Themes by tag: russian crimes
Twelve years ago, Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband opened a copy center in Chornobaivka, Kherson oblast. There, local people could make copies of documents or print out necessary papers. After the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, Yuliia stayed up at night printing signs that read “Children” so that those fleeing the occupation could put them on their cars, hoping to protect their families from russian attacks.
Later, the occupiers came to the copy center and demanded that Yuliia and her husband print russian documents and take photographs for russian passports. The couple refused, even though the enemy threatened them with weapons. Fearing for their lives, Yuliia’s family fled to western Ukraine, where they lived until their village was liberated by Ukrainian forces.
Upon their return, the couple received a government grant to reopen the copy center in Chornobaivka. Later, Yuliia and her husband were able to open a second location in Kherson.
Yuliia Roshchenko and her husband are currently in Kherson and are open to communication with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.
Background: Kherson was occupied by russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. However, the occupiers continue to regularly shell the city.
An analysis of a North Korean KN-23/24 missile, downed by Ukrainian forces in the Poltava region in September, reveals that it contains microelectronics manufactured by companies from the U.S., Switzerland, and the U.K. The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), which examined the missile’s wreckage, found that most of the components were produced by American firms, with a total of seven manufacturers identified. Some parts were made as recently as 2021, 2022, and 2023.
On October 17 in Kyiv, NAKO will present a detailed analysis, shedding light on how Western-made components ended up in North Korean weaponry. The briefing will explore the origins of these components and address the challenges in regulating the flow of microelectronics across domestic and international markets.
Participants:
- Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine’s Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy;
- Agiya Zagrebelska, Director for Partnership Development, Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU);
- Olena Tregub, Executive Director of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO);
- Victoria Vyshnivska, Senior Researcher at the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).
Journalists wishing to attend the event must be accredited by October 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Background: Since the start of russia’s all-out invasion, NAKO experts have examined over 2,500 components from 30 pieces of russian military equipment, including fighter jets, a Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter, Kalibr missiles, and Iranian drones. The investigation found that 2,000 of these parts came from 22 countries, predominantly Western, with 64% sourced from U.S.-based companies.
Before the full-blown war, Olena and Valentyn Bielozorenko dedicated 11 years to developing their eco-farm in Stanislav, Kherson Oblast. The couple cared for 30 goats, 11 dogs, and 10 cats, producing cheese and offering educational excursions for both children and adults. However, when the war erupted, their farm fell under enemy occupation.
For eight and a half months, the Bielozorenkos found themselves surrounded, relying on food exchanges with neighbors to survive. After Ukraine’s Armed Forces liberated their village, they continued to endure for another year in the reclaimed territory, facing persistent shelling. The farm suffered damage from enemy strikes, resulting in the loss of one animal, the destruction of feed supplies, and Valentyn sustaining a concussion.
In October 2023, the couple made the difficult decision to evacuate. They found refuge in the Kyiv region, where they were welcomed by displaced individuals from Donetsk, who generously provided them with a farm and a house at no cost. Within a year at their new location, the number of goats doubled. Looking ahead, Olena and Valentyn plan to establish a rehabilitation center for Ukrainian soldiers on their farm.
For those interested, Olena and Valentyn Bielozorenko are available for online conversations.
For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark the two-year anniversary of Ukraine’s retaking of the city of Kherson from occupying russian forces.
Journalists from Realna Gazeta, with the support of the Open Information Partnership, conducted an investigation into the activities of the russian organization “Movement of the First”, which operates in the occupied territories and raises Ukrainian children to be “patriots” of russia. The investigation reveals the forms and methods used by the occupiers, identifies key figures in the organization and uncovers its aims and objectives.
Participants:
– Oleksandr Bielokobylskyi, journalist, author of the research, editor-in-chief of the website Farvater.Skhid;
– Andrii Dikhtiarenko, editor-in-chief and founder of Realna Gazeta;
– Oleksii Artiukh, journalist, editor-in-chief of the Trybuna website;
– Anastasiia Stepula, Advocacy Consultant, Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights;
Background:
The “Movement of the First” has been closely associated with russian aggression against Ukraine since its inception. The proposal to create this new form of pioneer organization in 2022 was voiced at a meeting with russian dictator vladimir putin by a schoolgirl from occupied Sevastopol who was born in Luhansk.
This organization is not a public body; its full name is the All-russian Public-State Movement of Children and Youth “Movement of the First”. The state component includes government funding of tens of billions of rubles annually, the appointment of the chairman by president vladimir putin himself, and the involvement of local administrations in each federal subject and in the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Before the full-scale invasion, Inna Yakovenko ran a successful business selling windows and doors, operating out of two trade pavilions in the village of Novovorontsovka, Kherson region. When war broke out, her village was the only one in the Novovorontsovka community that remained unoccupied, but it endured relentless shelling from russian forces for seven straight months. Throughout August 2022, Inna took refuge in her basement, sheltering from near-constant bombardments that eventually wrecked her business.
After Ukrainian forces liberated the region, Inna decided to shift her focus from retail to reconstruction. Determined to help her community recover, she began producing granite blocks to support the rebuilding of homes in her war-torn village.
