Themes by tag: military

On August 29, Ukrainians will honor the memory of the defenders who lost their lives protecting their homeland. The nationwide moment of silence will be observed at 9:00 AM in the following cities:

Kyiv, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Bila Tserkva, Khorol, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Stryi, Uzhhorod, Myrhorod, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa.

Ukrainian businesses, including Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), are also joining the initiative.

Journalists are invited to cover the event and speak with organizers from the VSHANUI NGO.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Maksym Kolesnykov defended Ukraine during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) when russia first attacked the East and occupied Crimea. On February 24, 2022, he joined the Ukrainian military once again. Alongside his fellow soldiers, he guarded a facility in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast. In March 2022, Russians captured Maksym and held him captive for 10 months. He says that during his imprisonment, he endured starvation and torture.

Maksym returned to his homeland on February 4, 2023. A photo was taken during the prisoner exchange of Maksym gazing at an apple — a poignant moment, as he had not seen fresh fruit or vegetables during his captivity. This image quickly spread across the media and social networks.

After rehabilitation, he decided to return to service. Now, in collaboration with the charity foundation Vesta, Maksym gives lectures to social workers who assist veterans on how to communicate with former prisoners of war. The primary goal is to improve interactions with former captives and prevent retraumatization.

Interviews with Maksym Kolesnykov can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv with prior agreement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Maryna Bohush’s husband’s brother joined the territorial defense. In May 2022, he was deployed to reinforce positions near Bakhmut and went missing. At the time, Maryna was on maternity leave, but she began attending every available event in hopes of learning what happened to her relative. In 2023, she founded the Women of the Territorial Defense Forces Association of Families of Territorial Defense Defenders, which now unites families from 25 territorial defense brigades of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

During one of her search trips, Maryna met Iryna Taranova. Iryna’s son had enlisted in the first days of the war and disappeared in December 2022 near Bakhmut. The women decided to join efforts in their search, leading to the creation of the WOMEN’S FAMILY NGO. The group’s co-founder, opera singer Olena Hrebeniuk, also plays a key role by engaging artists in the organization’s events. Regional coordinators across Ukraine provide additional support to the team.

By prior arrangement, journalists may meet with Maryna Bohush and Iryna Taranova in Kyiv. Relatives of missing persons will also be available for interviews on August 29 during the nationwide event Silent Voices: When Absence Screams, dedicated to the International Day of the Disappeared.

• military
• women
• Kyiv

Vitalii Nuzhnyi, a Kharkiv native, once pursued a career as a professional wrestler before discovering his passion for cooking. He rose through the ranks from kitchen assistant to chef, gaining recognition after competing in the popular culinary show MasterChef Ukraine. He later entered the national qualifier for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or World Championship, where he earned a bronze medal.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Nuzhnyi evacuated his family abroad and returned to Kharkiv to volunteer at a military hospital. Shortly afterward, he was mobilized and took up the role of cook with the 429th Achilles Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems. He believes soldiers’ morale and motivation are closely tied to the quality of their meals.

Today, Nuzhnyi is building a large-scale kitchen to meet the growing demand for food deliveries to the front line.

Interviews with Vitalii Nuzhnyi can be arranged in advance, either online or in person in the Kharkiv region, with approval from the unit’s press officer.

• food
• military
• Kharkiv

Andrii Khomiak served on the front lines from 2015 to 2018, defending Ukraine after russia’s initial assault. Once his contract ended, he returned to civilian life. But when the full-scale war broke out, he rejoined the military. Khomiak served in the artillery, where he also trained combat crews.

On March 22, 2022, during the defense of Kyiv, Khomiak was caught in enemy fire. A mine explosion tore off one of his legs, and doctors were forced to amputate the other. He later underwent months of rehabilitation and prosthetic treatment in Israel.

Using the compensation he received for his injuries, Khomiak invested in building a woodworking shop of his own. Today, he and his team craft decorative pieces from thermally treated wood. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand production to provide stable jobs for other veterans wounded in the war.

Khomiak can be reached for meetings both online and in person in Zhytomyr, by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• Zhytomyr

Daria Ulman is the wife of soldier Kyrylo Ulman, who was killed in action on February 15, 2024. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Daria’s husband joined the ranks of the Volunteer Territorial Defense Unit in Dnipro, established by veterans of the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. In December 2022, he became part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade as a member of an anti-tank battalion. Kyrylo was killed by a sniper’s bullet.

Daria shares that her husband was passionate about military affairs. After his death, she regretted not having started training alongside Kyrylo. Over the past year, Daria has completed six courses and undergone two full-scale training programs. She later founded her own community, which focuses on military training for women, naming it Community Ulman in honor of her fallen beloved.

To date, 30 women have already participated in the training sessions, and the project has successfully donated 76,000 hryvnias to Kyrylo’s fellow soldiers.

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the training sessions, which will take place in Kyiv on August 30–31.

Interviews with Daria Ulman can be arranged online or in person in Kyiv, by prior agreement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

For the first time in the history of Ukrainian football, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) is launching the Ukrainian Amputee Football Championship — a major event in adaptive sports. (Amputee football is a sport for individuals with limb amputations or congenital limb deficiencies).

The championship will run from September to December and will be held in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The first gathering round will take place from August 29 to 31 in Kyiv. The champion will represent Ukraine in the EAFF (European Amputee Football Federation) Champions League in 2026.

Participating teams from across Ukraine include MSC Dnipro (Cherkasy), Pokrova AMP (Lviv), Shakhtar Stalevi (Donetsk), Burevii (Kyiv oblast), Hrestonosci (Lutsk), Vinnytsia AMP (Vinnytsia), Nezlamni (Kharkiv), Tytany (Zhytomyr), FC Bartka (Ivano-Frankivsk), Vikinhy (Ternopil).

Background: The tournament is organized with the support of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Agency for Mass Sports of Ukraine.

One of the key strategic priorities of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) is the development of social projects that transform society and create opportunities for everyone. The project for the development of amputee football is one such initiative, as there are over 100,000 individuals with limb amputations in Ukraine.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

A driving school tailored for people with disabilities operates at the Lviv State University of Internal Affairs. Since the launch of the Without Barriers project, 33 students, including 11 Ukrainian veterans, have obtained driver’s licenses.

In September 2024, the program expanded to train people with hearing and speech impairments. Students attend theory classes with the assistance of sign language interpreters, and practical driving lessons are also conducted with interpreter support.

Participants and instructors from the driving school for people with disabilities are available for interviews both online and in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Before russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Andrii was a pediatrician and headed the health department in Kharkiv region’s Zlatopil District State Administration. When he mobilized into the Defense Forces of Ukraine in 2023, he joined the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. 

Today, Andrii goes by the call sign “Baz” and serves at a Battalion Aid Station, assisting surgeons on the front lines. Although his medical practice once focused only on children, he says his experience in the military revealed a striking similarity. “The soldiers are just like kids,” he remarked, “only with beards.”

Andrii can be reached for interviews both online and in person, with prior coordination through the brigade’s press officer.

• doctors
• military

Konstantin Kartavtsev has been on the front lines defending Ukraine since June 2022. Over that time, he has suffered multiple injuries and concussions. On April 16, 2023, while pulling fellow soldiers out of danger, he lost a leg. After months of rehabilitation, Kartavtsev returned to duty in December as a sergeant in the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

Despite his injuries, Kartavtsev found a new passion. In August 2023, still adjusting to a temporary prosthetic, he took up golf. He joined United by Golf, an adaptive sports club that helps service members, veterans, their families, and people with disabilities through the game. Since its launch, the initiative has brought more than 800 veterans into rehabilitation programs, with 55 vets training regularly.

Kartavtsev quickly excelled. Last year, he competed in the International Championship for Golfers with Disabilities in Germany, finishing among the top 10 players in the final standings. Golf has since become his favorite pastime.

On August 19 this year, during a meeting in Washington, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Donald Trump with a golf putter on Kartavtsev’s behalf. The U.S. president accepted the gift and later recorded a video message thanking the Ukrainian soldier.

By prior arrangement, journalists may meet Kartavtsev in Kyiv.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv