Themes by tag: occupation
Media professionals are cordially invited to a press tour on June 28 to witness the unveiling of the newly restored library in the once-occupied village of Rudnytske, nestled in Kyiv region. In 2022, the village fell victim to russian military aggression, resulting in the destruction of its school, infrastructure, and numerous private residences.
Among the casualties was the local club, which housed the village library. Thanks to generous benefactors, the club has been transformed into a vibrant creative hub for Rudnytske’s youth. The latest endeavor in this revitalization effort is the restoration of the library, featuring complete refurbishment of its premises—walls, ceilings, and floors—alongside the acquisition of new furniture and a selection of books.
The library’s grand reopening will feature a presentation of “Piddubnyi: Victories and Unforgiven Love for Ukraine” by author Serhii Smahlicuk. Additionally, the philanthropists behind the restoration project will host 3-5 summer events for locals, including book presentations, literary readings, and poetry evenings.
During the press tour, a press conference will be convened with Natalia Vasylenko, head of the branch library, Oleksandr Pakholiuk, director of the MHP-Gromadi Foundation, and Iryna Borzak, village head, in attendance. Attendees will have the opportunity to be among the inaugural visitors and receive Rudnytske library cards.
Complimentary shuttle services will be provided. Journalists must secure accreditation for the event, with registration open until 12:00 on June 27.
Recent developments in the Black Sea region have underscored Ukraine’s resilience and strategic prowess. With significant blows dealt to the russian Black Sea Fleet and efforts to restore vital shipping lanes, the security landscape has undergone a transformation. In response to these shifts, the Crimea Platform Expert Network has convened the Third International Forum, slated for June 25.
The forum will convene Ukrainian and global experts alongside government officials to take stock of the evolving situation in Ukraine as of summer 2024. Discussions will focus on strategies to further weaken russian naval capabilities and strategies for economic revitalization amidst persistent threats from russia and its allies.
Integral to the International Crimea Platform’s mission of de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea, the forum seeks to bolster Black Sea, European, and global security.
Representatives from over 15 countries will gather, including members from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security and Defense Council, as well as independent experts, international think tanks, NGOs, diplomats from member countries of the International Crimea Platform, and academic circles.
Prior accreditation is required.
The Lavka Deokupatsii (De-occupation Shop) is a volunteer initiative in Kharkiv that markets vegetables and other produce grown by residents of the recently de-occupied Kharkiv region.
The project’s primary aim is to revitalize agriculture and foster economic independence for the residents of Studenok village in the Izium district. This village, situated on the border of Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, was under russian occupation for three months starting May 31, 2022. The initiative also assists locals with acquiring seeds, and greenhouses, and facilitating the sale of their produce in Kharkiv.
On its first day of operation, the De-occupation Shop offered cucumbers, green onions, young garlic, carrots, zucchini, new potatoes, and fresh honey from farmers in the reclaimed Kharkiv region.
For reference: The De-occupation Shop is a project of the Volonterska Charitable Fund.
Since last summer, the security situation in the Black Sea region has shifted significantly. Ukraine’s security and defense forces have inflicted heavy losses on the russian Black Sea Fleet and helped restore shipping and sea trade routes. In light of this new context, the Crimea Platform Expert Network has initiated the Third International Forum. The event will bring together Ukrainian and international experts and government officials to assess the current situation in Ukraine as of summer 2024, devise strategies to further diminish russian naval capabilities, and explore approaches to revitalizing Ukraine’s economy despite ongoing threats from russia and its allies.
The forum is part of the International Crimea Platform, a mechanism aimed at the de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea, and the restoration of Black Sea, European, and global security.
Representatives from over 15 countries will attend the forum, including members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council, independent experts, international think tanks, non-governmental organizations, diplomats from International Crimea Platform member countries, and the academic community.
Prior accreditation is required.
