Themes by tag: military
When the Revolution of Dignity began, Leonid Fedevich became an active participant. And after the escape of the traitorous president Viktor Yanukovych and the beginning of the russian aggression in Crimea and the East of Ukraine, the Fedevich couple turned their own small clothing store into a volunteer warehouse: they brought in all the necessary supplies for the army and later handed them over to the soldiers at the front lines. In the summer of 2014, Leonid joined the volunteer battalion named after General Serhii Kulchytskyi. He took part in the battles near Horlivka (Donetsk region) and Stanytsia Luhanska (Luhansk region).
He returned to his usual life after two years of service and worked as a lawyer. However, the war changed the man’s worldview and a civilian profession was not easy for him. In 2020, Leonid’s younger son offered him to try his hand at blacksmithing. Together with his two sons, the man started their own business, working only with an angle grinder and a welding machine in the garage. They did not have time to scale their business, as in February 2022, Leonid once again joined the army. At 7 AM on February 24, the man was already at the Military Recruitment Office, and a few days later he went to the frontlines.
In September 2022, Leonid was discharged from service due to injuries and the veteran returned to blacksmithing. With the support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, the man bought new equipment for the workshop in Lviv. In addition to custom-made forged products, Leonid manufactures potbelly stoves for the Armed Forces. Last year, the veteran sent 60 stoves to the Ukrainian military, more than 30 of them this year. Together with his sons, Leonid also makes monuments and crosses, and now the family is working on the Alley of Memory in Drohobych.
Recruitment centers are waiting for everyone who wants to join the army, in particular, the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion. In the centers, potential recruits can talk to active servicemen, find out more about the service, take a career orientation test and choose the desired position. There are positions both in the rear and in assault groups. The battalion needs clerks, lawyers, drivers, infantry and gunners. Recruitment centers explain that they do not accept everyone: volunteers must first go through a thorough selection process. They also note that the most important thing for potential military personnel is the desire and motivation to defend the Motherland.
For reference: Da Vinci Wolves is a military formation created by the Hero of Ukraine Dmytro “Da Vinci” Kotsiubailo in 2014. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Da Vinci Wolves company grew into a battalion, which in the fall of 2022 became a part of Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 67th separate mechanized brigade. Since 2022, Da Vinci Wolves has participated in the Kharkiv counteroffensive, battles for Bakhmut, Severodonetsk, and Lysychansk. On March 7, 2023, Dmytro Kotsiubailo was fatally wounded near the city of Bakhmut. On March 10, thousands of Ukrainians came to say goodbye to him in Kyiv. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the then commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Head of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov also came to pay their respects.
The peaceful rallies are scheduled to coincide with the second anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion and the tenth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. Organizers anticipate gatherings in at least 10 Ukrainian cities.
On February 23, rallies are expected in Khmelnytskyi.
February 24 will see events in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, and Krolevets (Sumy region).
On February 25, demonstrations are planned in Dnipro, Ternopil, and Ovruch (Zhytomyr region).
These events are coordinated by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison.
For reference: According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, over 8,000 Ukrainians, both civilians and military personnel, are believed to remain in Russian custody.
On February 21, an interactive presentation of the photo project entitled “Stronger than the Elements” will take place in Kyiv. The event will include a presentation of an art calendar featuring servicewomen (including those released from captivity), veterans, doctors, volunteers and more.
Twelve Ukrainian women who took part in “Stronger than the Elements” photo project are depicted as various natural phenomena. In addition to the four main elements — water, fire, earth, and air — the women personify lava, downpour, avalanche, thunder, lightning, wind, and other formidable natural phenomena.
For example, some of the participants of the photo project include: “Lava” — Valeria “Nava” Subotina, defender of Mariupol, writer; “Lightning” — Dzvenyslava Sira, medical curator of the “Azov” Patronage Service, soldier of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine; “Hurricane” — Natalia Nahorna, military correspondent of TSN, 1+1 TV channel and others.
The initiative to bring these women together for a joint project belongs to Anna Murashenko, Founder of the YOUkraine Charitable Foundation.
