Themes by tag: military

Antonina is a Crimean and a non-binary person in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She moved from Simferopol back in 2014 after the occupation of the peninsula by Russia. Antonina’s occupation is a filmmaker. She has worked as an actress and participated in performances. On February 25, 2022, Antonina went to the army recruiting office and enlisted in the Territorial Defense Forces of Kyiv. During the full-scale war with Russia, Antonina took part in the battles for Kherson and Kharkiv regions and fought in the Bakhmut sector. Antonina is currently a mortar gunner in the 206th Territorial Defense Battalion. Despite making a titanic effort every day, she manages to be vegan and even play the ukulele occasionally.

• military
• LGBT

The Strongman Federation of Ukraine continues to implement a project for the sports rehabilitation of war veterans and bringing them to civilian life through sports. A sports event for veterans is scheduled to take place in Kyiv on July 8. The competition program will include crossfit, bench press, and rowing.

The program is adapted to different categories of wounds suffered by the defenders. Honored athletes and coaches of Ukraine will be the competition’s judges: Serhii Konyushok, Oleksandr Lashyn, and Vasyl Virastyuk.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

On the first day of the full-scale war, Andrii went to the army recruiting office and enlisted in the army to defend the country. At the time, he was 18 years old. In October last year, an enemy mine injured his leg. He was talking on the phone with his mother, who heard the explosion and how her son was applying a tourniquet to his leg. Andrii was admitted to the Superhumans Center in Lviv. This year in June, a few days after his discharge, Andrii rode 100 km on a bicycle with a prosthetic left leg.

Last year, the man proposed to his beloved. He made an engagement ring out of a shell casing. The couple paints paintings together and puts them up for charity auction, and donates the proceeds to the needs of the military.

• casualties
• doctors
• military

Military man Andrii Merchuk knocked out an enemy tank along the Lyman axis in May 2022. He was wounded, but did not leave his position. And before being captured, he even managed to write a message to his beloved Anastasiia. For some time Andrii was considered missing. Later, news came that he was in russian prisons. In April of this year, Andrii returned from captivity and soon married Anastasiia. His beloved serves as a patrol officer in Lutsk police.

• military
• prisoners

Before the full-scale Russian invasion, Rina Reznik was a high school biology teacher interested in treating brain injuries. Later, she joined the Holosiivskyi Territorial Defense Forces and, in a few weeks, headed to the Donetsk region. Today, Rina is a medic with the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, and she is in charge of blood transfusions at the front and ensuring proper conditions for medical procedures.

• doctors
• military
• women

In the Zhytomyr region, rehabilitation classes with horses are being held for wounded soldiers and veterans as part of the “Hippotherapy – Back in Life’s Saddle” project. The equine-assisted therapy program includes feeding the animals, engaging in activities with them, and riding with an experienced instructor. All this is free of charge. Classes are held outdoors.

For reference: Hippotherapy is a method of treatment based on human interaction with a specially trained horse adapted to the rider’s ability to master riding.

• animals
• military
• psychological support

The Military Innovation Rehabilitation Center “BASE 4.5.0” has worked with combatants and their families for over six years. This time they are organizing water therapy. The military will be given surfing and wakeboarding lessons. In addition to physical exercises, the soldiers will have a theoretical part with military psychologists. The Center says such classes help the military return to civilian life.

• doctors
• military
• psychological support

On June 30, at 11:00 AM, Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform will host a presentation of the “Guide for Veterans and Their Family Members” (within the system of providing psychological, medical-psychological, and psychiatric care in Ukraine).

This guide is a collection of work and adapted materials based on the experience of the crisis support hotline of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation (UVF) of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. It was prepared by expert psychologists who work as UVF Hotline Counselors. The guide contains a “Road Map” to the system of psychological, medical and psychiatric care, as well as recommendations for veterans and their family members.

The participants of the event will include:

Svitlana Kashenets — Deputy Minister for Veteran Affairs

Natalia Kalmykova — Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation

Oleksandr Chamorsov — veteran, UVF Crisis Hotline Counselor, crisis psychologist, trauma therapist

Olena Lashko — UVF Crisis Hotline Counselor

Oksana Zbitnieva — Head of Barrier-Free NGO, Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Anna joined the 93rd Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar” in the spring of last year. Since “Tsunami” has a background in logistics, the girl had planned to do this kind of work, instead she became a liaison officer. And later, she even retrained to become a kamikaze drone operator. Then she became the commander of an FPV drone unit. Anna has already been to many hot spots: Izium, Soledar and Bakhmut. There, she successfully used drones to attack the invaders. The woman has already transferred to “Herts” regiment of the Airborne Assault Troops. And now she is in Zhytomyr oblast for additional training.

• military
• women

Training for 20 participants of the “Sports Ambassadors” project by the “Come Back Alive” Foundation will start in July. These are 20 active veterans who have gone through their own recovery journeys after being injured on the front line. Now they will help others to go through the same.

Over three months, the ambassadors will be trained in adaptive sports, coaching, mentoring, and leadership to help their brothers and sisters in arms restore their faith in themselves and their abilities after an injury.

Journalists will be able to attend the training of the Sports Ambassadors in the Kyiv region.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv