Themes by tag: occupation

In 2019, Yevheniia Vyrych became the head of Kavun.City, a Kherson-based media outlet, that covered local news. She worked on developing the platform, securing grants, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a project to debunk myths about the disease and vaccination.

After the russians occupied Kherson, Kavun.City continued its work, covering everything that happened in the city, from russian raids to the distribution of bread to the residents. The occupiers searched for Yevheniia, forcing her to constantly go into hiding — changing her residence, dyeing her hair, and taking extra precautions. She remained in occupied Kherson for four months before finally deciding to escape under a false name.

After reaching Kyiv, Yevheniia began working to revive Kavun.City. The media team launched projects focused on local governance, documenting russian war crimes, and, most recently, debunking fake news about the Kherson oblast and its still-occupied territories.

To support Kavun.City, the team launched an online store selling branded merchandise and handmade items from Kherson artisans.

Yevheniia Vyrych is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv, upon prior arrangement.

• occupation
• women
• Kyiv

On February 21, the Kyiv War Museum and the DOCU/CLUB network of the NGO Docudays will hold a screening of the documentary Witnesses. To the North of Kyiv.

The film is based on materials from the Ukraine War Archive project, which was launched by Docudays in cooperation with Infoscope in the early weeks of russia’s full-scale invasion. The initiative aims to document wartime events and firsthand testimonies that could support future investigations into russian war crimes and help bring those responsible to justice.  

The documentary follows residents of Pushcha-Vodytsia, a northern suburb of Kyiv, as well as the nearby villages of Moshchun and Horenka. The protagonists recount how they endured the russian occupation, volunteered, supported the Ukrainian military, and resisted the invaders.  

Following the screening, a discussion will take place with the film’s director, Tetiana Symon, who also serves as the coordinator of the Ukraine War Archive project’s interviewing department. The conversation will be moderated by Olha Babchuk, a journalist and communications manager at DOCU/CLUB.  

Registration is required to attend the event.

Background: From the earliest days of the conflict, Ukrainian documentary filmmakers have been diligently recording eyewitness testimonies. These recordings not only capture the unvarnished truth of the war but also serve to convey its realities to a global audience. Ultimately, they may be employed as crucial evidence in international courts to hold perpetrators accountable.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 24, the town of Bucha in Kyiv oblast will hold commemorative events to honor the memory of Ukraine’s fallen civilians and defenders.

Bucha, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and a witness to the horrific war crimes of the russian army, will bring together families of the fallen, local residents, government officials, and the international community to pay tribute to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine’s freedom.

Program of events:

• Memorial Rally, a requiem service and tribute to the fallen heroes
• Memorial Rally, a requiem service and tribute to the innocent victims of russian aggression at the Wall of Remembrance
• Unveiling of a Fallen Defender memorial plaque
• Memorial event “Bells of Remembrance”

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Liudmyla is 77 years old, a trained anesthetist and resuscitator. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, she stepped in to help treat wounded civilians in occupied Hostomel, Kyiv oblast (two people had shrapnel wounds). With no medical instruments available at the local clinic, she had to sew up wounds with an ordinary sewing needle and thread.

Today, Liudmyla continues to support Ukraine’s defense by weaving camouflage nets with a group of local women volunteers known as “Chervona Kalyna”. She dedicates herself to volunteering almost every day.

Journalists can speak with Liudmyla in the Kyiv oblast.

Background: February 24, 2025 will mark the third anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

For the past 15 years, Tetiana Hrek has dedicated herself to teaching karate to children and adults. Before the all-out invasion, she and her husband owned a gym in Bucha, a town in the Kyiv region. But when the war broke out, their lives took a dramatic turn. The family found themselves under occupation, their gym looted by russian forces, and their home shot at. After enduring two weeks of occupation, Tetiana and her family managed to escape to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

A year later, Tetiana decided to return to Bucha. In the interim, other coaches who had remained in the city had restored the gym and resumed teaching local children. Upon her return, Tetiana was welcomed back by eager students. A public martial arts school in Bucha also reopened its doors, inviting her to teach there.

Today, Tetiana offers lessons both online and offline, available by appointment.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, 29-year-old Mykola Petrovskyi lived with his father and grandmother in Kherson. Mykola is disabled — after a car accident, part of his left foot was amputated and he now wears a prosthesis.

When Kherson was occupied by russian forces, Mykola became a volunteer, helping people in the city. One day, russian security forces abducted him from his home.

In September 2023, the so-called “Supreme Court of Crimea” sentenced Mykola Petrovskyi to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony, falsely accusing him of “espionage”.

Letters from Mykola reveal that he was tortured in captivity, beaten, denied proper medical care, which is crucial for a person with a disability, and starved.

