Themes by tag: military

After two years in enemy captivity, 33-year-old Vadym Nesterenko returned home bearing both physical and psychological scars. Having served with Ukraine’s Defense Forces since 2011, Vadym began his military career with the Izmail Border Guard and later joined the 35th Separate Marine Brigade. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Vadym found himself on Snake Island, where he and his fellow soldiers were ultimately captured.

During his two years and three months in captivity, Vadym endured harrowing conditions. He faced relentless torture, including gassing, electric shocks, and beatings that left him with broken bones and missing teeth. By the time of his release on May 31, 2024, Vadym weighed just 59 kilograms.

Following his return, Vadym underwent rehabilitation at a center in the Lviv region, working tirelessly over three months to regain his health and rebuild some of his lost weight. Now focused on recovery and future goals, he hopes to return to service and fulfill his dream of visiting Paris.

Vadym is currently in Lviv and will travel to Odesa on November 4. He is available for interviews with journalists, either in person or online, with prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv
• Odesa

Olha Kurtmallaieva, a 25-year-old finance professional, was in her hometown of Berdiansk, Zaporizhia oblast (currently occupied), when the full-scale russian invasion began. She managed to leave the occupied territory in the summer of 2022.

Olha’s husband, Ruslan, has been defending the country since 2014, serving in the ATO/JFO zone. He has now been in russian captivity for 30 months, having been captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.

In 2021, Olha was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system). Despite her serious illness, she actively fights for her husband’s release and participates in every POW-related event. Initially, she co-founded a non-governmental organization to help soldiers of the 501st Marine Battalion return home. Later, together with other women fighting for the return of captured Marines, she created the association “Marine corps strength”, a coalition of seven public organizations, three charitable foundations and a family association. Among other things, the women organize events, hold meetings, and communicate with representatives of the Ukrainian government. The association also provides legal aid, support for released prisoners, psychological support for families, and aid to the front lines.

During the full-scale war, Olha learned that her disease had progressed from the second to the fourth stage. Doctors attributed this to her high stress level. Olha has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy and is in remission, but still needs a stem cell transplant.

By prior arrangement, journalists can talk to Olga in Kyiv.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

Yuriy Vetkin, 57, is a veteran, screenwriter, and former major in Ukraine’s military. With a background as a psychologist, he served in the State Special Transport Service until 2008. In 2015, he returned to active duty as a deputy battalion commander in the 95th Air Assault Brigade and, after russia’s full-scale invasion, joined the defense of his hometown, Chernihiv, with the 1st Siverskyi Tank Brigade. On March 5, 2022, Yuriy lost a leg in an enemy shelling.

Alongside his military service, Yuriy has developed a career as a screenwriter and blogger. His screenplays have received recognition in national competitions, and in 2016, his short film Interview premiered at Cannes in the Short Film Corner, later winning awards in Portugal and Saudi Arabia.

Yuriy also contributes to The Veterans’ Theater project by TRO Media, where his plays Phantom, Explosion, and Hospital Rhapsody were staged at the Festival of First Plays. He also wrote Turn to Irpin for a paper theater production, in which he performed his own role.

Now, Yuriy is working to establish a Veterans’ Theater in Chernihiv, based at the Chernihiv Veterans’ Space ‘Sercevir’. His goal is to create a space where veterans and their families can perform with professional actors, focusing on psychological recovery, re-socialization, and creative fulfillment.

Journalists interested in Yuriy’s story can connect with him in Chernihiv or through virtual interviews.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Chernihiv

6-year-old Sasha’s face now appears on the cover of War Through the Voices of Children, a new book featuring quotes from children about the war, recently released in American bookstores. Sasha was born in Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region that is now devastated and under russian occupation. His parents met there while volunteering—his mother working with children facing difficult circumstances and his father opening a boxing club to engage local youth. Shortly after Sasha’s birth, his sister Eva was born. But as the conflict escalated, the family relocated to Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, seeking safety.

Since the start of the full-scale war, Sasha and Eva’s father has been serving on the front line. A photo of him reading a Timothy Snyder book in a trench circulated widely online. “When my dad comes back, he’ll sleep next to me, so I won’t be afraid of air raid sirens,” Eva told her mother when she was just three.

Their mother now works for the Voices of Children charity, providing psychological support to children and parents impacted by the war.

By prior arrangement, journalists can connect with the family in Ternopil or online.

• children
• military
• women
• Ternopil

Recently, five combatants, including veterans who lost limbs, joined the Ukrainian program of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian demining organization. The soldiers, who defended their country on the front lines, will now work on a remote sensing team, analyzing drone imagery to identify potentially dangerous areas and explosive hazards.

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the veterans’ work in the Kharkiv and Kyiv regions. 

Background: The HALO Trust is the world’s largest international nonprofit organization specializing in mine clearance and ammunition disposal, with 35 years of experience in 30 countries and territories worldwide.

• military
• Kharkiv
• Kyiv
• demining

British citizen Viper served in his country’s military for four years. During his last year of service, he decided to join the Ukrainian Army.

In Ukraine, he chose to join the 13th Khartiia Brigade of the National Guard. He underwent a medical examination and signed a contract.  Already during his training, the soldier noticed many differences between the Ukrainian and British armies. However, he says, he easily adapted his skills to the new conditions of war. Viper is determined to serve in Ukraine until the end of the war, because he wants to protect not only Ukraine, but also the rest of the world from russian aggression.

Viper is currently on the front lines and is open to interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• military

Peaceful events are planned in 26 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On 26 October, rallies will be held in Ochyrka, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Bila Tserkva, Irpin, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia and Pavlohrad.

On 27 October peaceful actions are scheduled in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Uzhhorod, Korosten, Obukhiv, Krolevets, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ostroh and Chernivtsi.

The events are organized by the families of POWs from the Mariupol garrison. The rallies are often attended by Ukrainians who have been released from captivity.

• military
• prisoners

The Communications Department of the Territorial Defense Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (TRO Media) can help journalists with contacts for creating stories or articles. For example, it’s possible to highlight foreign nationals in the Territorial Defense Forces (including representatives from Georgia, USA, Australia and Hungary), female soldiers, chaplains, specific units or specializations. Coverage of Territorial Defense Forces training and other aspects of unit capacity building is also available.

Journalists can learn more and contact TRO Media for more information.

• military

Olha Chernilevska is a philologist who worked as a dubbing director and project manager for the translation of foreign films. In the village of Busha, Vinnytsia region, she once bought two houses, renovated them and rented them to visitors looking for a retreat. In civilian life Olha’s son, Illia Chernilevskyi, worked as a screenwriter, he translated songs for TV shows, and wrote poetry and music. Illia enlisted immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion and was killed two months later.

Illia did not tell his family what he saw and experienced during the war, but Olha says his work spoke for him. Olha published her son’s first collection of poems as a gift for his 21st birthday. The second collection was published posthumously. She called it “I am a bird among nets,” taking a line from Illia’s poem. Olha’s son’s body is still in the enemy-occupied territory, and she hopes to bring it back after the village of Kamianka in the Donetsk oblast is liberated.

This summer, a woman who lost her husband in the war came to Busha. After talking with her, Olha decided to invite mothers and wives of fallen soldiers to her estate. The stay is free for them. The initiative was supported by the village community: locals volunteered to cook and the staff of the Historical and Cultural Reserve promised to give them tours. Olha is expecting 15 guests soon.

For reference: Olha Chernilevska will be abroad until November 12, 2024. After her return, she is ready to talk to journalists offline.

• dead
• military
• women
• Vinnytsia

Gala Kozyutynska, a filmmaker and artist from Kyiv, had long dreamed of creating an artistic residence in a rural setting. Though she split her time between Kyiv and Lviv, her heart was set on buying a house in the countryside. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Gala felt it was time to turn that dream into reality. Her partner, Viktor Petrov, wholeheartedly supported the idea, and together, they began searching for the perfect spot. They found it in the small village of Latirka in Zakarpattia.

After purchasing the house, they began restoring it and even named their future creative space “The Attic.” But their plans took a devastating turn when Viktor was called to serve in Ukraine’s Defense Forces. In May 2023, Viktor was killed in combat near Bakhmut, leaving Gala to carry on their dream alone. Despite the heartbreak, she pressed forward with their vision.

In the year since Viktor’s passing, Gala has hosted over 20 gatherings with young creatives at the residence. Together, they’ve learned traditional crafts like weaving, whitewashing clay brick warming stove, foraging for mushrooms, and gardening. Gala is also focused on finding ways to offer relaxation and rejuvenation for those visiting the artistic space.

Today, Gala divides her time between Zakarpattia and Lviv, and she remains open to sharing her story with journalists, both in person and virtually.

• culture
• dead
• military
• women
• Lviv
• Uzhhorod