impairment.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

Angelina’s father served in the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was killed in action on June 13, 2023, near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

Currently, Angelina lives with her mother, Mariana, in Kropyvnytskyi and is a second-grade student. The girl has a passion for creative arts, attends a modeling agency, participates in photoshoots and runway shows.

Mariana works for a charitable foundation, where she provides daily assistance to other families affected by the war.

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

Reference: The “Children of Heroes” Charity Fund supports children who have lost one or both parents to the war. The fund offers immediate, personalized assistance, including humanitarian aid, psychological and medical support, as well as educational and development opportunities for children until they reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military
• women

The “Sports Ambassadors 3.0” project is an educational initiative designed for male and female veterans seeking opportunities for personal and professional advancement. The program officially launched in May.

Over the course of two months, participants will develop their leadership and communication skills, learn to design and implement social initiatives, engage effectively with local communities, and familiarize themselves with adaptive sports. The entire curriculum is guided by professional mentors and experts in project management, leadership, and physical rehabilitation.

During the practical phase of the training, participants will apply their newly acquired knowledge to develop individual projects tailored to their home communities. These projects will focus on social initiatives, adaptive sports, and supporting fellow veterans in transitioning back to civilian life.

Program Timeline:

• May–June: Online training modules and mentorship support;
• June: In-person training and practical workshops lasting up to 5 days.

Following the evaluation of the program, up to seven of the most promising projects will receive micro-grant funding from the Razom Fund.

Members of the press are welcome to cover the in-person training sessions taking place in June, subject to prior arrangement.

Reference: The “Sports Ambassadors 3.0” project is organized by the Center for Strategic Communications (StratCom Ukraine) in collaboration with Invictus Games Ukraine, with the generous support of the Razom Fund.

• culture
• military

Alla and Oleksiy began building their life together in 2021. As a serviceman in the “Azov” Regiment, Oleksiy was frequently deployed on missions.

On the night of February 24, 2022, the couple was scheduled to fly abroad for a vacation. However, just a day prior, the fighter was urgently deployed to Mariupol. It was there that Oleksiy witnessed the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and in May 2022, he and his fellow brothers-in-arms entered captivity following orders to leave the Azovstal steelworks.

Since then, Alla, who never had the chance to officially become Oleksiy’s wife, has been fighting for his freedom and return to Ukraine. For four years now, alongside Oleksiy’s mother, Oksana, she has been anxiously awaiting every prisoner exchange. In 2024, alongside other relatives of captured Azov fighters, Alla traveled to the Vatican, where she met with Pope Francis. The young woman continuously initiates meetings with the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the National Guard (NSU) command, and representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Currently, Oleksiy remains illegally sentenced in russia to 29 years in a maximum-security prison. He faces fabricated charges of shooting a civilian woman in Mariupol and committing acts of terrorism.

Interviews with Alla can be arranged by prior agreement, either online or in person within the Kyiv region.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Five Ukrainian veterans with amputations and severe combat injuries will compete in the international Oceanman Lago d’Orta swimming event in Italy. On June 13 and 14, they will take on 2-kilometer and 5.5-kilometer open-water distances alongside participants from around the world, without a separate category or special conditions. An open-water training session will take place in Kyiv region on June 6.

The team’s preparation for the competition is led by Serhii Kostenko, founder and head coach of the K-TEAM Swimming Club and co-founder of the NGO Impossible Is Possible, which promotes adaptive and veteran sports in Ukraine. According to the coach, open-water swimming presents a completely different challenge from training in a pool.

The training program focuses on balance, stroke technique, breathing, navigation, and interaction with the water environment. In addition to physical preparation, psychological adaptation is a key component.

During training sessions, the veterans learn to work as a team, navigate using buoys, manage their energy, and cope with the stress factors typical of open-water competitions.

Journalists can attend and cover the open-water training session by prior arrangement.