Read his full story here.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Mykola’s mother (online) and with his lawyer and human rights experts in Kyiv (in person).

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• volunteers

On February 12, Kyiv will host the first retrospective exhibition entitled “The Universe of Lyubov”. This exhibition will serve as a symbolic tribute to the life and artistic legacy of the brilliant Ukrainian artist Lyubov Panchenko, who tragically died as a result of the russian occupation of Bucha in 2022.

The exhibition will feature sketches of clothing designs, garments and accessories, paintings, collages and decorative murals, as well as photographs and personal items of the artist.

The exhibition explores Lyubov Panchenko’s life in the socio-political context of her time, as well as her relationships with influential figures such as Viacheslav Chornovil, Mykola Plakhotniuk, Alla Horska, Liudmyla Semykina, and others.

The curators aim to show how Panchenko’s artistic works are reinterpreted, transformed, and inspire contemporary artists.

Journalists must be accredited for the event. (Presentation to the media on February 12)

Background: Lyubov Panchenko survived the russian occupation in her home in Bucha, Kyiv oblast. After the liberation of the region, she was found in a state of extreme exhaustion. Reports indicate that she was forced to starve during the russian occupation. She was hospitalized but died at the age of 85.

February 24, 2025, marks three years since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• culture
• occupation
• Kyiv

Tetiana Skyba, a 66-year-old preschool teacher, is a resident of Hostomel and the head of a homeowners’ association that manages two apartment buildings. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she opened all the basement shelters in the buildings and placed wooden pallets so that people would have a place to hide. More than a hundred people took refuge there, including a two-month-old baby. Tetiana and her neighbors cooked food in her apartment. When the utilities were cut off, they cooked outside. Her husband was injured by a blast.

On March 5, russian occupiers stormed the buildings and took up residence inside, forcing civilians to remain in the basements. Some residents later decided to evacuate and moved to another neighborhood, but they couldn’t leave the town. The occupiers ordered them to return and tried to deport them to Belarus. However, none of the residents agreed.

A few days later, Tetiana managed to escape. When she returned to Hostomel in April 2022, she saw a horrible scene — her building and the one across the street each had three direct hits. Their roofs were destroyed, and there was no electricity, water, or gas. Tetiana’s own apartment was so badly damaged that she had to stay in someone else’s home when she returned.

Along with other residents, Tetiana began restoring the buildings. She recalls that even her former preschool students came to help. By the end of 2022, the roof of her building had been repaired. Later, a European charity helped restore the roof of the second building and replace broken windows. Just a few days ago, the last broken window in the damaged house was finally replaced with a new glass unit.

By prior arrangement, journalists can meet with Tetiana in Hostomel, Kyiv oblast.

Background: February 24, 2025, marks three years since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• casualties
• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Before russia’s full-scale invasion outbreak, 58-year-old Halyna Hlobchasta was a math and physics teacher and served as the village elder of the Krasnorichenske community in Luhansk Oblast. But her life changed dramatically in late February 2022, when russian forces occupied her village, Makiivka.

On March 12, Halyna was abducted. Her captors took her to a local school and demanded to know where she had hidden weapons. When she refused, they beat her and subjected her to electric shocks. Eventually, she was released—but only under the condition that she would gather intelligence on her fellow villagers and report back to the occupiers.

The next day, Halyna and her husband made the difficult decision to flee, leaving behind everything, including money and documents. They managed to reach Dnipro, while her blind mother remained in the occupied territory until a neighbor later helped her escape to Kharkiv.

Now living in Lviv, Halyna has undergone extensive rehabilitation after enduring torture and displacement. Despite everything, she remains hopeful that one day she will return to her home village.

Those wishing to speak with Halyna can arrange a meeting with her in person or online.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv

Anastasiia Buhera was with her parents in Izium, Kharkiv oblast, when russia launched its full-scale invasion. She had come home for the holidays as she was studying at a university in Kharkiv at the time.

During the occupation, she witnessed firsthand the devastation russian forces inflicted on the captured city. She counted how many bombs were dropped on Izium every hour and understood the extreme danger of even going out to buy bread, knowing that each trip could be her last.

Anastasiia managed to escape the occupation after five months. When she returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory, she learned that her boyfriend, Kostiantyn, who had been in Mariupol defending Azovstal in February 2022, had been captured by the enemy.

The last time Anastasiia spoke to him was on April 24, 2022 – he sent her photos and videos and promised to return home. Now she waits for Kostiantyn and does everything she can to make sure the world does not forget those still held in russian captivity.

Anastasiia Buhera is available for interviews in the Kharkiv oblast, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• military
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kharkiv