Oleksandra Knyha and her brother Andrii, hailing from the now-occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, have shown remarkable resilience and dedication. When Russian tanks entered Oleshky and Kherson at the beginning of the invasion, the siblings stayed to help their community. Oleksandra’s friends from abroad sent several trucks of humanitarian aid, which she and Andrii sorted, distributed, and handed out. However, as volunteers strongly involved in civic engagement began to be abducted, the pair had to relocate to Ukrainian-controlled territory
After the de-occupation of Kherson on November 11, 2022, Oleksandra and Andrii returned to help rebuild the city. They organized creative workshops for children in shelters, addressing the urgent need for education and engagement amidst the destruction. This initiative led to the creation of the Kryla Foundation (KRYLA).
The foundation supports families on the right bank of the Dnipro River and carries out humanitarian missions in the town of Oleshky on the occupied left bank. The area suffered significant damage after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka dam. The foundation organizes events and holidays for children in the Kherson region and has arranged trips for Kherson children to camps in Poland and western Ukraine.
Currently, with the support of partners, they are developing a new project called Multispace “KRYLA” (WINGS). This shelter location provides Kherson residents with opportunities to socialize or learn new skills despite the ongoing security concerns.
Journalists can learn more and speak with Oleksandra and Andrii either offline or online.
For reference: Before the full-scale war, Oleksandra Knyha and her friends organized various events and transported supplies for children from an orphanage in Kakhovka. Since 2016, she has worked with children with mental disabilities, designing a collection of casual clothes featuring their drawings. Andrii managed a family business in Oleshky, developing green tourism at a local recreation center with his wife.
Oleksandr Knyha has been the director of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater for over 30 years. He is also an honorary citizen of Kherson and a member of the regional council.
At the start of russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine, Oleksandr found himself under occupation. On March 23, 2022, he was arrested by russian forces. After interrogation, he was released, but a few days later, they returned to the theater, attempting to coerce him into cooperation. Determined to escape, Oleksandr managed to flee on April 1, 2022.
Despite these harrowing experiences, he remained committed to his work. In Ukrainian-controlled territory, he prepared for the annual Melpomene of Tavria festival, which had previously been held in Kherson. He also launched the theater in evacuation.
Following the liberation of Kherson on November 11, 2022, Oleksandr and some actors returned to their hometown. Amid ongoing shelling, they performed in art hubs within shelters and bomb shelters, managing to revive several major performances, which were staged at Mykolaiv theaters.
Oleksandr, along with other residents, faced severe flooding due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam. His house in occupied Oleshky was submerged, with water levels reaching two meters. The house was later looted. During this time, Oleksandr actively participated in flood relief efforts in Kherson.
Oleksandr is available for journalist interviews, welcoming inquiries from both online and offline.
For reference: On June 6, 2023, the russian military destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in the Kherson region, causing Ukraine nearly $14 billion in damages, according to a report by the UN and the Ukrainian government.
Kateryna met her husband Volodymyr at KPI University. When the Maidan protests began, he felt compelled to join. In 2015, he volunteered for the front lines. A year later, during a combat mission, Volodymyr was hit by an enemy mine, losing both his legs.
The family was in Bucha at the start of the full-scale invasion. Volodymyr moved Kateryna and their 5-year-old son from their apartment to a private house. Despite his prosthetics, he eagerly joined the local defense forces, determined to protect his country.
Volodymyr died on Vokzalna Street in Bucha, a site later infamous for photos of destroyed Russian equipment. He was among the first to engage in the battle and was killed.
Kateryna and her son endured two weeks in a basement, suffering from constant darkness and running out of food and water. Finally, they ventured outside to find a car to escape the city. After hours of wandering outside in the cold temps, an elderly man picked them up. They traveled under fire for six hours in a frigid car, eventually reaching a village near Kyiv where Kateryna’s brother lived.
Journalists can arrange to speak with Kateryna in the Kyiv region for more details.
For reference: A street in Bucha has been renamed in honor of Volodymyr Kovalskyi. After his exhumation, he was reburied on the Walk of Fame and posthumously awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City.”
