Themes by tag: military
Ahead of March 8, International Women’s Day, the VETERANKA Movement is launching a large-scale communication campaign called “Women Can Do Anything!”, which tells the real combat stories of four Ukrainian female soldiers in comic book format. The main mission of the campaign is to change society’s perception of the role of women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to highlight their impact on civilian safety.
As part of the project, throughout March and April, social advertising will be displayed in the capital’s metro, on billboards in Kyiv, and on screens in shopping malls.
The heroes of the campaign:
- Eva “Yunga” — FPV drone operator for the Rubizh brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Eva joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the age of 18 after graduating from school. During her first 1.5 years of service, she managed to destroy 250 enemy targets. Her superpower is to see in the dark and hit targets that pose a threat to our cities.
- Anya Tatu “Ksenia” — UAV operator of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her story is one of unconditional love for life and Ukraine. A Polish woman with a Belgian passport who chose our country as her destiny. Despite living with a prosthesis, she chose the front line and earned the right to serve in the marines. Her superpower is her incredible accuracy and ability to be the first to spot threats in the night sky, saving thousands of lives.
- Oksana “Oksi” is the commander of the combat group of the special forces unit “OMEGA.” First, she wrote her will, evacuated her two children abroad, and then joined the army. A successful entrepreneur in civilian life, she turned her strategic talent into a weapon of the future in the military. Today, she is the first female commander of a group of robotic complexes in the special forces unit “OMEGA.”
- Yana “Multik” is the commander of the women’s platoon of the 141st Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is a symbol of resilience and sisterhood. Having survived the occupation of her native Kherson region and numerous injuries, Yana not only returned to the ranks, but also headed the first female unit of UAV operators. She is breaking down prejudices and building a new army where every woman is protected and heard.
The author of the visual part is Ukrainian illustrator Anna Ivanenko, known for her collaboration with The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Economist, Forbes, and other international media.
In addition, the communication campaign aims to close a large charity fundraiser for 6,000,000 hryvnia. The funds will be used to equip mobile air defense groups of the 37th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to purchase Heavy Shot bomber drones for the Rubizh Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
By prior arrangement, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to the heroines of the campaign, as well as representatives of the VETERANKA movement.
On March 12, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II will host an event to commemorate Benjamin Asher, a volunteer of Hungarian and Jewish descent who fought and died for Ukraine.
Benjamin was born on May 10, 2004, in Budapest, Hungary. In 2019, he moved with his father to Toronto, Canada, and became a permanent resident of that country.
In 2021, he signed a contract with the Hungarian Armed Forces, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. In March 2023, despite being diagnosed with “high-functioning autism” and serving in the military in another country, he went to Ukraine, where he joined one of the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In January 2025, he transferred to the Third Army Corps, where he joined the logistics unit of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd OSBr, while also serving as a combat medic and rifleman.
Benjamin quickly made friends and brothers-in-arms in both units where he served. For his silence and concentration, he was given the nickname “Nemo.” He took part in battles in the Donetsk and Kharkiv directions.
He was killed on May 24, 2025, in the Kharkiv direction as a result of an enemy drone attack while helping another wounded foreign volunteer.
Benjamin was buried on November 27, 2025, at the National Military Memorial Cemetery (village of Markhalivka) with full military honors in the presence of representatives of the Hungarian and Jewish communities of Ukraine. The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, led a prayer over his coffin together with the military chaplain.
Benjamin Asher was posthumously awarded the Iron Cross by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Order of Courage, 3rd degree. On February 25, 2026, in the hall of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Toronto), Benjamin was also awarded the “For Self-Sacrifice” medal.
Benjamin’s father, Nathan Asher, will be present at the memorial event.
Nazarі Krasovsky signed a contract with the 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in 2020. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended Azovstal, and, together with his comrades, carried out the command’s order and surrendered in May 2022.
Nazari spent 3.5 years in captivity. To keep himself going, the soldier wrote poems, scratched lines on a bar of soap, and when the opportunity arose, transferred the texts to scraps of paper. The man was returned home in August 2025 during a prisoner exchange.
Since then, Nazarі has been undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN center in Lviv. The soldier has a serious spinal injury, which he sustained while in captivity. The soldier said that he had long wanted to sing with Khristina Soloviy. During a gala evening organized by the rehabilitation center, Nazarі managed to fulfill this dream. On stage, they performed the song “Who, if not you?”, and the audience gave them a standing ovation.
You can speak with Nazari Krasovskyi both online and in person in Lviv or Kyiv by prior arrangement.
Before the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Savelyev worked in 3D design. After the war began, he started volunteering, and in the summer of 2023, he signed a contract and became a combat medic. Later, he became the commander of a reconnaissance platoon in one of the rifle battalions of the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
While carrying out a mission in Donetsk Oblast, Volodymyr stepped on a mine and was seriously wounded. Volodymyr lost both legs, underwent 12 operations, but rehabilitated himself and mastered prosthetics.
After returning to civilian life, he started doing 3D design again. This job involves sitting in front of a monitor for hours, so the veteran missed live communication. He found few inclusive places for veterans, so he decided to create his own. This is how the Bereg coworking space appeared in Lviv, where veterans can work and socialize. The space is inclusive and suitable for people with injuries.
Journalists can arrange an interview with Volodymyr Saveliev either online or in person in Lviv, by prior arrangement.
Daria Ulman is the wife of soldier Kirill Ulman, who died on February 15, 2024. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, her husband joined the ranks of the Volunteer Territorial Community Formation in Dnipro, which was created by veterans of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.” In December 2022, he joined the ranks of the Third Separate Assault Brigade as part of an anti-tank battalion. Kirill was killed by a sniper’s bullet.
Daria says that her husband was fascinated by military affairs. After his death, she regretted not having started training with Kirill. Within a year, Daria completed six courses and underwent two full training programs. She later created her own community that provides military training for women. She named it Community Ulman in honor of her deceased beloved.
To date, more than 80 women have completed the training, and thanks to the project, 115,000 hryvnias have been donated to Kirill’s comrades-in-arms.
Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the training.
Daria Ulman is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.
Veterans with musculoskeletal injuries or limb amputations can take part in the “Drivers” project. The initiative aims to provide veterans with disabilities the opportunity to acquire driving skills to ensure their mobility. It also creates opportunities for employment or for using these skills in their own business or civic activities. The project was launched in June 2024 and is implemented by the NGO “Employment Center of Free People”.
The second phase of the project started this February. Around 20 veterans will join the initiative. The programme begins with theoretical classes, followed by practical training.
By prior arrangement, journalists may cover the training in Kyiv or the Kyiv region.
Five Ukrainian veterans will participate in the international open-water swimming competition Oceanman Lago d’Orta (Italy). They will compete in the 2 km and 5.5 km distances.
All members of the team are veterans with amputations and severe injuries. Each has gone through war, prolonged medical treatment, and rehabilitation. They are currently preparing for the international competition and train four times a week.
Team Members:
- Ivan Khalupa — veteran of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. He lost a leg in combat. Swimming became part of his systematic rehabilitation. He has experience in international competitions.
- Ihor Oliinyk — veteran of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He began swimming after being wounded to restore psychological balance.
- Serhii Khrapko — lost an arm and a leg in 2015. Participant of the Invictus Games and Warrior Games. Has extensive experience in sports rehabilitation.
- Volodymyr Shanayda — was wounded in 2023. After a year of treatment, he began swimming. Oceanman will be his first international competition.
- Ihor Bystryi — combat veteran since 2016. He was wounded in 2022 by a cluster munition. After rehabilitation, he continues his sports training.
The project aims to support veterans’ participation in an international sporting event and highlight the role of sport in physical and psychological rehabilitation. It promotes the development of veteran sports and raises awareness of recovery through sport.
By prior arrangement, journalists may cover training sessions in Kyiv.
Background: The project is implemented by the charitable foundation YANKO Fund. Logistical support is provided by the concierge service FlyPoint. The team trains under the supervision of medical specialists, coaches, and rehabilitation professionals. The Oceanman organizing committee has provided the athletes with complimentary entry passes for the competition.
Dmytro Kanupier was serving in the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov” in Mariupol when the full-scale invasion began. In April 2022, he sustained two shrapnel wounds. Together with his fellow soldiers, he defended the Azovstal steel plant.
Dmytro and his comrades discussed various possible outcomes of the battle in Mariupol, including suicide. Ultimately, in late May 2022, the fighters received orders to surrender and entered russian captivity.
Until September 26, 2022, Dmytro was held in a penal colony in Olenivka in the occupied part of Donetsk region. He was later transferred to Taganrog, russia. There, according to the serviceman, prisoners were subjected to severe beatings and torture in order to extract so-called “confessions” to fabricated crimes.
While in captivity, Dmytro was sentenced to 29 years in a high-security penal colony for a war crime he did not commit. He returned to Ukraine on October 18, 2024, as part of a prisoner exchange.
Since then, he has undergone rehabilitation, taken up sports, returned to service with Azov, and continues to speak publicly about captivity and those who remain imprisoned.
Interviews with Dmytro Kanupier are available online or in person by prior arrangement and coordination with the press service.
Before the full-scale invasion, Artem Sokolov worked as an assistant locomotive driver at Ukrzaliznytsia, and his passion was sport motorcycles.
With the start of the full-scale war, he joined the Territorial Defense Forces and later volunteered for the police assault brigade “Liut” (“Fury”). Artem was deployed to Donetsk region after nine months of basic military training and unit coordination. In October 2023, he went on his first combat mission. An enemy drone spotted the group, and a mine exploded near him. Artem sustained severe injuries and could only be evacuated several hours later. Doctors had to amputate both of his legs.
Artem underwent prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation. The first thing he did after returning home was get behind the wheel of a car. Later, he tried riding a friend’s motorcycle. Realizing he could successfully control it even with prosthetics, he soon bought his own bike. Today, the veteran is looking for a position within the military, as despite his disability he is determined to return to service.
Interviews with Artem Sokolov are available both online and offline in Poltava by prior arrangement.
In the city of Boryslav, Lviv region, Ukraine’s first winter adaptive sports center for male and female war veterans with lower-limb amputations has begun operating at the Bukovytsia ski resort.
During the first open training sessions, veterans learned the Three-Track Skiing technique — skiing on one ski using two outriggers — under the guidance of alpine skiing instructors, physical therapists, and veterans who completed certified training in the United States.
Going forward, within the Hub, veterans will receive ongoing free access to the Bukovytsia ski infrastructure, modern adaptive equipment, adaptive skiing lessons from professional instructors, and peer-to-peer mentorship.
According to Oleksandr Shvachka, veteran and president of the Alliance of Veterans organization, the creation of the Hub at the Bukovytsia ski complex is one of the stages in developing a large-scale infrastructure for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian veterans through adaptive alpine skiing.
By prior arrangement, journalists may cover the activities of the hub.
For reference: The Hub was initiated by the public organization “Alliance of Veterans” as part of the Adaptive Skiing for Veterans project, with the support of the Bukovytsia ski resort, the charitable foundation Razom for Ukraine, and the Boryslav City Council.
