Themes by tag: military

At 24, Artur Dmytrushyn had every reason to remain a civilian. A native of Ukraine’s Lviv region, he was a volunteer, blogger, and IT project manager, and, under the law, not subject to mobilization until he turned 25. But he says he felt he wasn’t doing enough for his country’s defense.

In 2024, he enlisted in the 63rd Steel Lions Mechanized Brigade, where he now serves in the communications department. Alongside his military duties, Dmytrushyn runs the brigade’s social media channels, offering a candid look at service life, recruitment, and the realities of frontline positions. He also works to debunk myths about the military.

According to Dmytrushyn, some of the brigade’s strongest recruits first learned about mobilization opportunities through his videos. “It was after watching these clips on social media that the most motivated candidates came forward,” he explains.

Dmytrushyn remains open to speaking with journalists both online and in person. In-person interviews require accreditation from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, and reporters must coordinate their questions and materials with the soldier in advance.

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Evacuating the wounded, moving food and ammunition to the front lines, even blowing up bridges to stall russian assaults – these are among the missions carried out by the Alter Ego unit of Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Mechanized Brigade. Their key tool: ground-based robotic systems.

Each ground robot can move through areas too dangerous for vehicles or ATVs and transport hundreds of kilograms of supplies.

One of the robots’ primary roles is resupplying troops with food, water, and ammunition. Soldiers in the unit wryly refer to the process as “Glovo-Donbas,” a play on words mixing delivery and the region’s name.

The unmanned ground vehicles are also deployed to evacuate wounded soldiers, though that mission can stretch into a 12-hour operation. Troops caution that robots themselves are vulnerable, they can be spotted and targeted by russian drones, making careful operation critical to their survival and success.

For journalists, visiting the Alter Ego fighters is possible only offline, with prior coordination and approval from the brigade’s press officer.

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An open training session titled “A Run with the Strong” will be held in Kyiv on September 27. All are invited to join veterans from the “Strong 300” running club for a community run. This event brings veterans and civilians together to run at the same pace.

There will be a distance suitable for any fitness level. Participants can also look forward to making new connections and hearing inspiring stories of resilience from people who have persevered after the war.

Background:

Organizer: Union of Wounded Military of Ukraine “Strong 300”.

Partner: The Ukrainian Athletic Federation.

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• culture
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• Kyiv

The swim was part of the annual international project Neda el Món, which brings together athletes from around the world.

The Ukrainian team, consisting of Ihor Oliinyk, Demian Dudlia, and Maksym Hrinchenko, joined 24 other swimmers in conquering one of the most challenging and unpredictable routes. Despite squalling rain, thunder, and rough waves at dawn, the team persevered. They covered 12.8 kilometers in an impressive 4 hours and 50 minutes.

The veterans are returning to Ukraine on September 26. Journalists can meet with them in Kyiv to hear their thoughts upon arrival. Separate interviews with the participants can be arranged in Kyiv, Dnipro, or online.

Journalists can request photo and video materials of the swim. 

More information about the participants is available here.

Background: The Ukrainian team’s preparation was facilitated by the public organization “One Team Force” – a community dedicated to finding effective ways to provide personalized support for the comprehensive recovery of injured soldiers, from initial rehabilitation to long-term social integration.

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• Kyiv

On September 23, Kyiv will host a panel discussion titled “Remembering the Dead: How to Honor Their Memory in Public Spaces Without Reducing Them to an Undifferentiated Mass.”

The event, organized by the NGO Ukrainian LGBTQI+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights, will explore how to commemorate fallen defenders in public spaces in ways that preserve their names and individuality rather than reducing them to abstract symbols. Special attention will be given to approaches for visibly and respectfully honoring both open and closeted LGBTQI+ service members in the urban environment, including the concept of a memorial alley.

Speakers:

– Oleksandr Demenko, Head of Ukrainian LGBTQI+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights;

– Yakiv Lavrynets, Co-Chair of Kharkiv Pride Sphere and Co-Organizer of KharkivPride; 

– Oksana Borkun, Head of the Have to Live Charitable Foundation and Founder of the Community of Wives of Fallen Defenders; 

– Veronika Holubnych, a Representative of the Vshanui NGO; 

– Dmytro Kostiuminskyi, a Military Officer, Production Designer, Actor, Theater Director, and Creator of the Tree of Memory Monument (online). 

Registration is required for attendance.

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When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Anton Bohach traded the driver’s seat of his truck for a rifle. Now, after losing his sight on the battlefield, he has found a new sense of purpose at a pottery wheel.

Bohach, a native of Kropyvnytskyi, had long been drawn to the restaurant business. He trained as a food production technologist but ended up making a living as a truck driver before buying his own vehicle and running a small transport business.

That all changed on February 26, 2022, when he volunteered to defend Ukraine. He joined the newly formed 71st Air Assault Brigade. Like most of his fellow recruits, he had never held a weapon before, but he shared their determination to stand against the invasion. Within two weeks, he was deployed to the Kharkiv region, where he fought in some of the war’s earliest heavy battles.

For more than a year, Bohach held defensive positions along shifting frontlines. On September 15, 2023, his service came to a halt when he was gravely wounded. The injuries cost him his eyesight and nearly his life. He spent four months bedridden.