For reference: November 11, 2024, will mark the two-year anniversary of Kherson’s liberation from russian occupation.
For the past six years, Anton Tenyck has run a farm in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. After the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the right bank of the Kherson region, the farmers decided to return to work. However, this proved to be difficult as most of the fields were mined. In order to continue their work, the farmers had to use hand-held mine detectors themselves. Together with the military, deminers and rescuers, Anton is clearing his territory of dangerous objects left behind by the occupiers. In one year of work, the farmer managed to demine more than 20 percent of his land.
In addition, Anton tries to employ everyone who returns to the liberated regions of Kherson Oblast.
For reference: November 11, 2024 will be the second anniversary of the liberation of Kherson from the occupiers.
Folklorist Yaryna Sizyk, animation director Mariia Ozirna, and the Kherson Art Museum named after Oleksii Shovkunenko have launched a project dedicated to the paintings stolen by russians during the occupation of the city. According to the estimates of the museum staff, the occupiers stole about ten thousand works of art.
The goal of the project is to try to recreate what was taken by the russians. So far, the team has “reproduced” Mykhailo Bryansky’s (1830-1908) painting “Portrait of a Girl in an Embroidered Dress.” The painting wasn’t just repainted, it was modernized and animated. Ukrainian model and singer Dariia Astafieva helped bring it to life as the artists transformed her into the girl in the embroidered dress from the stolen canvas. For the animation, the team used a shirt embroidered during the occupation by Inna Mykutska, a Kherson guide.
They also recreated the oil painting by Serhii Vasylkivsky (1854-1917) “Cossacks in the Steppe.” Ukrainian soldiers Roman “Dobryak” Kolesnyk and Stanislav “Ref” Zorii took part in the reproduction of this painting. Yaryna and Mariia added the Ukrainian folk song “Oh, There Beyond the Seas…” performed by the band Shchuka-Ryba to this animation.
The founders of the project are now preparing the next restorations and are in talks with Ukrainian influencers.
Yaryna Sizyk and Mariia Ozirna are available for interviews with journalists in Kyiv.
For reference: The russians occupied Kherson at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city on a regular basis.
During russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church priests Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi continued to serve their parish in occupied Berdiansk, located in the Zaporizhia region. On November 16, 2022, russian forces abducted them. The soldiers reportedly came directly to the church, offering Father Bohdan a chance to cooperate—an offer both priests declined. Soon after, the russians claimed they had allegedly discovered weapons inside the church.
Father Bohdan spent nine months imprisoned in Berdiansk before being transferred to a penal colony in Horlivka, within the occupied Donetsk region, where he endured another ten months. In total, he spent a grueling year and a half in captivity. Throughout his imprisonment, Father Bohdan endured harsh conditions, often sleeping on the floor and being subjected to the constant sounds of others being tortured by the russians. While in solitary confinement in Berdiansk, he was forced to listen to Soviet-era music playing through a speaker for hours on end, an experience that pushed him to the edge of sanity. The abuse only worsened in Horlivka.
On June 28, 2024, both Father Bohdan and Father Ivan were finally freed during a prisoner exchange.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Father Bohdan, either in person in Lviv or virtually, by prior agreement.
On September 13, the Media Center Ukraine will present a new study titled “(Non-)Return of Children: Ukraine Faces Its Greatest Challenge Since Independence.” The research, conducted by the Regional Center for Human Rights, the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, and the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation, delves into the legal and humanitarian challenges surrounding the return of Ukrainian children from russian control.
The study highlights the experiences of these three NGOs in defending the rights of children who were under russia’s control and have since been returned. It provides insights into the legal efforts, the return process, and the reintegration of these children. The findings are based on interviews with children, their parents or guardians, return specialists, and a detailed review of international humanitarian and child rights law.
Participants:
– Kateryna Rashevska, PhD in International Law, expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights;
– Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder and director of Voices of Children Charitable Foundation;
– Daria Kasyanova, Chairperson of the Board of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, Program Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine.
Moderator: Natalia Yemchenko, member of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
For reference: Since russia’s full-scale invasion, over 19,500 Ukrainian children, including 4,000 orphans, have been forcibly displaced or deported, with the vast majority remaining under russian control. Among them are 1.6 million children from the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.
On September 7, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration invites the public to visit the sites featured in its pilot project, Kyiv Region: Places of Memory. Participants will have the opportunity to explore historical landmarks tied to Ukraine’s heroic resistance and the devastation caused by russian occupation, accompanied by expert guides.
The project employs advanced technology to recreate key scenes from Kyiv’s defense against russian forces. Virtual reality installations at each location immerse visitors in the stark realities of brutal battles, widespread destruction, and the pain endured by the nation during the invasion.
The initiative aims to ensure the world remembers both the victims of the russian invasion and the resilience of Ukrainians. Organizers stress that the war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil must be acknowledged and never forgotten.
Accreditation is required to attend the event.
For reference: In July, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration began training guides to work at the various sites connected to the russian-Ukrainian war as part of the Kyiv Region: Places of Memory project.
