Themes by tag: military

Oleh Miedviediev recalls how rockets fell near his house on February 24, 2022. And at 5 in the morning, his frightened son called. He told his father that the outskirts of Kharkiv were on fire from shelling. So Oleh joined the army to defend the country.

Last December, he was wounded near Bakhmut: an artillery shell exploded over him. Both Oleh’s legs were injured: his knee joints were completely shattered.

The serviceman was included in the national program #SaveaLimb. Currently, the defender is undergoing treatment in Dnipropetrovsk region. Doctors performed an endoprosthesis surgery on one leg, but the second one is awaiting treatment as well. At the same time, the soldier wants to start walking again and return to the front.

For reference: In order to ensure limb-saving treatment, the “Health of the Ukrainian People” International Charitable Foundation in cooperation with Ukrainian orthopedic doctors launched the national program #SaveaLimb. 

• casualties
• doctors
• military

Maria Nazarova was 17 when the Revolution of Dignity broke out in Kyiv. At Euromaidan, Maria arranged medical aid stations and took care of the injured. Later, she began translating foreign protocols on tactical medicine, with regard to the Soviet medical guidelines’ lack of credibility. In 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Maria worked as a frontline medic. In 2015, the combat medic taught tactical medicine to law enforcement officers, and a year later, she began to reform tactical medicine in the Armed Forces at the General Staff. 

Also, thanks to her efforts, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed at every metro station in Kyiv, 9 of them have already proven to be lifesaving during resuscitation measures.

With the start of the all-out invasion, Maria returned to tactical medicine training at the Defense Forces.

• doctors
• military
• women

Viktor Ilchak is 18 years old. By ethnicity, Viktor is a Roma ethnic group representative. He was born in Zakarpattia and has lived in western Ukraine all his life. When the full-scale invasion broke out, Viktor immediately warned his family that he was going to join the army and defend Ukraine. Viktor’s family tried to convince him to abandon the idea, his grandmother even went to the military recruitment officers to talk them out of considering Viktor’s candidacy. However, the guy stood his ground and fought in the Sonechko reconnaissance battalion. Now Viktor Ilchak is back in Zakarpattia, where he undergoes rehabilitation after getting injured and shell-shocked.

The soldier is ready to have both online and offline interviews with journalists by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Uzhhorod

In the spring of 2022, amidst the full-scale invasion, Ivan Prybylo and his wife Svitlana decided to start their own business. Namely, snail farming. Although Ivan had already joined the Defense Forces ranks together with his younger son, this did not stop him from starting a snail farming business. At the same time, Ivan’s family home, which the family calls his brainchild, has become a refuge for those fleeing the war. The displaced people still stay here today.

When the snail farm had just turned a profit, Ivan’s family learned about the death of the family man. They did not dare to stop the business, because it was the defender’s dream. In addition, Ivan’s wife and daughter-in-law set up a farm camp for children from the eastern regions who had never been to western Ukraine. The family business was also supported by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, which helped the snail farm receive financial assistance.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• military
• Lviv

Musa, a Crimean Tatar, is the developer of the Dracarys buggy, which he and his team build for the military. The man left the native Crimea after Russia occupied the peninsula. He started a business in the capital. During the full-scale invasion of Russia, he engineered his own all-terrain buggy for the army’s purpose. He gathered a team of specialists who joined the production on the Internet ad. Musa’s buggies can accommodate 4 people (and more if necessary), and can also transport the wounded or necessary military supplies. The buggies are made with funds donated by ordinary citizens. Sponsors and charitable foundations are also involved.

• military

Shortly before the start of the full-scale invasion, Serhi Kashtakov planned to become a front-end developer and work in the IT industry. However, on February 24 last year, his lover woke him up and told him that war had broken out. Serhii saw no other option but to take up arms, as he had already fought with Russia back in 2014. Serhii returned to the army and became a combat medic. His partner stayed home with the soldier’s mother to take care of her. Serhii made a camouflage last year. The soldier says his fellow soldiers accepted him and even became more tolerant of LGBT+ people.

Additionally: Serhii Kashtakov is on the front line. The soldier is ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• military
• LGBT

On October 6, Ukrainian defenders will climb Mount Parashka. The event aims to organize active leisure and mental rehabilitation for war veterans and their families. Ukrainian defenders who sustained severe injuries in combat and have problems with their musculoskeletal system attend the climb. They will be assisted to climb the mountain using a special wheelchair.

The event is organized by the team of the Department of Tourism and Resorts Department of Lviv Oblast State Administration. Partners: NGO “Veterans GO”

Media representatives are welcomed to join the climb. Event accreditation is required.

For reference: More than two dozen Ukrainian servicemen took part in the ascent of Mount Klyuch at the end of September. 

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Joint Forces Operation veteran Andrii Nesmachnyi came up with the idea to set up a workshop where servicemen on leave or after getting injured could work few years ago. The BatArt workshop ran successfully in the Kyiv region, producing craft glassware and donating the proceeds to the needs of wounded combatants in eastern Ukraine until the Russians destroyed the workshop, after the start of the full-scale invasion. After it happened its founder Andrii took up arms again and rose in defence of Ukraine.

Recently, a serviceman renewed production. In between the military personnel rotations, he and his fellow soldiers work on craft glasses, shot glasses, knives, and various souvenirs. Bullet casings are used, among other things, for manufacturing. The money earned in the workshop is directed at providing units with drones, night vision devices, and vehicle repairs.

• military
• Kyiv

On October 9, Kyiv will host a presentation of a unique app, in which sport is used to rehabilitate veterans and soldiers who have received injuries and wounds in active service.

The presentation will be interactive: the visitors will be able to compete with veterans and strongmen in rowing. (You need to take sportswear with you). The presentation will include a demonstration and a press briefing.

Accreditation is required and open until 8:00 PM on October 8.

For reference: The public organization “Victory of the Invincible” and the Strongman Federation of Ukraine, led by Serhii Koniushok, Oleksandr Lashyn and Vasyl Virastyuk, present TRENVET – a fitness app that offers veterans and military personnel the opportunity to find a trainer and undergo sports rehabilitation for free. It allows defenders to quickly find professionals using filters and geolocation.

• military
• Kyiv

On October 22, the “Warriors’ Cup” will be held in Lviv region as part of the “League of the Invincible” project. Among other things, Ukrainian defenders will be able to compete in archery, athletics (100- and 400-meter dashes), shot put and table tennis.

As reported, the “League of the Invincible” project for the development of adaptive sports and sports exercise rehabilitation is operating in Lviv region. The project involves implementation of measures aimed at the psychological and physical rehabilitation of military personnel and war veterans (primarily persons with disabilities) with the help of exercise and sports.

For example, as part of the initiative, over 40 soldiers underwent rehabilitation in a two-day camp: they had the opportunity to climb a mountain peak, cross a 16 km river and overcome narrow passages through a cave.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv