Themes by tag: military

Dmytro Yehizarov (“Kok”) was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity, an entrepreneur, a loving husband, and a father of three. On January 5, 2023, he joined the defense of the Motherland as part of the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Serving as a Stugna anti-tank missile system operator, he carried out combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk directions. Despite suffering a spinal injury, concussions, and a shrapnel wound, he constantly returned to duty to fight against the occupiers.

On June 20, 2024, Dmytro was killed in action in the village of Peremoha, Donetsk Region. Before his death, he destroyed four units of enemy armored vehicles and damaged two tanks, halting an enemy mechanized assault.

Dmytro’s brother, Roman, launched a petition to posthumously award the Defender the title of Hero of Ukraine, which quickly gathered the required number of signatures. On June 3, 2026, the President issued the corresponding decree.

The memory of the warrior has been immortalized with a memorial plaque at School No. 177 in Kyiv, at the museum of Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University, and in the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden, where a memorial bench was installed and a maple tree was planted in Dmytro’s honor in the Indonesian Garden.

The memorial event will be attended by the soldier’s mother Alla Ihorivna, his wife Olena, his daughter Daria, his brother Roman, his friends Andrii and Kyrylo, and his colleague Olha. Speeches will be delivered by Olha Korabliova, a representative of the Scientific Council of the Botanical Garden, and Mykola Haponiuk, Deputy Head of the Department of Finance at KNEU.

Media accreditation is required to attend the event.

• dead
• military
• Kyiv

In Kyiv, civilians are invited to join a military training program organized by the Khartia-Hub and the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Khartia.”

During the training, instructors will teach weapon handling, group cohesion, tactical medicine, operation planning, after-action analysis, topography, and other essential military disciplines.

Registration is required to participate in the event.

• military
• Kyiv

Tetiana is a servicewoman of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Chorni Zaporozhtsi, known by her call sign “Harley Quinn.” She wanted to join the army back when russia first attacked Ukraine. However, in 2014, her husband forbade her from doing so. Five years later, the couple divorced, and Tetiana immediately signed a contract with the military.

She chose the field of communications, and later took up the position of communications platoon commander in the unmanned systems battalion of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade. Tetiana studied cryptographic protection, wrote programs for radio station programming, coordinated with other signal corps members, and sourced technical manuals.

The servicewoman was on duty when the full-scale invasion began. Since then, she has had to set up communications from scratch countless times. Following the defense of the Kyiv region, the unit led by Tetiana relocated to the Donetsk region.

Interviews with Tetiana, call sign “Harley Quinn,” can be arranged both online and offline, subject to prior agreement and clearance by the press officer.

• military
• women

To raise awareness for the defenders of “Azovstal” and other service members still held in enemy captivity, peaceful rallies are planned across 29 cities.

On June 13, events will take place in Okhtyrka, Svitlovodsk, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Shpola, Volochysk, Bila Tserkva, Ostroh, Lviv, and Dnipro.

On June 14, rallies are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Korop, Ovruch, Obukhiv, Dolynska, Poltava, Lozova, Kharkiv, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Rivne, Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The events are organized by the families of the Mariupol Garrison prisoners of war. Released Ukrainian POWs themselves frequently join these solidarity actions.

• military
• prisoners

David Plaster is a former US military medic. After retiring from service, he traveled to more than 100 countries. In 2012, he decided to settle in Ukraine. In 2014, during the Revolution of Dignity, David treated the wounded on the Maidan.

Following the outbreak of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), David trained Ukrainian service members in tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) and prepared instructors to pass on these crucial skills. Back then, a language barrier hindered David’s work, as he had to communicate through gestures with those who did not speak English. Today, the veteran is already fluent in Ukrainian.

Additionally, in 2014, he founded the “Anomaly” non-governmental organization, which provides humanitarian aid, conducts training sessions in both tactical medicine and English, and supports veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each month, the NGO’s team trains between 400 and 800 people in tactical medicine.

Interviews and conversations with David Plaster can be arranged both online and in-person in Kyiv, subject to prior agreement.

• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

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