The family is now supported by the Children of Heroes charity foundation, which aids Ukrainian children who have lost parents to the war.
Originally slated to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Mariupol in 2022, the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art School faced a setback due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The institution’s building suffered significant damage, including the destruction of equipment, prompting a relocation to Lviv in April 2022.
Despite the upheaval, the school has resumed operations at its new location, welcoming 40 children for both in-person and online fine arts classes. These students, hailing from Mariupol but dispersed across Ukraine and beyond. Moreover, adults are finding solace and expression through art therapy sessions offered in Lviv, Kropyvnytskyi, and Dnipro. These sessions include oil painting sessions and the exploration of traditional Ukrainian murals. Additionally, the art school remains active in organizing various exhibitions.
For reference: The battle for Mariupol raged on for 86 harrowing days until May 20, 2022, when russian forces seized control of the city. Human Rights Watch’s grim assessment puts the civilian death toll from russian shelling at a staggering 8,000, with thousands more left maimed and traumatized. Many suffered life-altering injuries, including loss of limbs, sight, hearing, or memory, often due to traumatic brain injuries inflicted by relentless explosions. By mid-May 2022, an estimated 400,000 residents, out of a pre-war population of 540,000, had fled Mariupol in search of safety.
Daria-Olha, a resident of Mariupol, was 15 when she tried boxing for the first time. The girl learnt fast: just 3 months after starting she participated in an all-Ukrainian competition. In 2022, 18-year-old Daria-Olha was supposed to go to the European Championship, but russia launched its full-scale invasion, and enemy troops surrounded Mariupol. At first, the athlete’s family was hoping to wait out the russian shelling in an apartment together with friends. Later they had to relocate to the basement. At this time, the city had already been cut from communication, gas and electricity. Even in such conditions, Daria continued training to keep herself in shape. The family managed to leave the besieged Mariupol in a truck with strangers, and the road to Zaporizhia took more than a day, because they had to go through russian checkpoints. Already in the Ukraine-controlled territory, Daria-Olha found out that her coach had left for Ivano-Frankivsk, so she went to him. There, the girl entered the Carpathian National University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, because she dreams of becoming a trainer. In May 2022, Daria-Olha won bronze at the International Boxing Tournament in Sweden in the category of up to 52 kilograms. Currently, the Ukrainian boxer is training to win gold at the Olympics.
For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. On May 20, 2022, Mariupol was occupied by the russians. According to the estimates of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch at least 8,000 people were killed in russian shelling of civilians in Mariupol. Thousands of people were injured: they lost limbs, sight, hearing and memory, particularly, as a result of craniocerebral injuries caused by the explosions. Also, according to Human Rights Watch estimates, from the pre-war population of 540,000 people, about 400,000 residents had fled Mariupol by mid-May 2022.
Maryna Shazhko began taking care of homeless animals more than 10 years ago. When city services started shooting stray dogs and cats in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, a woman brought a stray animal home for the first time to save it. Later, together with a team of volunteers, Maryna started the Bakhmut Animal Protection Society “Lada” NGO. On February 24, 2022, Maryna, shelter volunteers and 160 dogs were in Bakhmut. At first, the woman did not even think about moving, she hoped that the war would bypass the city. However, in August 2022, after the second explosion near the shelter and the death of one of her dogs, Maryna started the evacuation. All the animals had to be transported at once, the cages barely fit in the cars. They decided to take the dogs to Dnipropetrovsk region, where they had to pay a huge rent for a new place.
Meanwhile, animals from hotspots are still being brought to the shelter. The number of rescued pets has already reached 200, including dogs from Chasiv Yar, Krasnohorivka and Marinka. Every day, Maryna has to wake up at 5 in the morning, walk her own dogs, buy food for the animals of the shelter and go there to take care of the animals in the shelter. In addition, the woman did stop working as a teacher.
