Themes by tag: russian crimes

Kateryna Iorhu is 16 years old. At the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, she and her family wanted to leave the Donetsk oblast for Vinnytsia, as their hometown of Druzhkivka had become unsafe. On April 8, 2022, Kateryna, her mother, and her younger sister travelled to the Kramatorsk railway station to wait for an evacuation train. That day, the russians struck the station with a “Tochka-U” missile, targeting civilians. The attack killed 61 people and injured 121. 

Kateryna’s mother was killed instantly in the blast. Kateryna herself miraculously survived because a man, whose name she never learned, threw himself over her, absorbing the shrapnel and blast impact. He died, but his selfless act ensured the young girl’s survival. Kateryna suffered severe shrapnel wounds to both legs and still faces immense challenges walking, requiring ongoing rehabilitation and medical support.

Journalists may interview Kateryna in Kyiv by prior agreement.

Background: The Children of Heroes charitable foundation supports children who have lost one or both parents due to the war. The foundation provides immediate, personalized assistance, including humanitarian aid, psychological and medical support, and educational and developmental opportunities for children until they reach adulthood.

• casualties
• children
• dead
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Anton Dykhnich, owner of a coffee shop chain in Kyiv, operates one location near the long-suffering Lukianivka metro station, which has been repeatedly damaged by Russian shelling. The café, which first opened four years ago, was initially hit by a blast wave from a missile strike in March 2022.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the team has adapted to resume operations quickly after each attack, learning how to limit the damage and continue serving customers. Small appliances and utensils are routinely secured in safe storage to protect them from shrapnel. In a further precaution, several front windows have been replaced with PVC panels.

By 7 a.m. following the latest strike, the staff was already coordinating their tasks and brewing coffee. Anton says the team draws strength from loyal customers who see the café as a symbol of resilience. Patrons express their support in many ways, including offering to launch fundraising efforts for repairs. But Anton declines such offers, instead urging them to donate to the Armed Forces.

Visitors can meet with the café’s staff both online and in person by appointment in Kyiv.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

A series of peaceful rallies will be held across Ukraine from July 26 to 29 to honor the defenders of Azovstal and other servicemembers still held in enemy captivity, and to mark the third anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison camp. Events are planned in 38 cities nationwide.

On July 26, demonstrations will take place in Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Chernihiv, Irpin, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, and Zaporizhia.

On July 27, the campaign continues in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Krolevets, Lozova, Uman, Mykolaiv, Korop, Ovruch, Obukhiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Korosten, Cherkasy, Rivne, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Kovel, Shostka, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod, Slavuta, and Kremenchuk.

On July 28, events are set for Pavlohrad, Bila Tserkva, Poltava, Truskavets, and Lviv.

On July 29, the campaign will conclude with a gathering in Odesa.

The events are being organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Ukrainians who have been released from captivity frequently join the rallies to show solidarity and raise awareness.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Museum of War, in partnership with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, will hold a conference and film screening to mark the third anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Olenivka prison camp. The event is set for August 2 at the Kyiv War Museum. 

The program will feature:

– the opening of a photo exhibition showcasing images of freed Ukrainian prisoners;

– a conference titled “The Memory of Olenivka Will Not Fade”;

– a screening of the documentary People of Steel, followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Serhii Fomenko.

Among the attendees will be servicemembers of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade, government officials, members of the OLENIVKA Community, released prisoners of war, active-duty military personnel, and the families and friends of Ukrainian POWs.

Accreditation is required to attend the event. 

For reference: In the early hours of July 29, 2022, a powerful explosion ripped through a prison colony in the russian-occupied village of Olenivka. At least 53 Ukrainian prisoners, many of them defenders of Azovstal, were killed in the overcrowded barracks. More than 130 others were injured.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Capital Tours agency operated in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa, with Svitozar Moiseiv as one of its guides, showcasing the capital’s landmarks. After February 2022, the business came to a halt.

In 2023, Svitozar received requests from foreigners for tours of de-occupied areas near Kyiv. He developed a six-hour excursion through the region’s most affected towns, including Bucha, Irpin, Borodianka, Hostomel, and Moshchun. Svitozar primarily offers private tours. He begins by sharing his personal experiences from the early days of the full-scale invasion, then takes visitors to sites that bear witness to the occupiers’ crimes.

According to Svitozar, most participants are foreigners who came to Kyiv for work or family visits. So far, no one has traveled to Ukraine solely for this tour. The six-hour experience costs around €150, with part of the proceeds donated to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

You can arrange to speak with Svitozar Moiseiv — online or in person in Kyiv — by prior appointment.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Oleksandra Mazur, head of the Olenivka Community NGO, has spent more than two years searching for the truth about her loved one held in russian captivity. Since May 2022, she has been fighting to keep his memory, and the memory of others like him, alive.

