Themes by tag: occupation

Ruined houses and covered holes from explosions — the village of Moshchun, Bucha district, Kyiv region, is currently recovering from the events that happened here at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine. Some of the fiercest battles with the enemy took place in this village located next to Kyiv. This place became an outpost on the russian invaders’ way to the capital. Almost 70% of the housing stock in Moshchun was destroyed. The Armed Forces of Ukraine fully liberated the village from the russian military on March 21, 2022.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Currently, the Bucha City Council, together with the Kyiv Regional Military Administration and other partners, is implementing a project for Vokzalnaya Street comprehensive restoration. Every damaged and destroyed house is planned to be rebuilt. Almost 200 people work daily to restore the legendary street.

For reference: During the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian troops destroyed a large column of Russian equipment on Vokzalnaya Street in Bucha. Photos of this street went viral at the time.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On Monday, February 20, a Ukrainian team of beauty industry professionals will visit Horenka in Kyiv Oblast. The beauty volunteers will give free haircuts and coloring, eyebrow correction, massages, or hygienic manicures to the residents.

For reference: the idea of beauty volunteering belongs to Olha Belytska, a makeup artist. Together with like-minded people, Olha comes to the de-occupied settlements of Kyiv Oblast every week (recently, they also worked in the Kharkiv region) to help people who have survived occupation horrors feel beautiful again.

• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Residents of a micro-district in Irpin, Kyiv region, which sustained significant damages during the fighting and partial occupation of the city, have been struggling to restore their damaged buildings for almost a year. Volunteers helped to clear the debris last summer, and the owners of damaged apartments are currently collecting funds to restore their houses. For example, the cost of rebuilding just one building reaches UAH 15 million (over USD 400,000). In certain cases, only the facades of buildings remain, several other houses have already been demolished, and new ones are to be built in their place.

For reference: in February-March 2022, Irpin in Kyiv region became a major battlefield during the russian offensive on Kyiv. A third of Irpin was occupied, and it was here that the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces managed to crush the russians. During the fighting, more than 300 civilians were killed, and thousands were left homeless. In particular, one of the micro-districts of the city (mentioned above) was almost completely destroyed, due to the use of russian aerial bombs, among other things.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In Bucha, Kyiv region, the restoration of apartment buildings damaged during the occupation is still underway. In particular, utility workers are replacing windows in entrances and corridors of high-rise buildings on one of the local streets.

For reference: at the beginning of the all-out war, russian troops occupied Bucha. On March 31, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the city.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Iryna is a PE teacher from Bucha. In March 2022, the woman was held captive by the occupiers for nine days. Fortunately, she managed to escape. Today, Iryna continues to live in Bucha and work as a PE teacher. She also helps children cope with war trauma.

• occupation
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Since the beginning of the all-out war, volunteers of “Save Ukraine” charitable foundation have brought back 44 children who had been deported to russia and occupied Crimea. To do this, they even had to organize rescue operations. Volunteers also actively evacuate children from the war zone.

Journalists can ask Mykola Kuleba, Founder of “Save Ukraine”, Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights (2014-2021) about how these processes take place, what difficulties have to be overcome in order to save deported children and those in the danger zone. You can find out more about the legal issues of the return of young Ukrainians from the foundation’s lawyer.

For reference: according to Children of War, a state platform for searching for missing children, as of February 7, more than 16,000 Ukrainian children were deported by the occupiers.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• volunteers

Zatyshok (a cozy place) anti-crisis transit hub for vulnerable categories of internally displaced persons from Donetsk region (persons with disabilities, orphans, the elderly, large families, single parents, families of military personnel, women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence) works in Dnipro.

The hub, among other things, provides free accommodation and meals for a period of 1 to 10 calendar days. And if necessary, they help with further evacuation, both within Ukraine and abroad (the length of stay is determined by the complexity of the specific situation of each person/family).

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Dnipro

A lion has recently been evacuated to the Wild Animal Rescue Center in the Kyiv region from the Sumy region — the animal was in territory shelled by russians. Also, a lemur from Kherson city lives in the Center. He survived the occupation and a russian missile hit on the petting zoo where he was cared for. Now they and many other wild animals are recovering, the Center takes care of and treats them.

In general, since the beginning of full-scale invasion of the russian federation in Ukraine, the Wild Animal Rescue Center has hosted more than 600 animals of various species (lions, bears, tigers, wolves, leopards, wild birds, raccoons, etc.). The volunteers evacuated animals, in particular, from front-line zones and other dangerous territories.

• animals
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Iryna Salikhova is a volunteer from Kherson city, who was recently awarded the Golden Heart award by the President of Ukraine. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she and her husband helped deliver vital medicines to hospitals for the wounded people. Subsequently, she gathered a whole team of volunteers (the initiative entitled “Kotyky-Patriotyky” (patriot catsie)), who coordinated and delivered food packages and medicines to those in need in different districts of the city, as well as in the region (there were no medical supplies in pharmacies during the period of occupation). People from other cities of Ukraine and from different countries helped with donations. In addition, the woman managed to attract grants from a humanitarian organization. Among other things, together with her husband, Iryna had to survive inquisitions, hide from the invaders and leave her hometown in late April.

• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers