Themes by tag: russian crimes

The Center for Civil Liberties invites journalists to cover the important topic entitled “Ukrainian prisoners who were forcibly taken to the russian federation: problems of returning them.”

According to Olena Vysotska, Deputy Minister of Justice, within the first days of the full-scale invasion, 11 penal institutions with almost 3,000 prisoners and staff found themselves in the occupation. According to the Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine NGO, about 2,000 people who were serving sentences in places of deprivation of liberty were deported from Kherson region alone. On the territory of the russian federation and temporarily occupied territories, prisoners are tortured and subjected to abuse. russians passports are forced on imprisoned Ukrainians while they are in captivity.

The organizers are ready to help journalists with getting in touch with:

– Experts for interviews and comments,

– People who went through this experience.

Also, on July 31, journalists can take part in the human rights club on this topic, where they will have an opportunity to talk with experts, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and former prisoners. (The event requires registration).

• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On July 22, Kyiv will unveil the exhibition “The Will to Win: Warriors of Sport” to mark Ukraine’s participation in the Olympic Games. This exhibition showcases the rich history of Ukraine’s Olympic journey, spanning from the late nineteenth century to the present.

The display highlights the devastating impact of russia’s aggression on Ukraine’s sports infrastructure. Visitors will see fragments of trophies, sports equipment, and stadium seats, all damaged or destroyed by russian hostilities. These artifacts were salvaged from various sports venues wrecked by ongoing warfare.

A special section, featuring photographs by Mykola Synelnykov, celebrates the resilience of Ukrainian athletes who continue to train amidst the ruins of their facilities, exemplifying their unbreakable spirit.

For reference: This year, Ukraine is sending a delegation of 140 athletes to compete in 23 sports at the Olympics. Tragically, nearly 500 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have lost their lives since the large-scale russian invasion began.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The apiary near Mykolaiv (a city in the south of Ukraine) was founded by Yakiv Fedosov’s father. After his father’s death, Yakiv continued the family business. Before the full-scale invasion, Yakiv had bought new equipment and increased the number of bee colonies. Over time, he began making honey infused with medicinal herbs.

However, with the beginning of the Big War, the village in which the farm was located became the epicenter of the russian offensive. Heavy shelling destroyed the house, some of the beehives burned down, and the occupiers stole the already produced honey.

However, this did not stop Yakiv. He distributed the remaining honey to the military. Then he bought more honey from beekeepers he knew, and based on it, he created a honey paste for the soldiers, which quickly replenishes their energy.

Now Yakiv is waiting for compensation for the destroyed property from the state. He plans to rebuild the house and continue to work on the apiary.

Yakiv Fedosov is in Mykolaiv oblast. He is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and offline.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• Mykolaiv

In a landmark initiative spanning April to July 2024, Ukraine has established its inaugural Team of Cultural First Aiders under the flagship project “Enhancing Capacities in Ukraine for Cultural Heritage First Aid and Recovery Planning.” This team comprises 23 specialized professionals who underwent intensive training.

Throughout the comprehensive program, Ukrainian experts including museum curators, monument conservators, architects, engineers, legal advisors, restorers, and managers engaged in both online and in-person sessions. They drew insights from international and domestic mentors, examining strategies for safeguarding cultural assets during crises. 

Practical exercises, such as assessing the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Viazivka, Zhytomyr region—damaged during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022—underscored their training. Participants learned to apply international standards in risk management, document damage, evaluate threats, and execute protective measures for endangered cultural sites.

Journalists seeking further details, including visual documentation from the Viazivka training, can obtain additional information about this pioneering effort.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

For Hennadii Azzheurov, the war began back in 2014, when russia occupied Crimea and attacked Ukraine in the East. That’s when the man’s native village of Hranitne (Donetsk region) turned into a battlefield. Hennadii had worked in Mariupol’s patrol police for about 30 years. In February 2022, he planned to retire from service. However, on the evening of February 23, heavy shelling began: the russians surrounded Hranitne. A few days later, armed enemy soldiers came to Hennadii’s house and arrested the man without any explanation.