Her partner, Azov Regiment combat engineer Yaroslav Otrok, was among the Ukrainian defenders captured at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Following orders from his commanders, he and his fellow soldiers surrendered and were taken to a makeshift detention center in the occupied town of Olenivka, Donetsk region.

On July 29, 2022, Yaroslav was killed in a blast that tore through the prison. Ukrainian authorities have described the attack as a terrorist act, accusing russian forces of deliberately targeting prisoners of war.

In the days that followed, Oleksandra saw Yaroslav’s name on a list of the wounded. But hope soon gave way to devastating news. In September, a witness who survived the explosion told her Yaroslav’s injuries had been fatal. A month later, the Azov Patronage Service confirmed he was among the dead. His body had been returned by russia.

Since then, Oleksandra has dedicated herself to the Olenivka Community NGO, supporting other families of POWs and calling attention to the crimes committed in Olenivka. Her efforts helped pave the way for official recognition: on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution establishing July 28 as the Day of Remembrance for Ukrainian Defenders who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.

Mazur remains committed to telling these stories. She is available for interviews online or in person, by prior arrangement, in Kamianets-Podilskyi or Kyiv.

• dead
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv

Participants:

– Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy;

– Iryna Dovhan, SEMA Ukraine NGO;

– Oleksii Sivak, Alumni Network NGO;

– Liudmyla Huseinova, Numo, Sisters NGO;

– Andrii Kochmuradov, December 29th NGO;

– Charu Lata Hogg, Founder and Executive Director of All Survivors Project. 

Key topics:

– How survivors launched the initiative to add russia to the UN’s “list of shame,” tracing its path from a grassroots idea to a unified appeal by both international and domestic human rights organizations;

– Global advocacy efforts supporting the initiative;

– The broader significance of the campaign in advancing international justice and strengthening collaboration among leading victims’ groups.

• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Mykyta Shastun joined the military several years before the full-scale invasion. He served in the 56th Brigade, fought on the outskirts of Donetsk Airport, and trained to become a sergeant.

After the full-scale invasion began, he and his brother Ihor joined the Azov Regiment to defend Mariupol. On April 1, his brother was killed. In May 2022, Mykyta and his comrades were ordered to lay down their weapons and surrender.

He ended up in the Olenivka colony in the occupied Donetsk oblast. He recalls extreme hardship: prisoners starving due to a lack of food and water. Soon, the Azov fighters were moved to another barracks where an explosion rocked the facility at night. Miraculously, Mykyta survived with only a concussion. He helped wounded comrades, though the russians provided no medical aid. He was then transferred from Olenivka to Taganrog, russia, before finally returning to Ukraine on December 31, 2022.

Journalists can contact Mykyta Shastun online by prior arrangement.

Background: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, 82 of which were in complete encirclement. From May 16 to 20, 2022, the Mariupol garrison received orders to cease defending the city and surrender.

On the night of July 29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act blowing up the Olenivka penal colony barracks holding Ukrainian POWs. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than a hundred were injured.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

On July 19, Kyiv will host a public rally “Abandoned in Captivity. Four Years of Official Indifference,” focusing on the issue of Ukrainian civilians who remain illegally detained in temporarily occupied territories and in the russian federation.

The rally aims to draw the attention of the public, the media, and government officials to the glaring absence of a state policy on returning civilian prisoners and the lack of action to establish a mechanism for searching for, accounting for, and releasing abducted Ukrainian citizens.

Program highlights:

• Art installation and choreographic performance reflecting the experience of civilians in captivity;
• Speeches by relatives of the captives and representatives of the NGO “Civilians in Captivity”;
• Public address to the authorities;
• Speeches by activists, artists, and human rights defenders;
• Announcement of demands to the Ukrainian government;
• Final call to action.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Viktoriia Didovets, a charge nurse in the Intensive and Efferent Therapy Department for Acute Intoxication at the National Children’s Hospital Okhmatdyt, was injured during a missile strike on the hospital on July 8, 2024. As the attack unfolded, she was evacuating children on dialysis to a shelter when a missile struck the building.

By the time Viktoriia was rushed to the operating room, her pulse was barely detectable. She was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis, an open hip fracture, a ruptured liver, and injuries to her face and ear. For more than eight months, she has been undergoing treatment, determined to regain a full life.

By prior arrangement, Viktoriia is available for interviews in Kyiv or online.

Background: On July 8, 2024, a russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. At the time of the attack, 627 children were inside. The strike killed two people – a doctor and a patient’s relative – while injuring 35 others, including nine children. On July 10, a boy who had been in critical condition in intensive care at the time of the attack succumbed to his injuries in a Kyiv hospital.

• doctors
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv