Themes by tag: military

A project by Lviv-based reproductive specialist and four-time Fertility Award winner Liubov Mykhailyshyn, “Preserve Your DNA for the Future,” offers free egg cryopreservation to 20 women in the military who risk their lives every day. The program is open to women between the ages of 21 and 41.

To date, 50 women have applied. Registration and consultations will continue until March 31, and the program will run until the end of 2025.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Liubov Mykhailyshyn in Lviv or online, and, if possible, with program participants.

Background: The “Preserve Your DNA for the Future” project is funded by a grant from L’Oréal Paris and UNFPA Ukraine (the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine).

Similar programs have been successfully implemented in the United States (Fertility Preservation Program) and Israel. According to American researchers, service members experience a significant decline in reproductive potential compared to control groups, even without physical injury. Chronic stress is a major contributing factor.

While sperm cryopreservation is a relatively quick and simple process for military personnel, egg freezing is more complex and requires an initial consultation with a reproductive specialist; controlled ovarian stimulation with specific medications; egg retrieval from the ovaries; cryopreservation and long-term storage of the oocytes.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Lviv

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 February 22, rallies will take place in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Arbuzynka, Vinnytsia, Svitlovodsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Obukhiv, Poltava, Zaporizhia and Pavlohrad.

On February 23, events are scheduled in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Uman, Krolevets, Korop, Ovruch, Irpin, Cherkasy, Korosten, Uzhhorod, and Mykolaiv.

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.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Serhii Hrytsiv, a native of Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, endured two and a half years in captivity, marked by relentless torture, starvation, and interrogation. A member of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi, he witnessed the start of russia’s full-scale invasion from the front lines.  

Hrytsiv recalls that the fighting in the Mariupol sector, where he was stationed, began on February 17, 2022. Nearly two months later, on April 12, his commander presented a grim choice: either attempt a breakthrough or face capture. Each soldier had to decide for themselves. Hrytsiv and a group of comrades made a desperate bid to escape the russian encirclement but were ultimately unsuccessful. They were soon taken prisoner.  

Over the course of his captivity, Hrytsiv was transferred 18 times, enduring detention in 12 different locations. According to him, not a single day passed without torture—Ukrainian prisoners were subjected to brutal beatings, electric shocks, and starvation.  

On September 13, 2024, Hrytsiv was freed in a prisoner exchange and returned to Ukrainian territory. Following rehabilitation, he met his future wife, and the two soon married.  

Serhii Hrytsiv is available for conversations both online and in person by appointment.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Ivano-Frankivsk

The Center for Civil Liberties invites you to the performance “People Are Key!”, which will take place as part of the March of Remembrance and Hope on February 20 in Kyiv.

The performance is aimed at supporting all prisoners of the Kremlin: prisoners of war, illegally detained civilians, deported Ukrainian children, and political prisoners. The symbol of the performance is keys, representing both freedom and home. Participants will jingle keys to remind the world of those still held in captivity.

Speakers for comments:

– Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties (English-speaking)

– Mykhailo Savva, Doctor of Political Science, expert with the Center for Civil Liberties

– Relatives and friends of Kremlin prisoners

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

“Active Parks” is initiating an adaptive sit ski training session for veterans with lower limb disabilities, set to take place on February 19 in Kyiv.

Training on these specialized bucket seats with two skis underneath is part of a broader effort to create an inclusive environment for veterans injured in the war, enabling them to maintain an active physical and social life.

The session will be conducted in collaboration with professional instructors from Golosiiv Ski Park. Participants will train using Tempo Dualski equipment for seated skiing, a safe and specialized tool designed for adaptive skiing and snowboarding.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

Background: The training is part of the “Sport for All” initiative under the State Institution, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports. It is organized within the framework of the presidential social project “Active Parks – Locations of Healthy Ukraine.”

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv

Lviv has inaugurated its first social home for severely wounded soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center. The new housing facility is designed to accommodate up to 60 people at a time, including both patients and their relatives.

The six-story building features 24 fully accessible apartments—20 two-room units and four one-room units. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and a bathroom, ensuring a comfortable living environment. The entire facility is barrier-free, designed to meet the needs of residents using crutches, wheelchairs, prosthetics, or those with visual impairments. Each unit is also fitted with a panic button for emergency assistance.

The primary goal of the social housing project is to support patients through the critical adaptation period following their injuries in a comfortable and accommodating environment.

The first residents, along with their families, have already moved in. In the coming months, the building will be further equipped with shared community spaces, and the terrace will serve as a public area for events. This is just the beginning—seven more buildings are planned for social housing to support the UNBROKEN Center’s patients.

Background: The initiative is managed by NEFCO as part of the “Housing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Reconstruction of Liberated Cities in Ukraine” project, funded by the European Union.

• casualties
• military
• Lviv

Petro Krasytskyi from Kyiv has served in Ukraine’s armed forces twice—first in 2015 with the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade and again following the full-scale invasion as part of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. During his service, he suffered two strokes, requiring extensive treatment and rehabilitation in both Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

Throughout his recovery, Petro was supported by his family doctor, Yuliia Barbolina. She was the one who called an ambulance when he arrived at her office experiencing his second stroke.

Together, they decided to establish a medical center—a vision that quickly became reality with the launch of the Razom Medical Center in Kyiv, which recently marked its first anniversary.

Yuliia serves as the center’s medical director, providing patient consultations and performing ultrasound diagnostics. A modern ultrasound machine was purchased through a grant from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation.

The Petro Krasytskyi Clinic offers medical care to both civilians and military personnel. On designated days, military members can receive free medical checkups, while service members, veterans, their families, and families of fallen defenders are eligible for a 20% discount.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Petro and Olha by prior request.

• casualties
• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

On February 18, Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing on military recruitment, focusing on how the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade attracts new enlistees and prepares them for service.

Participants:
– Dmytro Kukharchuk, head of recruitment for the 3rd Assault Brigade;
– Oleksandr Borodin, press officer of the 3rd Assault Brigade;
– Call sign “Student”, chief sergeant of the Test Week project. 

Topics of focus:
– The effectiveness of recruitment campaigns and the most successful strategies;
– The role of specialized projects in recruitment—how they work and their benefits;
– Raising public awareness about recruitment initiatives and available opportunities. 

Those interested in joining the 3rd Brigade can visit recruitment centers in Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, and Kyiv.

Recruits undergo intensive training under the guidance of experienced combat instructors. Before taking up arms, they complete a rigorous program covering tactical operations, medical preparedness, and firearms training.

Background: The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade was established on March 9, 2022, from the Kyiv-based Azov Army’s Territorial Defense Battalion. On January 26, 2023, it was restructured into a separate assault brigade within the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• military
• Kyiv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Symanyshyn lived in Poland. But when the war began, he returned home to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces. In July 2023, during a combat mission, he suffered severe injuries that resulted in the amputation of both hands.

Shortly thereafter, Volodymyr’s girlfriend left him — a devastating blow on top of his physical loss. But instead of giving in to despair, he focused on rehabilitation. He started with sports and later discovered a passion for painting. Attaching a brush to his arm stump, he learned to create artwork and embraced a new form of self-expression.

In the summer of 2024, he traveled to the United States, where he received a prosthetic hand. Upon his return to Ukraine, he enrolled in the Theological Academy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, taking his first steps toward becoming a chaplain. Now, Volodymyr is preparing to dedicate his life to helping soldiers and veterans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Volodymyr Symanyshyn both online and in person in Ternopil by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Ternopil

Fedir Samburskyi, a 29-year-old from the Donetsk oblast, was in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast, when russia launched its full-scale invasion. In the early days of the war, he volunteered to help civilians. Later, he managed to escape the occupation with his mother and sister and moved to Prykarpattia. A few weeks later he joined the army.

The veteran fought in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia oblasts and took part in the liberation of the Kherson oblast. During a combat mission in November 2023, he suffered a serious injury: an explosion from an enemy FPV drone cost him his leg, an arm, and partially his sight.

After several surgeries and nine months of rehabilitation, Fedir learned to use his prosthetics and decided to start his own business. Using the funds he received as compensation for his injury, he opened an inclusive café in Kyiv called Tytanovi — after the rehabilitation center where he received his prosthetics. The center’s founder helped him buy some of the equipment. Today, Fedir donates half of the cafe’s profits to support the Tytanovi Rehab Center.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Fedir Samburskyi both online and in person in Kyiv upon prior agreement.

• casualties
• military
• Kyiv