Themes by tag: military

On October 22, a mural dedicated to Ukrainian army volunteers called “Shadow” will be unveiled in Kyiv. The mural depicts military officer Oleksii Movchan, call sign “Shadow,” who died on May 1, 2022 in Donetsk region while performing a task. The man was not a military man by profession, but he had combat experience. He participated in the anti-terrorist operation, and on the first days of russia’s full-scale invasion, he joined the army to defend Ukraine.

The mural is based on Oleksii’s last photo, taken a few minutes before he died. In it, Movchan is holding a cat that he and his brothers in arms saved from under the rubble.

The idea of creating a mural came to Oleksii’s wife Yuliia in July 2022. She wanted to make a parting gift for her husband. The mural was paid for by Yuliia, as well as her relatives, her husbands’ fellow soldiers and people who knew Oleksii. “Shadow” was painted by a couple of artists: Vitaliy Gideone and Lena Noyna. After all, during his lifetime, Oleksii was very fond of the works of Vitaliy Gideone.

At the unveiling of the mural, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to Oleksii’s wife Yuliia Movchan and his brothers in arms. 

• culture
• dead
• military
• Kyiv

Glenna Manchego is 22 years old. She was born in the United States, where she received her medical education. The woman decided that the best place where she could apply her skills is Ukraine. So, Glenna joined the Second International Legion as a paramedic. In order to save Ukrainian soldiers after shelling, knowing the Ukrainian language is not necessary, says Glenna, and tactical medicine is a lot like car repairs: it is universal. The American admits that even thousands of kilometers from the U.S., it feels almost like home to her, and her brothers and sisters in arms have become her second family.

• doctors
• military

Serhii Titarenko is a former military pilot, a combatant and a retired Major of the Armed Forces. He runs “Joint Mission” NGOs and works as a psychologist at a rehabilitation center in Lviv region.

In 2012, the man took part in a peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and two years later, due to russian aggression, he joined the defense forces of Ukraine. In June 2014, during a combat mission near Slovyansk in Donetsk region, the occupiers fired at a helicopter with Serhii (navigator) and other crew members on board. The helicopter caught fire and fell from one hundred meters. Serhii had to be pulled out, his spine was broken. Then there was a long rehabilitation process. The man ended up in a wheelchair. However, this did not prevent him from mastering the profession of a psychologist. Currently, he works with wounded soldiers who have acquired disabilities as a result of their injuries. He helps them socialize and process traumatic experiences. He also provides aid to civilians who have suffered as a result of the war.

For reference: Serhii’s story will also be included in the book “History is not without us: the formation of the movement for the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine.” The book is being produced by Fight For Right NGO for people with disabilities. It will be presented at the end of October.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support

28-year-old photographer Vitalii Yurasov has been documenting the war for almost one and a half years. He filmed battles, prisoner exchanges and secret operations of special forces. Vitalii doesn’t just visit the military, he lives together with the heroes he films at the frontline: he sleeps where they sleep and helps with whatever is necessary.

On October 15, Yurasov’s first photo exhibition “War Face Project” will open in the capital. He will present more than 50 works, in particular, those signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Kyrylo Budanov.

Journalists are welcome to visit the opening of the exhibition and talk with Vitalii Yurasov in the capital.

• culture
• military
• Kyiv

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