Themes by tag: Mykolaiv

Maryna Muzyka and Dmytro met after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, they lived in different countries, Maryna in Ukraine, Dmytro in the Czech Republic. A former soldier, Dmytro had served in the Ukrainian army until 2019, when he was discharged after sustaining injuries. But when the war escalated in 2022, he didn’t hesitate. On March 4, just days after the invasion began, Dmytro returned to Ukraine and enlisted in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

Their paths crossed in Mykolaiv, where Dmytro and fellow soldiers were looking for a place to stay. The two quickly grew close. Eventually, Maryna moved to the Donetsk region to be near him, waiting for him to return from combat missions.

On July 1, 2024, Dmytro Muzyka was killed in action during a mission in the Donetsk sector.

The couple had often talked about building a future together, dreaming of launching their own business someday. After Dmytro’s death, Maryna decided to turn that dream into reality on her own. She opened a coffee shop in Mykolaiv and named it Mykyta the Cat, a tribute to her fallen husband, who, she says, had remarkable night vision and moved with the silent grace of a feline.

Maryna designed the space with a theme she calls “combat cats”, a nod to the qualities she saw in Dmytro and the soldiers he served with.

Maryna can be reached for interviews in Mykolaiv or virtually, by appointment.

• dead
• military
• women
• Mykolaiv

On June 5, a learning space will be opened in the shelter of one of the kindergartens in Mykolaiv.

Participants:

• savED Foundation (Anna Novosad, Anna Putsova);
• LEGO Foundation representatives;  
• MES (Oksen Lisovyi);
• Danish Embassy (Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Jakob Torrild Hansen).

* Local educators, children, and parents.

Thanks to the LEGO Foundation’s support, the savED charitable foundation is completing the construction of modern, safe shelters at four kindergartens in Mykolaiv. Now, over a thousand local children will be able to study and develop their skills in a comfortable environment.

The shelters have been converted into spaces equipped with play areas and study zones for classes during air raid alerts. Children will also be able to sleep in special beds. The renovation of the shelters began in February 2025. Two locations have been completed, and two more are in the final stages.

The total renovated area is over 2,000 square meters. One of the renovated centers will be the largest underground educational space in the city. Two shelters will also serve as educational spaces for secondary school students.

Background: Over 130 kindergartens (one-third) in Mykolaiv oblast currently operate remotely, according to the Ministry of Education and Science. One of the reasons is the security factor and lack of equipped shelters in educational institutions.

• children
• Mykolaiv

The social project “Come Out and Play!” was launched in Bucha and Irpin in June 2022 in response to the challenges these towns faced after liberation. Its main goal was to help children recover emotionally after living under occupation. Free soccer training was organized for school children, and in November 2022, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” was officially registered.

The training sessions are designed for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12, including internally displaced children. Since its inception, over 600 children from Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Bucha, Irpin and Odesa have participated in the football program.

Today, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” also provides comprehensive psychosocial support to IDPs, children and people affected by the war. Services include individual and family counseling, group therapy, and art therapy. In addition, free legal counseling is provided, including assistance in recovering lost documents and applying for social benefits.

By prior arrangement, the project’s activities can be covered in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Mykolaiv. Psychosocial football training takes place in these cities, and in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, art therapy and legal training sessions are also conducted.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Dnipro
• Odesa
• Mykolaiv

On March 5, a renovated bomb shelter in one of the gymnasiums in Mykolaiv will be opened. The shelter was restored by “Dobrobat” volunteers, who carried out demolition work, wall reinforcement, and floor and ceiling replacement. The three-month renovation was funded by the international organization “Nova Ukraine”.

The shelter will serve as a safe space for 400 children and staff. This is the second shelter restored at the gymnasium, helping to ease the transition to face-to-face learning.

Speakers:
– Mykhailo Bryzhko, Head of Regional Development, NGO “Dobrobat”
– Yurii Osipov, Coordinator of the Mykolaiv branch, NGO “Dobrobat”
– Representatives of “Nova Ukraine”
– School administration

Accreditation is required to participate in the event.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv

Kateryna Pisna, the wife of an Armed Forces serviceman, has launched a social car repair shop in Mykolaiv, a city in southern Ukraine. The idea was born when her husband, who had been mobilized to serve in the Defense Forces, began contemplating life after his return to civilian life. Together, they envisioned opening a car service station to build a new chapter.  

To bring their plan to life, the couple applied for and secured a grant. A key requirement of the funding was incorporating a social component into the business. Using the grant, they purchased six manual handling units designed to adapt cars for individuals with lower extremities amputations. The shop will retrofit these systems free of charge for customers with disabilities.  

Each handling unit costs 12,000 hryvnias. Four of them will be distributed through a raffle among graduates of a local driving school for people with disabilities. The remaining units will be available for installation on a first-come, first-served basis, with plans to replenish the supply as needed.  

Currently, the repair shop employs a car mechanic and an assistant, but Kateryna and her husband have broader ambitions. They hope to expand by opening a car shop in the future.  

Kateryna is available to connect online or in person in Mykolaiv, with meetings arranged by appointment.

