Themes by tag: occupation

The sculpture “Cruise Missile” by artist Illia Chornomaz consists of fragments of shells that were hitting the Kharkiv region. During the first days of the enemy invasion, the 24-year-old man was hiding in his workshop. And then he got down to work. Illia spent a year of his life and 500 kilograms of Russian missile fragments on the metal sculpture. He managed to find and collect all the material, thanks to the rescuers. With his sculpture, Illia wants to show the importance of art even in such challenging times. And it also aims to demonstrate the tension experienced by a person who has been living in war for two consecutive years. The “Cruise Missile” is planned to be sold at auction, and the proceeds will be used to support the military defending the Kharkiv region. 

Illia Chornomaz is in Kharkiv, ready to talk to journalists, both online and in person. 

• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kharkiv

On August 22, Kyiv will host two panel discussions and a special event by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People within the framework of the Third Summit of the International Crimea Platform. The goal is to give a background for the discussions that will take place at the Third Summit of the International Crimea Platform: to discuss ways to liberate temporarily occupied Crimea and part of the waters of the Black and Azov Seas; to investigate the opportunities available to Ukraine for the liberation of certain regions; to assess the most likely problems and risks on the way to establishing sustainable and reliable peace; to determine the range of problems on the way to the reintegration of Crimea and to develop a vision for overcoming them.

Participants: representatives of the Expert Network of the Crimea Platform, state authorities of Ukraine, international think tanks and NGOs, representatives of the International Crimea Platform countries officials, and representatives of the academic community.

Some of the participants include:

• Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands (TBC)
• Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
• Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske village is located near Chernihiv. At the beginning of the full-scale war, it was under occupation for more than a month. In March 2022, two russian missiles hit the local lyceum: the first and second floors of the building and the sports ground were destroyed.

The computer science, chemistry, physics, biology and defense of Ukraine classrooms, as well as the archive were also destroyed. The gym was damaged too.

Currently, the charitable foundation “savED” is helping to restore the lyceum (this foundation restores access to education in communities affected by the war).

Also, as part of the efforts by UNITED24, global initiative to support Ukraine, a charity match was held in London, where Ukrainian football players Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko took to the field to raise funds to restore Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske Lyceum in Chernihiv region.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

The team of Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has produced the documentary Beyond the Peace. It was created based on footage made in Bucha district, Kyiv oblast in February 2024.

The documentary depicts the consequences of war crimes committed by the russian army as well as Ukraine’s resistance. The film also includes testimonies by the locals from the previously occupied areas.

The documentary aims to showcase the war crimes that took place during the occupation of Bucha district, Kyiv oblast.

The creators of the film are ready to provide all the necessary broadcasting rights to the documentary.

The English version is available here.

The Ukrainian version (with English subtitles) is available here.

• occupation
• russian crimes

Before the full-scale invasion, Yurii Yahusevich was working in the music industry organizing music festivals. He also had horses at the farm. Among the animals bought by Yurii, one happened to be of the Polissia breed. As it turned out, this breed has almost disappeared. Therefore, the man decided to revive it in Ukraine.

Yurii built the “Shcherbati Tsugli” farm in the north of Kyiv region, because there was enough space for a small herd. Before the invasion, Yurii and a team of enthusiasts took the young horses away from the border, but seven adult animals remained. They found themselves under occupation. Although they were not harmed by enemy shelling, they were left without pasture. After all, the area where they used to graze is now littered with unexploded ordnance, and in some places it may be mined. As of now, Yurii brought the animals to Rzhyshchiv, Kyiv region, and is looking for a place where 24 horses could be grazed. Military personnel come to Yurii to ride the horses, so do ordinary residents of Kyiv region who are interested in horses. The man does not take the fee for the ride, but asks to donate to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

• animals
• occupation
• Kyiv

Larysa Bozhenko, the starosta (headman) of Orlove village in the Kherson region, lived under Russia control for three weeks. After her village was liberated from the invaders, she was offered to join the army ranks. Larysa decided that if serving as a cook, she would be able to repay the Ukrainian defenders for liberating her home from the enemy.

In addition, the 7th Arei Battalion was being formed at that time, and it has now become Larysa’s second family. One of Larysa’s brothers serves in the Arei. Another brother is now on the front line in another battalion. Every day, about 400 military members expect Larysa to prepare food for them.

Larysa is ready to give interviews to journalists at her place of service in the Donetsk region. You can also talk to her online.

• food
• military
• occupation
• women

A resident of the Kyiv region, Yana Sheremet, has been looking for her father, Serhii Khrolenko, for a year and a half. The man was abducted by Russians in Dymer in late February last year. During the village occupation, the 52-year-old man went to the store but never returned home. According to witnesses, the Russians forced him into an armored personnel carrier. They took him to the territory of a factory where many civilian hostages were being held at the time. On March 19, Serhii was last seen there then the trail of the man disappeared.

Yana conducted her own investigation: she interviewed about 30 people freed on the prisoner exchange who had been held hostage in Russia. She went to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Czech Republic and is trying to get a response from Ukrainian law enforcement about the investigation into Khrolenko’s case. And in the near future, Yana plans to file a lawsuit with the ECHR over her father’s abduction.

• occupation
• russian crimes

On July 29, specialists of the “Mobile Doctors” project will visit the Nova Basan territorial community in Chernihiv region, which suffered as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion. The community was under occupation for more than a month. On March 31, 2022, the Armed Forces liberated it.

Three mobile outpatient clinics will arrive at the community. Local residents will be able to receive a consultation from a gynecologist, cardiologist, therapist, neurologist, endocrinologist, and ophthalmologist. There will also be ultrasound equipment, an opportunity to test blood and get some free medicine.

For reference: Within 9 months of its existence, “Mobile Doctors” project has turned from a small car with 2 doctor’s offices into the largest fleet of outpatient clinics on wheels in Ukraine providing services in the de-occupied territories. This is a number of trucks that have been converted into clinics in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. One vehicle equals three doctor’s offices, qualified healthcare professionals and hundreds of patients who receive high-quality medical services close to home.

• casualties
• doctors
• occupation
• Chernihiv

Oleh, Yaroslav, Hlib, and their grandmother Oleksandra left their native village of Hnutove, which was one of the first settlements to experience the horror of a full-scale Russian offensive. Seeking salvation, the family went to Mariupol, but later it was besieged by Russians. Later, there was no electricity, gas, water, or service. The children and their grandmother had to survive literally. They stayed in the basement for two months. They managed to escape the occupation in their native village by being subjected to filtration in the notorious camp system. Recently, thanks to donors, the Voices of Children Charity Foundation bought a house for a family in the Kyiv region.

In 2017, Oleh became the protagonist of the Danish director’s documentary The Distant Barking of Dogs, which told the story of Ukrainians on the front line that was shortlisted among 15 candidates for the 2019 Oscars in the Best Documentary Feature.

• casualties
• children
• occupation

Before the full-scale war, Maksym worked as a mechanic at the Antonov plant: he serviced the world’s largest airplane, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, which the occupiers later destroyed. On the eve of the occupation of Hostomel, he managed to take his daughter and mother out of the city while he himself returned. The man saw civilians being shot. He hid in the basement for several weeks. After all, he has been through, he volunteered to go to the front. He fought in the Donetsk region, was hit by a mine in Soledar, and lost his leg. Now the 29-year-old veteran is preparing for prosthetics at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center. 

• casualties
• military
• occupation