Themes by tag: russian crimes

Peaceful gatherings will be held in 28 cities to raise awareness for the defenders of Azovstal and other military personnel still held in enemy captivity.

On April 26, events will take place in Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Bila Tserkva, and Mykolaiv. On April 27, additional events are planned for Kyiv, Krolevets, Korop, Ovruch, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Dolyna, Kropyvnytskyi, Shostka, and Chernivtsi.

These actions are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Former prisoners of war who have been released from captivity will also participate in the events.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Anastasiia Hondiul and Anna Lobova, wives of Ukrainian prisoners of war and members of the Olenivka Community NGO, are preparing for an indefinite hunger strike set to begin in the capital on April 24. Their husbands, Artem Hondiul and Oleh Lobov, defended Mariupol, surrendered on the orders of their command and survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka.

Anastasiia and Anna say they are taking this step because of the silence of the Ukrainian authorities. Through their hunger strike, the women aim to draw public and government attention to the soldiers who remain in enemy captivity.

The women will remain in the city center during the day, while at night (during the curfew) they will seek shelter in a safe place.

Journalists can speak with the women both online and offline by prior arrangement.

Background: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, ending on May 20, 2022. On the night of July 28-29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act by blowing up a barracks in the Olenivka penal colony, where Ukrainian POWs were held. At least 50 defenders of “Azovstal” were killed, and over a hundred were injured.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Until 2015, Artem Dubyna worked as a journalist in Nikopol, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. After the Revolution of Dignity and the onset of russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, he joined the military and served with the Azov regiment. Several years later, Artem left the service and was preparing for his wedding.

When russia launched its full-scale invasion, he immediately returned to his unit – the 12th Brigade of the Azov National Guard. He was first deployed to defend the airport in Zaporizhia but was soon transferred to Mariupol. On February 26, 2022, Artem and his comrades took up positions at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works. During one of the missions, he was struck by a sniper’s bullet. The round pierced his temple and exited through his neck. Against all odds, he survived.

In May 2022, Artem and his fellow soldiers were ordered to surrender and were taken captive. He was first held in a penal colony in Olenivka, in the occupied Donetsk region, before being transferred to Taganrog, russia. While in captivity, Artem endured torture. He returned home only after two years and four months, during a recent prisoner exchange.

Interviews with Artem Dubyna are possible both online and in person, by prior arrangement through the press officer.

For reference: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. On May 20, 2022, the city fell under russian occupation. According to Human Rights Watch, an estimated 8,000 civilians were killed during the russian assault. Out of Mariupol’s pre-war population of 540,000, approximately 400,000 had fled by mid-May 2022.

On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by detonating explosives inside a barracks at the Olenivka penal colony, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held. At least 50 Azovstal defenders were killed, and more than 100 others were injured.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

On April 15, Kyiv will host a screening of “Shadows on the Left Bank” – an investigative film by Danylo Mokryk exposing russian atrocities in the occupied Kherson oblast.

From the first days of the full-scale invasion, much of Kherson oblast, including the village of Hornostaivka (Kakhovka district), fell under Russian control. The occupiers turned the local national police station into a torture chamber where Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were detained.

A team of journalists from The Kyiv Independent uncovered the identities of several victims who perished at the torture site, as well as the names of “officers” of the occupation “police” responsible for torturing and killing Kherson residents.

The documentary centers on the murder of 28-year-old Hornostaivka resident Ruslan Rusnak, an ATO veteran who was abducted by russian occupiers in November 2023 and tortured to death in the former police station.

During the event, the film’s creators – Danylo Mokryk, a journalist from the Head of War Crimes Investigations Unit, and Yevheniia Motorevska, Head of War Crimes Investigations Unit (The Kyiv Independent) – will speak about the story behind the film creation and the progress of the investigation.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

How can we ensure that the destruction of Ukrainian monuments, museums and artifacts by the russian federation does not go unpunished? How can we collect evidence of crimes against cultural heritage so that it becomes part of the indictments in international tribunals?

These topics were addressed by participants of a four-day training in Kyiv: museum workers, investigators, prosecutors, military personnel, scientists, representatives of the public sector and journalists. Among the trainers were representatives from 7 countries (USA, UK, Sweden, France, Mauritius, Netherlands and Ukraine), including prosecutors who have worked with the International Criminal Court to prosecute those responsible for crimes against cultural heritage in Mali, Bosnia and other countries.

The press conference, which will be held in Kyiv on April 11, will summarize the results of the training, outline the main challenges and the steps necessary to achieve justice.