• women
• Mykolaiv

Is humanitarian mine action possible in winter? How do snow and freezing temperatures affect the painstaking work of removing deadly explosives? These are the questions many are asking as winter sets in.  

Deminers face extreme challenges in cold weather, but the work doesn’t stop when the first snow falls. Can mines be detected beneath a blanket of snow? How do teams stay warm during long hours in the field? And is it true that some even heat the frozen ground to continue clearing land?  

Journalists now have the chance to witness these operations firsthand. Media visits can be arranged to key regions where HALO Ukraine is actively working, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.  

For context: HALO Ukraine is part of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian demining. Since russia’s full-scale invasion, they’ve cleared over 6 million square meters of land, ensuring safer ground for thousands of Ukrainians.

• Chernihiv
• Kharkiv
• Kherson
• Kyiv
• Mykolaiv
• demining

Kateryna and Artem Sobchenko were married in 2016, welcoming their son, also named Artem, a year later. Though the couple eventually divorced, they remained on good terms, maintaining a warm and supportive relationship.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Kateryna and her son were living in Mykolaiv, a city in southern Ukraine. On that fateful day, Kateryna was preparing for work when the sound of explosions shattered the morning calm.

Artem Sobchenko had dedicated his life to military service. He served as a Marine during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) but was forced to retire due to health issues. However, when the invasion began, he immediately volunteered at the enlistment office. Despite being turned away, Artem was undeterred. He defended Mykolaiv as a volunteer, helped evacuate civilians from Mariupol, and eventually joined the 77th Airmobile Brigade as a medic and platoon sergeant.

Artem’s bravery earned him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the Golden Star badge, and the Order of Courage. During the battle for Soledar, he saved 15 comrades. Later, while defending Bakhmut, he saved another soldier’s life but tragically did not return from the battlefield himself.

Kateryna received the devastating news just as their son was preparing to start first grade. The loss plunged young Artem into a deep depression. He became withdrawn, crying constantly and stuttering when he tried to speak.

Seeking help, Kateryna turned to the Children of Heroes Foundation, which supports children who have lost parents in the war. With the help of a psychologist and art therapy, Artem began to heal. He now speaks more openly and has started to smile again.

For context: The Children of Heroes Foundation provides financial aid, psychological and legal support, and educational opportunities for children who have lost one or both parents due to the war, continuing its assistance until they reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military
• women
• Mykolaiv

Alina, a volunteer from Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, is raising two sons while supporting the nation’s defenders. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, she began by cooking meals with a friend and sending them to the frontlines. Soon after, she acquired a car, allowing her to personally deliver essential supplies to soldiers.

Her commitment led her to establish a charity named “Unbreakable Kitty,” inspired by her call sign. She recalls being called “Kitty” since her school days, with “Unbreakable” added as her resolve deepened. Her foundation continues to prepare meals and dry rations, storing all donated and purchased supplies at its facility.

In a separate room, Alina keeps cherished mementos: flags signed by soldiers, shell casings, certificates, letters of gratitude, and a photo banner honoring her brother, who was killed by a drone strike on March 17, 2024.

Alina is based in Nova Odesa, Mykolaiv region, and is open to interviews with journalists, both online and in person, with prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• women
• Mykolaiv

On October 28-29, 2024, a press tour will take place in Mykolaiv Oblast, where volunteers of the international humanitarian project “Let’s Do It Ukraine SOS” will present renovated shelters in two educational institutions. These institutions were severely damaged by the floods caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.

As part of the press tour, volunteers will also donate dehumidifiers, air purifiers and charging stations that work without electricity. These will be delivered to the facilities where repairs have already been completed. This equipment will help ensure healthy and comfortable conditions for learning and use of school shelters in the future.

Transportation for journalists from Kyiv and back will be arranged. Accreditation is required.

Background: The restoration work was carried out as part of the project to deal with the aftermath of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam explosion “Flood relief in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, assistance to households and social infrastructure facilities “Cleaning, disinfection, restoration and preparations for winter”,  with the assistance of AWO International and with the financial support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft. 

On June 6, 2023, the russian forces blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region, causing almost 14 billion dollars of damage in Ukraine.  This is stated in the “Post Disaster Needs Assessment report of the Kakhovka Dam Disaster” prepared by the UN and the Ukrainian government.

• casualties
• ecology
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv

To help children and their parents cope with the psychological effects of the war, mobile teams of psychologists from the Voices of Children charity foundation travel to villages and small towns where there are no specialists, relevant institutions or reliable public transport. They organize individual and group psychological and psychosocial support for children and parents affected by the war (IDPs with destroyed homes and other losses).  

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the group sessions and talk to the participants (children and their parents).

Coverage can focus on the work of the mobile psychological teams in the Kyiv region (on 30 September at the modular town for temporarily displaced persons in the village of Liubymivka), as well as in the Mykolaiv and Lviv oblasts.

Background: Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 102,000 children and parents have received various types of support. In Ukraine, the Voices of Children Foundation currently operates 13 centers and an online helpline providing free psychological support. Over 200 psychologists and psychotherapists are working to preserve the childhoods and smiles of Ukrainian children.

• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Mykolaiv