Faced with the darkness ahead, Bohach searched for new ways to rebuild his life. He tried IT courses but found the high-level English proficiency required a barrier. Undeterred, he retrained as a massage therapist, opened a small practice, and then discovered Pottery in the Dark, a program for blind veterans and civilians.

Pottery quickly became his passion. At his home in Kropyvnytskyi, he has set up a small workshop and ordered a kiln. His shelves now hold cups, plates, jugs, and bottles shaped from clay. He also shares his journey with more than 5,000 followers on TikTok.

Bohach’s work will soon reach a wider audience. On September 26, the city of Vinnytsia will host the opening of Art in the Dark, an exhibition showcasing pieces by 14 blind artists studying pottery under instructor Victoriia Nikolaieva. Alongside Bohach, the exhibit will feature works by Ivan Shostak, Serhii Railian, Anton Kuzio, Andrii Kozyrenko, Oleh Derecha, Ruslan Ryzhko, Mykola Kaziuk, Oleh Avtomenko, Andrii Lemak, Nazar Kostetskyi, Diana Kalyna, Ihor Kushniriov, and Denys Zakharko.

Visitors will be able to view the artwork, meet the artists, hear their stories, and purchase their creations.

Bohach says he is eager to talk about his journey, whether in person in Kropyvnytskyi or through online interviews. For him, pottery is not only a craft but also a way to reclaim independence and rebuild a life after war.

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For a man nicknamed “Mohyla,” the choice to fight was never in question. When russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, he mobilized immediately, leaving behind his wife and six children in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region.

Before the war, military service was far from his life. But on the day he volunteered, his brother joined as well. At first, they served side by side, but eventually were assigned to different units.

Over the course of the war, Mohyla has rotated through several brigades and roles. Today, he serves in the National Guard of Ukraine’s 13th Khartiia Brigade as a mortar maintenance specialist.

He doesn’t dwell on his combat experiences, viewing war as the same everywhere: it’s either you or your enemy. Still, despite being entitled to a discharge as the father of six, he has stayed in uniform. 

At home, his wife is raising three boys and three girls, the youngest of whom has barely seen him. His children, he says, are the driving force behind his decision to stay, as he wants them to be able to remain in their home.

He plans to stay in the army for as long as his health allows.

Interviews with the soldier can be arranged online or in person with prior coordination through a press officer.

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Daniil, whose call sign is “Taiets” (Thai), is from Shostka in the Sumy oblast. He has been passionate about sports since childhood, practicing Muay Thai and being an avid football fan. At age 14, Daniil experienced the football fan sector for the first time and saw that the supporters were true Ukrainian patriots. When russia first attacked, most of these fans became volunteers. “Taiets” recalls that they were his role models.

After finishing school, Daniil moved to Kyiv to study to become a coach and was there when the full-scale invasion began. He immediately joined the Defense Forces, first defending the Kyiv oblast, then Izium, and later the Donetsk oblast. In Bakhmut, says “Taiets”, he learned what real war is. He currently serves in an unmanned systems battalion and is responsible for FPV drone operations.

Over time, Daniil began thinking of ways to help finance drone repairs for his battalion. He decided to try creating merchandise. First, he made challenge coins featuring his photo from Bakhmut, and then he started producing T-shirts with custom prints. Daniil  explains that every T-shirt purchased is a donation to the battalion’s drone workshop. “Taiets” does not deduct his own expenses from the sales. Instead, he invests all the profit directly into repairing drones.

Daniil is available for conversations online and in person in Kyiv until September 22 by prior arrangement.

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• Kyiv

On September 17, Ukraine will witness a new attempt to set the national record for the “Most unsupported one-leg squats in one minute” near Odesa. The record attempt will be made by 34-year-old war veteran and assault pilot Oleksandr Revtiukh of the 47th Mechanized Brigade ‘Magura’, who has endured the loss of both an arm and a leg.

In 2023, during a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Zaporizhia region, Revtiukh and his unit entered a minefield. A mine first took his leg, and as he attempted to crawl to safety in a state of shock, another mine detonated just a meter away, claiming his arm and injuring his torso. Despite the field being heavily mined, his comrades were able to evacuate him.

Last year, Revtiukh set a national record by completing 34 unsupported sit-ups on one leg within a minute. This year, he is aiming to surpass his own achievement.

The event is open to accredited media only. For security reasons, the precise location will be shared exclusively with credentialed journalists.

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• Odesa

Mykhailo Purin, 62, hails from Odesa but was in Kyiv when russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Before the war, he worked as a journalist, contributing articles to a Ukrainian media outlet. When the first explosions shook the capital, he volunteered for the army, drawing on his prior experience as a medical instructor in the Soviet military to serve in a similar role with the Navy’s river flotilla.

During his service, Purin patrolled rivers and participated in combat missions in the Kherson region, particularly around Krynky. After several years on the front lines, he retired in August 2024 upon reaching retirement age. Rather than settling into a quiet pensioned life, he sought a role that would give him purpose.

With guidance from Lobby X, an organization supporting veteran employment, Purin explored opportunities that aligned with his passions. He first took a position at Pethouse, a company specializing in pet food and shelter support, where he now manages supply chains. Beyond his day job, he volunteers with UAnimals, helping rescue and evacuate animals from conflict zones.

Purin is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

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