Participants of the press conference:

• Nataraj Muneesamy, Assistant Attorney General of Mauritius, expert in international criminal law; 
• Andrea Cayley, Coordinator of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) in Ukraine, Head of the Cultural Heritage Group; 
• Ankie Petersen, Staff Officer for Cultural Property Protection, NL Armed Forces, member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) in Ukraine;
• Anna Neistat, Legal Director of The Docket initiative (Clooney Foundation for Justice’s initiative to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable); 
• Ihor Poshyvailo, Co-founder of the Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE), Director General of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On April 12, a peaceful rally “From captivity — home” dedicated to the release of Ukrainian civilian prisoners who are illegally held by russia will take place in Kyiv. The goal of the event is to draw public and international attention to the issue of illegal detention of Ukrainian civilians by russia and to demand their immediate release.

During the rally “From captivity — home” there will be:

• Speeches by representatives of the “Civilians in Captivity” organization, who will tell about life in captivity and the experiences of people illegally detained by russia; 
• performances by artists; 
• a joint prayer for the release of prisoners; 
• addresses by government officials; 
• a moment of silence for the fallen.

Background: According to official figures, russia is illegally holding thousands of Ukrainian civilians. They are doctors, teachers, volunteers, journalists, ordinary citizens who have become victims of russian aggression.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On April 11, Kyiv will host the opening of BODY/FRAGILITY, a contemporary art exhibition that stands as a statement of resilience following the destruction of part of the Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative Applied Arts and Design by a russian missile last year.

Media representatives are invited to attend the exhibition’s launch at the Academy’s gallery. The project explores the vulnerability of human existence in times of war and emerges as a symbolic act of endurance in the face of devastation.

The opening ceremony will include a symbolic performance held on the very grounds of the academy’s destroyed building.

The exhibition features works by prominent Ukrainian artists, leading faculty members, talented students of the Academy, and alumni of the Contemporary Art Practices course. All proceeds from the sale of the artworks will be directed toward the restoration of the section of the Academy damaged in the missile strike.

For reference: On March 25, 2024, a russian missile hit the Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative Applied Arts and Design, destroying part of the institution.

• culture
• russian crimes

On April 3, the Media Center Ukraine will host the presentation of the analytical report: “The russian federation’s Policy on the Eradication of Children’s Identity in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine: 2024 Overview”

Participants:
– Anastasiia Vorobiova, Report Author, Contributing Expert with the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO, and Research Assistant at the Institute of Law Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences;
– Mariia Sulialina, Head of the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO;
– Valentina Potapova, Head of the Direction of National Advocacy at the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO.

Key topics:
– An analysis of changes in russian federal legislation throughout 2024, highlighting trends in russification, militarization, and the indoctrination of Ukrainian children and youth;
– Comparative statistics: Evaluation of 2024 data juxtaposed with figures from previous years to illustrate evolving patterns;
– Examination of recurring infringements already shaping plans and activities scheduled for 2025;
– Key measures aimed at protecting the rights of children from occupied territories.

Background: For more than 11 years, russia has pursued a systematic effort to erode Ukrainian identity among children and youth in occupied territories, employing methods of political indoctrination, militarization, and heightened pressure within both formal and informal education systems. Notably, the number of cadet classes in Crimea surged from 197 to 260 within the past year alone.

The Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO conducts comprehensive monitoring of children’s rights across occupied territories. Drawing on data gathered throughout 2024, Almenda’s analytical report offers a detailed assessment of key trends, legislative changes, patterns of violations, and the international community’s response.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes

The Olympic Reserve Sports School in Chernihiv, although damaged during the occupation, continues to operate today: about 200 students train here, and athletes compete in World Cups and European Championships.

The ski base was destroyed by the russians during the beginning of the full-scale invasion in March 2022. Despite the destruction, children’s biathlon training resumed at the base in May 2022. They practiced on a small section of the course that survived. The trainees were also warned not to stray from the training area, as there were concerns that unexploded ordnance might remain on the ski base grounds.

Currently, the ski track and shooting range have been restored, but the facilities remain in ruins.

Background: By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces had completely liberated the Chernihiv oblast.

The Specialized Olympic Reserve Sports School for Children and Youth (ski base) was established in 1977 and later expanded. Before the outbreak of the full-scale war, biathletes and skiers trained at the base, and Ukrainian championships were held there.

As part of the national project “Shoulder to Shoulder: United Communities,” plans are being developed for cooperation with the partner municipalities of Oskil and Chernihiv.

• children
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

The company “Skeiron” was founded in 2016 by a team of like-minded people in Lviv. The main goal of the project is to preserve and promote cultural heritage through digitization. The team digitizes significant Ukrainian monuments, both preserved and lost. They believe that this will help to restore these landmarks in the future.

During their work, the specialists have managed to digitize and recreate over 200 structures, including monuments destroyed during the war. In particular, the company has digitized in 3D format the Mariupol Drama Theater, which was destroyed by russia.

You can communicate with representatives of the “Skeiron” team both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Lviv