Themes by tag: russian crimes

Haiane Avakian from Bakhmut found out about her destroyed home from photos of the city in the russian social media. Yuliia Mashuta watched a livestream of her house in Severodonetsk burning down after a rocket hit. Currently, these women are a part of the team of the “Sviy Dim” platform, which collects testimonies by people whose property and homes were destroyed by russia.

“Sviy Dim” is a platform for people who are building the foundation of a new life in Ukraine. Over 600 testimonies have already been published. Most of them are from the people who come from the regions of active hostilities (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions as well as others). The platform records russian war crimes related to the destruction of the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine: apartment buildings and detached houses, schools and kindergartens, cultural and sports facilities. Every story is human-centered. Those who lived or worked there share stories of their house, factory or cultural center.

The platform is also creating a database of objects that need restoration. A separate section – reconstruction – tells stories of those who are rebuilding the affected regions right now.

By prior agreement, journalists can talk with Haiane Avakian, Product Development Director of the Abo Agency, who founded the “Sviy Dim” platform, as well as with other people who have shared their testimonies on the platform.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Anastasiia Buhera faced the brutal reality of the full-scale Russian invasion alongside her parents in Izium, Kharkiv region. Originally there on vacation from her studies at a Kharkiv university, Anastasiia witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by the enemy upon the captured city. She meticulously tracked the relentless bombardment, tallying the number of bombs dropped by Russian forces hourly. Every trip for bread was a perilous gamble, as each outing carried the risk of becoming her last. After a harrowing five months under occupation, Anastasiia managed to escape back to government-controlled territory. Upon her return, she received devastating news: her beloved Kostiantyn, who had been defending Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol since February 2022, had been captured by the enemy. Their last conversation took place on April 24, 2022, when Kostiantyn sent her photos and videos, promising his imminent return. Now, Anastasiia waits anxiously for Kostiantyn’s safe return, tirelessly working to keep the plight of those still held captive by Russian forces in the public eye.

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women

12-year-old Yana Stepanenko, who lost both legs in a rocket attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk, will take part in the Boston Marathon. On April 13, the girl will run a 5-kilometer distance on prosthetics to show the whole world the indomitability of the Ukrainian people. Another of Yana’s goals in Boston is charity. She will be raising funds for a sports prosthesis for Andrii Kropyvnytskyi, seriously wounded defender and a patient of the Unbroken Center, who lost a limb in the war.

For the past two months, the girl has been training hard to participate in the Boston Marathon. Yana was invited to participate in it by the American foundation One World Strong, which helps veterans and civilians who suffered as a result of terrorist attacks and hostilities.

On April 4, Yana Stepanenko will hold an open training session for the media in Lviv.

The event in Lviv requires registration.

For reference: on April 8, 2022, as a result of a russian terrorist attack on the railway station in Kramatorsk, Yana Stepanenko lost both legs. The photo of her being carried by the surgeon of the St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital of Lviv’s First Medical Association went viral around the world. Yana received her first prostheses for walking and running in the USA. Last summer, after a year of recovery abroad, she returned to Ukraine. Yana continued her rehabilitation here and already managed to get new artificial limbs for walking from the Unbroken Center’s prosthetic workshops.

The Boston Marathon is one of the largest and most prestigious events in the world. About 30,000 people from all over the world take part in it every year.

• casualties
• children
• russian crimes
• Lviv

35-year-old Yuliia Hryhorieva, hailing from Chornobaivka village in the Kherson region, has endured a harrowing ordeal. Prior to the onset of all-out invasion, she diligently served as a junior nurse at a nearby hospital, while also tending to her garden during moments of respite. Miraculously, she emerged alive from the Russian occupation of her homeland.

Following the liberation of a portion of the Kherson Oblast from invaders, on November 23, 2023, Russian forces unleashed a barrage of artillery fire upon residential structures in Chornobaivka. The indiscriminate attack claimed the lives of three innocent civilians and left five others wounded, including Yuliia. 

Yuliia got shrapnel raining upon her legs as she traversed her yard when a nearby cluster bomb detonated. She mustered the strength to summon an ambulance, though her prospects seemed bleak as she awaited medical aid. Fortunately, passing Ukrainian soldiers intervened, swiftly evacuating her to Kherson hospital. 

Tragically, Yuliia endured the loss of her left leg above the knee due to the severity of her injuries. Additionally, she sustained an open fracture of the fibula in her right leg, necessitating further surgical intervention.

Yuliia accessed the Superhumans Center in Lviv by submitting an online application. Her primary goal is to regain mobility, master her prosthetic limb, and stride with confidence. Recently, she achieved a significant milestone by taking her first steps on the prosthetic device.

