Themes by tag: military

Stepan Korobkin, 25, is from the town of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk oblast, which is currently on the front line. In November 2020, Stepan joined the Defense Forces on contract and served in an assault mortar battery. He was on active duty when the full-scale invasion began.

In June 2022, Stepan suffered his first injury, but soon returned to the front. In 2023, he lost his right arm in an artillery attack.

The amputation and 32 surgeries did not prevent Stepan from returning to civilian life. During his rehabilitation, the veteran received and mastered a prosthetic right arm and found a new passion – soccer. He also volunteered to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, to prove that amputation is not the end of life and that there is always a way to move forward. After his successful climb, Stepan was entered into the National Register of Records of Ukraine.

You can speak with Stepan Korobkin online or in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement. The veteran is ready to share photos and videos of his Kilimanjaro climb with journalists.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Crimean Tatar Musa is the developer of the “Dracarys” buggies, which he and his team produce for the military. After the occupation of Crimea, Musa left the peninsula and started a business in the capital. After the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, he designed an all-terrain buggy for front-line use with enhanced off-road capabilities.

The first buggies had four passenger seats, could evacuate one wounded soldier, and ran on either gasoline or diesel fuel. After receiving positive feedback from the military, Musa’s team increased production and improved the vehicles.

Today, only the name “Dracarys” remains from the original buggies. The upgraded all-terrain vehicles have more powerful diesel engines and can carry two to three wounded. Musa’s team has also improved the vehicles’ off-road capabilities.

It takes volunteers up to four weeks to build a buggy, and two can be built at a time. Funding for parts comes from donors or military units.

You can connect with Musa online or in person, and visit the buggy production site in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• military
• Kyiv

Ivan Babushkin, a former POW and fighter of the 15th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “KARA-DAG”, faced the beginning of the full-scale invasion while serving in Mariupol. On March 26, 2022, Ivan and his comrades were captured.

He spent two years in captivity, most of it in colonies in the temporarily occupied Donetsk oblast, including two months in Olenivka. According to Ivan, russians beat and starved Ukrainian soldiers during their captivity. What sustained him through the horrors of captivity was his dream of returning home and opening his own cafe.

Ivan was released in January 2024. After completing his rehabilitation, he began to realize his dream. He opened a cafe in Zaporizhia, where he now works alongside his beloved.

You can contact Ivan Babushkin online or in person in Zaporizhia by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Zaporizhzhia

Yuliia Buniak, originally from Crimea, has called Kyiv home since her university days. Now a widow raising her 14-year-old son, Tymofii, she is navigating life after her husband was killed in action on August 3, 2023, while serving on the frontlines.  

For Yuliia, the russian-Ukrainian conflict began in 2014 with the annexation of her homeland. Her husband joined the military shortly after the invasion, fought for over a year, and then returned to civilian life. But the full-scale russian assault in February 2022 marked a turning point. On the evening of February 23, as the couple shared a quiet moment at home, a call from the territorial recruitment office changed their lives. Her husband reported for duty the next morning, initially serving in Kyiv before being deployed to the eastern front. As a mortar operator, he carried out missions near Bakhmut, one of the most fiercely contested areas of the war. After completing his first rotation in December 2022, he returned home briefly, allowing the family to celebrate the New Year together. But during his second deployment, tragedy struck. On August 3, 2023, he was killed during an artillery strike near Pivnichnyi, in Donetsk’s Bakhmut district.  

Yuliia reflects on the close bond her husband shared with Tymofii. From teaching him to drive to bonding over their shared love of boxing, their relationship was filled with cherished moments. Last year, Tymofii had the chance to meet his idol, Oleksandr Usyk, and even attended his fight in Riyadh with his mother.  

For reference: The Children of Heroes Foundation is now providing essential support to Yuliia and Tymofii. The organization, dedicated to aiding children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s invasion, offers financial assistance, psychological counseling, legal aid, and educational resources to help them thrive despite their loss.

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• military
• women
• Kyiv

On January 22, a training session using an adaptive sit ski for veterans will be held in Kyiv. Three veterans will take part in the session.

By prior arrangement, journalists are welcome to cover the event.