The women who took part in the photo project, volunteers, soldiers and representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War will take part in the event.
Funds from the sale of the charity calendar will be spent to purchase drones for the 72nd Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians.
The event requires accreditation.
Before the start of the full-scale invasion, Yevhenii Omelchuk was studying to be a long-distance sailor and practiced CrossFit. He was going to become a master of sports in the future. However, when the big war began, Yevhenii immediately went to the Military Recruitment Office. At first, they did not want to mobilize him, but the man insisted and got into the 1st separate tank brigade. In the summer of 2022, the fighter received a mine blast injury, but immediately after treatment he returned to the front line. Later, Yevhenii had several more concussions and shrapnel wounds. In the end, after undergoing another military medical examination, the man received a disability status.
Civilian life was not easy for the veteran, but thanks to doing sports in the rehabilitation center, he felt relief. At first, the man played tennis, then he took part in competitions in two disciplines – incline bench press and riding an aero bike. Victories in competitions gave Yevhenii confidence and improved his well-being, so when the veteran learned about the selection of participants for the United States Air Force Trials 2024, he decided to try his hand at it. Currently, Yevhenii is one of 30 soldiers and veterans who have formed the National Team. Yevhenii will compete in shot put and archery. The veteran is preparing for the U.S. competition in Kyiv region together with two coaches.
For reference: the United States Air Force Trials is a Paralympic-style competitive event for wounded servicemen of the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, which will be held in March 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2014, Pavlo Dolynskyi became one of the active participants of the Revolution of Dignity, and when the russians annexed Crimea, he joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps “Right Sector.” Pavlo took part in the battles near Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, Savur-Mohyla and Pisky. Later he defended the Donetsk airport, where Pavlo, together with his brothers in arms, was ambushed by the enemy. The fighter left the vicinity of the airport by himself. At the time Pavlo received 12 wounds – four gunshot and 8 shrapnel injuries, in addition, the soldier had a concussion.
After returning to civilian life, Pavlo decided to start his own business and build a comfort-class residential complex in the capital. Pavlo worked on the plan for two years, looked for funds, made sketches, and in 2019, his team finally laid the foundation and began construction.
After russia started the full-scale war in Ukraine, Pavlo joined the territorial defense forces in Kyiv region, and now he is fighting in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite actively participating in hostilities, the man decided to continue construction and applied for a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation. Pavlo’s application won the contest, the military man received funding and directed the funds to finish the residential complex. The target audience of the project is veterans, their family members and forced refugees who need housing in Kyiv.
For reference: Pavlo Dolynskyi is on the front lines. The serviceman is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.
February 24, 2024 marks 2 years since the beginning of russia’s illegal full-scale invasion. This attack became the culmination of the war of aggression, which the russian federation has been waging against Ukraine for 10 years. This war began on February 20, 2014, when the russians invaded the territory of the Ukrainian Crimea without identification marks and occupied the peninsula. After that, russia started a war in the east of Ukraine.
Viacheslav Levytskyi, a 40-year-old native of the Odesa region, led a quiet life as a delivery driver before he joined the country’s defense at the outbreak of a full-blown war.
In the Donetsk region near Avdiivka, Levytskyi sustained severe injuries as bullets tore through his legs and torso. Despite his wounds, he spent seven days navigating the treacherous gray zone. But his ordeal was far from over. Captured by Russian forces and their collaborators, Levytskyi endured three days without any medical assistance in the occupied areas of Donetsk. From there, he was whisked away by Chechen captors to Grozny, where the extent of his injuries became tragically apparent. Gangrene had ravaged his legs, while his hands bore the cruel scars of frostbite, necessitating their amputation.
For three and a half months, Levytskyi languished in captivity, his whereabouts unknown to his worried mother. But against all odds, he was eventually exchanged. He is now at the Superhumans center in Lviv, Levytskyi is undergoing intensive rehabilitation. With prosthetic legs affixed, he’s learning to walk anew, while preparations are underway for prosthetic arms.
When Mykola Iliichuk found himself face to face with the harsh reality of a full-scale enemy invasion during his fifth year at Bukovinian State Medical University, he didn’t hesitate to answer the call to arms. Offered a chance to join the Donbas battalion, he dove headfirst into the fray, defending Ukraine’s eastern frontier. Despite being thrust into the role of a mortar operator, Mykola remained true to his roots in medicine. Armed with essential supplies, he stood ready to provide critical first aid to his fellow soldiers at a moment’s notice.
Today, Mykola serves as a combat medic within the prominent Ukrainian army unit Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, all while continuing his studies remotely. Despite the challenges of war, he remains determined to expand his medical expertise. While primarily focused on intensive care skills on the frontline, his ultimate aspiration is to perform surgery. Whenever possible, he eagerly assists in operating rooms, where he works tirelessly to save the lives of his comrades.
For reference: Mykola Iliichuk is currently stationed in Lviv and welcomes interviews with journalists, both in-person and online, with prior arrangement.
Oleksii Yukov leads the search squad for the “Platsdarm” Association of Military and Historical Heritage Researchers. Since 2014, Yukov and his team have been dedicated to locating and recovering the remains of fallen Ukrainians, whether they be military personnel or civilians. Yukov’s commitment to this mission is unwavering, as evidenced by his near-death encounter with occupiers in 2014 while carrying out his duties.
Operating amidst gunfire and facing the danger of the enemy frequently booby-traping the corpses of fallen, Yukov and his team encounter grim scenes, often discovering bodies that have been subjected to torture or mangled by passing vehicles and enemy tanks.
Notably, the team undertook a search for bodies underneath rubble at the Kramatorsk tragedy site, where a Russian Tochka-U missile struck the city’s railway station on April 8, 2022. This devastating attack claimed the lives of 61 individuals and left 121 others injured.
Currently, the search team remains active in the eastern region of the country.
For reference: As February 24, 2024, marks the grim two-year anniversary of Russia’s criminal incursion into Ukraine. It stands as the apex of a decade-long war of aggression, which actually dates back to February 20, 2014, beginning with the annexation of Crimea. Russian forces invaded Ukrainian Crimea without any identifying markings and, after that, seized control of the peninsula back then. Subsequently, these events escalated into war in eastern Ukraine.
During his younger years, Dmytro Martynenko delved into entrepreneurship, leasing a cafe, and running his own business. However, in 2014, following his stint in the army, he initially deployed in the infantry and later transitioned to artillery duties. By 2015, Martynenko resumed civilian life, channeling his dedication into the “Kyiv City Union of ATO Veterans of Podil District,” eventually rising to its leadership.
As the full-scale invasion by Russia commenced, he once more answered the call to defend his homeland. He valiantly defended the Kyiv region before engaging in battles in the Zaporizhia and Kherson sectors.
In 2022, Dmytro and an NGO team established a coffee shop in Kyiv named “A Quiet Place.” Their brainchild initially a single coffee shop in Kyiv, has since burgeoned into a chain with three locations in the capital and plans for a fourth in the Kyiv region. Martynenko’s mission is clear: to provide places of serenity where customers can find solace amidst the chaos of everyday life.
But this venture isn’t just about coffee. Profits from the cafes are funneled into supporting the Kyiv City Union of ATO Veterans of Podil District, aiding both military personnel and civilians. Moreover, Martynenko and his team have implemented a unique system of QR codes in the cafes, which volunteers and defenders can utilize to access complimentary items or services, ranging from camouflage nets and trench candles to English lessons.
Journalists have the opportunity to interview Dmytro, who is presently located in the capital.
For reference: as February 24, 2024, marks the grim two-year anniversary of Russia’s criminal incursion into Ukraine. It stands as the apex of a decade-long war of aggression, which actually dates back to February 20, 2014, beginning with the annexation of Crimea. Russian forces invaded Ukrainian Crimea without any identifying markings and, after that, seized control of the peninsula back then. Subsequently, these events escalated into war in eastern Ukraine.