For reference: On November 11, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Chornobaivka village in the Kherson region from occupation forces.

• casualties
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv

The Boychuk Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design was damaged in russian shelling on March 25, 2024. The organizers of the cleanup invite everyone to join the first step in the revival of the cultural center. “Boychuk Cleanup” will be supported by Dobrobat NGO, which since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has been involved in clearing the rubble after enemy shelling, as well as the reconstruction in the regions that suffered from the occupation.

• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv

A press briefing titled “Stolen Childhood: russia’s Preparation of Ukrainian Children for War Amid Occupation and Deportation” is set to take place on March 26 at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

Participants:

– Iryna Suslova, Representative of the Ombudsperson for Children’s Rights in the Office of the Ombudsperson of Ukraine; 

– Representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office;

– Olha Skrypnyk, Head of the Board of the Crimean Human Rights Group;

– Mariia Sulialina, Head of the Center for Civil Education “Almenda”;

– Khrystyna Shkudor, “Where Are Our People?” campaign advocacy manager, PR Army NGO.

– Vladyslav Havrylov, research historian at the ‘Where Are Our People?’ PR Army NGO project;

For context: russia is accused of systematically perpetrating war crimes in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied regions. Notably, occupiers are allegedly intentionally militarizing children residing in these areas or forcibly relocating them to russia and belarus territories. Such actions are purportedly part of a calculated strategy by the aggressor nation. Critics argue that russian occupiers are eroding Ukrainian identity among children and assimilating them to address russia’s demographic challenges. This purportedly serves to groom a future “mobilization reserve” for the russian military’s potential involvement in the war against Ukraine.

• children
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

In a span of one year and three months, the Mykolaiv region has witnessed the complete reconstruction of 22 bridges destroyed by Russian military forces during their aggression. Among these bridges are vital crossings like the one by the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and the Inhulets River bridge, a crucial link between the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. The restoration efforts have been a collaborative endeavor involving the Oblast Military Administration, military personnel, the State Special Transport Service, United24 donors, district military administrations, Snihuriv City Military Administration, Mykolaiv Oblast Road Service, Inhulets River Canal Authority, and the State Enterprise “Agency of Local Roads of Mykolaiv Region”. 

Journalists are invited to access visual documentation of the bridge reconstruction process and conduct necessary interviews.

• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Mykolaiv

On March 28-29, Irpin, Kyiv region, will host events to mark the second anniversary of the liberation of the city from the russian occupiers. In particular, there will be a memorial service for the fallen Heroes, the presentation of the Book of Memory of the Irpin City Territorial Community, and an awards ceremony to express gratitude to the benefactors for their help in rebuilding the hero city of Irpin “Every Brick Matters.”

In addition, there will be an unveiling ceremony for the “VOLIA” monument.

Journalists can learn more about the time and place of events. Accreditation is required.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from the russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces completely liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region had been restored.

• casualties
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

These events are set to unfold across at least 16 cities in Ukraine.

On March 15, demonstrations are planned in Khmelnytskyi and Krolevets (Sumy region). 

The following day, March 16, actions will unfold in Dnipro, Pavlohrad, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhia. 

March 17 will see gatherings in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Kovel, Ovruch (Zhytomyr region), Kryvyi Rih, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Drohobych.

These events are spearheaded by families of prisoners of war from the besieged Mariupol garrison.

For reference: On March 16, 2022, Russian forces dropped an air bomb on the Mariupol Drama Theater, where civilians, including children, sought refuge since the onset of the full-blown war. The devastating air strike resulted in the loss of several hundred lives.

• casualties
• dead
• prisoners
• russian crimes

The Kyiv Regional Mental Health Center was captured by the occupiers at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The russian military lived in the facility and stole valuable equipment from the center, which was badly damaged.

After the de-occupation, the restoration of the medical facility began: in particular, a medical and psychological rehabilitation department was opened at the end of last year. It was created on the basis of one of the branches of the center, which suffered the most during the full-scale invasion. Here, the experts will help military personnel, their relatives and civilians who suffered from the aggression of the russian federation. In total, more than 20 types of rehabilitation services will be provided to patients, including those making use of VR glasses.

Recently, Dobrobat volunteers worked in one of the center’s departments: they removed all the flooring, dismantled old doors and door frames. Thus, they prepared the place for further high-quality restoration works.

Journalists can learn more about the operation and restoration of the center, hold interviews with the management of the institution, talk with doctors and, if possible, patients.

For reference: Kyiv Regional Mental Health Center is a specialized medical institution that provides qualified inpatient medical examination, treatment and both social and labor rehabilitation for patients with mental disorders.

• casualties
• doctors
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Kyiv