Background: Veterans, people with disabilities and their families can take advantage of the free “Active Parks” project until the end of February to train in skiing, snowboarding and using an adaptive sit ski at the Golosiyv Ski Park in Kyiv. Tempo Dualski is a safe and professional tool for skiing and snowboarding for people with disabilities. The sessions will be conducted by experienced instructors.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Tetiana Hatsura-Yavorska, a citizen of Belarus, has been a human rights activist since 2006. Later she founded the human rights organization “Zvyano”. After the Belarusian protests in 2020, a criminal case was opened against Tetiana for her activism, which displeased the Belarusian authorities. She was arrested and threatened that her child would be sent to an orphanage. Her husband took the child and fled the country. After spending 10 days in a detention center, Tetiana was released but banned from leaving Belarus.

After russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Tetiana decided to leave Minsk illegally. Upon arriving in Kyiv, she immediately began volunteering and raising funds to purchase vacuum therapy devices for hospitals. During two years of war, she raised more than 100,000 euros for these devices. She later founded the “Lanka” rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers.

At “Lanka”, soldiers recover from injuries to their arms, legs and spine, and can also receive treatment for gastrointestinal and neurological problems. Since its inception, the center has rehabilitated 60 soldiers, including international volunteers.

You can contact Tetiana Hatsura-Yavorska online or in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement. 

• casualties
• military
• women
• Kyiv

An event dedicated to the fallen soldier Kostiantyn Yuzviuk will be held in 28 cities of Ukraine. The event is organized by the relatives of the Ukrainian defender and the NGO “Vshanuy” (“Honor”). January 18 marks six months since the death of serviceman Kostiantyn Yuzviuk, who was an activist, vegan, animal rights defender and photographer.

Kostiantyn joined the Revolution of Dignity as a teenager. At 14, he became a volunteer, and at 22, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Defense Forces.

Background: The NGO “Vshanuy” works on the development and implementation of new remembrance practices in Ukraine. One of the organization’s goals is to promote the observance of a moment of silence at the national level. One of their key mottos is: “Remember the fallen — support the living”.

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• military

Peaceful events are planned in 22 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On January 18, rallies will be held in Ochyrka, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Bila Tserkva, Kolomyia and Pavlohrad.

On January 19, peaceful actions are scheduled in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Krolevets, Ovruch, Korosten, Kremenchuk, Uzhhorod, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Berdychiv, Korostyshiv, Ternopil, Cherkasy and Kropyvnytskyi.

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.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The national Invictus Games team, which will take part in the international adaptive sports event in Whistler and Vancouver, Canada, this February, has gathered for its fifth training camp.

This time, the team is meeting at a ski resort, allowing participants to practice winter sports in natural conditions. The 2025 Invictus Games will be the first Hybrid Games to include adaptive winter sports. During previous training camps, the Ukrainian team trained on water and on simulators.

Some team members admit this is their first time trying skiing. Others have rediscovered the joy of winter sports after recovering from injuries, while some are skillfully descending slopes on one leg.

The team has also been visited by Olga Kharlan, Ukraine’s most decorated Olympic fencing champion.

The training in Bukovel is coming to an end. Journalists can speak with team members in Kyiv and have access to photo and video materials.

Background: The Invictus Games were founded in 2014 by His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex. The international competition is for veterans and service personnel who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Maksym Kharkivskyi, a soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, serves on the Zaporizhia front. In the spring of 2023, a bull came to the position of his unit. His comrades reported, “You have visitors,” and Maksym saw the animal approaching them along a mined path.

That same day, Maksym and a fellow soldier led the bull, which they named Martyn, to safety. Maksym began posting videos of the bull on TikTok, and Martyn quickly gained popularity.

Soon after, Maksym’s comrades rescued a wild female boar that had been injured by enemy fire. Maksym took the boar in, named her Mashka, and cared for her until she recovered. She joined Martyn as a social media star.

Thanks to the animals’ popularity, Maksym has been able to support his unit’s needs. He hosts live streams to raise funds, and in just five sessions raised enough money to buy drones worth 100,000 UAH. Maksym affectionately refers to Martyn and Mashka as his “military volunteers”.

You can connect with Maksym Kharkivskyi online or in person by prior arrangement.

• animals
• military