Background: The IRON WARRIORS project is implemented by the YANKO Fund charitable foundation in partnership with IRON WARRIORS SPORT HUB and FlyPoint, which also serves as the project’s logistics partner.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Kyiv

The NGO Military LGBT+ is organizing a five-day intensive training program to help veterans acquire a new profession as tattoo artists. The course is being held as part of a grant-funded program. The NGO team, together with the Strum tattoo studio, will select nine participants for the training, which is scheduled to take place in June.

The course will cover not only tattooing techniques but also safety procedures, hygiene standards, equipment handling, sketch creation, linework and shading, and communication with clients. Participants will also practice on artificial skin. Following the completion of the course, a graduation charity event will be held, where newly trained artists will be able to tattoo guests in exchange for donations.

The training will be free of charge for veterans.

Media representatives can speak with the organizers and participants both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• military
• Kyiv
• LGBT

Alyona is originally from the Kharkiv region. She now lives in the Poltava region and serves in the Ukrainian military. She is raising two children.

Her husband, Denys, was a lieutenant colonel and military pilot who served as deputy squadron commander and squadron navigator.

Denys completed more than 80 combat missions. He was awarded the Order for Courage, Third Class, as well as the Ministry of Defence distinction “Personalized Firearm”. He was killed on March 27, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission. His aircraft was shot down by russian forces over the Chernihiv region. The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft away from a populated area and did not have time to eject.

Subject to prior arrangement, the family is available for both in-person and online interviews.

• dead
• military
• women
• Poltava

Ruslan and Oleksandr were mobilized before the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They were stationed in Mariupol when the war began, defended the city and were later taken captive alongside their fellow servicemen. For three years, they sewed clothes in a russian penal colony.

After returning from captivity, the veterans met Maksym Zakharchenko while sheltering together during an air raid alert at a rehabilitation center.

Maksym joined the military at the age of 18, returning from Poland, where his family had relocated after the start of the full-scale invasion. He later left the military due to multiple injuries and concussions.

The three veterans eventually decided to start their own business — a sewing factory called Volotsiuhy (Vagabonds).

They launched production in Kyiv three months ago and are already fulfilling large orders and partnering with established brands. Maksym, Ruslan and Oleksandr plan to expand production and are hiring new employees, including both civilians and veterans.

Interviews with the Volotsiuhy team can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv by prior appointment.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

On May 31 in Bucha, Kyiv region, the event “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” will take place. As part of the event, the Ukrainian national veterans’ team will play an advocacy football match against the Kyiv regional team to draw attention to the families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders.

The Ukrainian national veterans’ team will include well-known Ukrainian football players and former professional players: Andriy Biba, Yevhen Seleznyov, Yevhen Khacheridi, Serhiy Nazarenko, Oleksiy Bielik, Mykola Morozyuk, Yuriy Maksymov, Eduard Tsykhmeistruk, Oleh Sobutskyi, Volodymyr Lysenko, Mykola Ishchenko, Viacheslav Sviderskyi, Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Serhii Pohorilyi.

The Kyiv regional team will consist of war veterans, service members, volunteers, representatives of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, the Kyiv Regional Council, local communities, the National Police in Kyiv region, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

A symbolic installation will be created in the stadium stands: military uniforms will be placed on 500 seats as a symbol of presence. Each seat will represent a defender whose fate remains unknown and a family that continues to wait. Nearby, photographs of missing soldiers, their words, and links to personal stories will be displayed.

Before the match, participants will form a circle of solidarity around the pitch with lit torches. The first kick of the ball will be taken by a child of a missing defender together with a man from Bucha who was released from captivity.

Within the “Match of Expectation: Every Voice Saves” initiative, families and relatives of missing defenders will be able to receive free legal and psychological support from partner organizations and, if they wish and consent, fill out a needs assessment form for further assistance and follow-up.

Journalists must register in advance to attend the event.

Background: The advocacy event is organized by the NGO “Voices of Silence.” It is an association of families of missing and captured Ukrainian defenders, founded in Bucha by Nataliia Ilyina, the wife of a missing defender.

• military
• prisoners
• psychological support
• Kyiv