Later, the former policeman, along with other Ukrainian civilian and military prisoners, ended up in temporarily occupied Donetsk. There, according to Hennadii, the prisoners were interrogated and tortured by being deprived of food and water. A few months later, the man ended up in a colony in occupied Olenivka in Donetsk region, where he stayed for another 40 days. After that, the occupiers released Hennadii without explaining why they had detained him. He managed to get to Ukraine-controlled territory on his own.

The 55-year-old man had no idea what he would do after captivity. Due to age and health, he couldn’t return to police work. In Odesa, he turned to Heart of Azovstal NGO, where he was offered to master HR management in the IT industry for free. After half a year of study, Hennadii started working as a career mentor at the Heart of Azovstal. Currently, he helps the military defenders of Mariupol to choose a direction for training and retraining, and also provides them with comprehensive support in employment.

For reference: Hennadii Azzheurov is in Odesa. The man is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Odesa

Anastasiia Morozova serves as a pediatrician at the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Hospital and heads the Little Hearts program under FRIDA Ukraine, a Ukrainian-Israeli Medical Volunteer Mission. This program deploys multidisciplinary teams of volunteer doctors to orphanages to assess the children’s needs for medications, vaccinations, rehabilitation, and surgical interventions. Anastasiia has participated in over 20 FRIDA Ukraine missions.

On July 8, Anastasiia witnessed a russian missile attack on Okhmatdyt. She was unharmed and, along with FRIDA volunteers, helped evacuate the children, provided medical care to the victims, and assisted in clearing the rubble. The attack resulted in two fatalities and 32 injuries at the hospital.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Anastasiia and join FRIDA Ukraine missions by prior arrangement.

For reference: Since the full-scale invasion began, about 8,500 Ukrainian children have been left without parental care, over 1,500 have become orphans, and tens of thousands have lost their homes or been forced to relocate. Ukrainian children’s homes and orphanages are under immense pressure, with depleted resources and limited access to quality medical care. Through the Little Hearts project, FRIDA supports orphanages and boarding schools across Ukraine.

• children
• doctors
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Artem Hondiul has held numerous roles, including fire rescuer and security guard for merchant ships against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Guinea and Oman. Eventually, he joined the National Guard and later transferred to the Azov Regiment, now part of the National Guard of Ukraine’s Azov Brigade. Artem and his wife Anastasiia moved to Mariupol.

On February 23, 2022, Artem was on duty and convinced Anastasiia to leave Mariupol, despite her reluctance. She managed to escape in late February.

Anastasiia later discovered that Artem was at “Zaliziaka” (“Piece of Iron”), an improvised hospital at the Azovstal plant, suffering from a shrapnel injury to his pelvis. In May 2022, under orders from higher command, Artem and his comrades entered honorable captivity. On the night of July 29, 2022, Artem was seriously injured in the Olenivka massacre. 

Following the explosion in the colony’s barracks, Anastasiia saw her husband several times in videos released by the russians. Since September 2022, she has had no news of Artem’s whereabouts or condition.

In May 2023, Anastasiia and the relatives of other Olenivka victims traveled to Geneva to meet with representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. It was only after this visit, 16 months into Artem’s captivity, that Russia officially confirmed his status as a prisoner of war.

Journalists can learn more and speak with Anastasiia in Kryvyi Rih, with online communication also available.

For reference: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by detonating a barracks in the Olenivka penal colony, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were detained. At least 50 Azovstal defenders were killed, and over 100 were injured.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women

The Center for Civil Liberties invites lawyers, foreign policy experts, representatives of civil society organizations and state institutions to a series of events that will take place within the Ukrainian International Criminal Justice Week.

The Day of International Criminal Justice is on July 17. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 1998. This is the first ever permanent body of international justice with jurisdiction to prosecute the most serious crimes under international law.

For the fifth year in a row, the Center for Civil Liberties organizes the Ukrainian International Criminal Justice Week around this date. And this year, the focal topic of the week is “How to Break the Cycle of Impunity?”

The events that will take place during the week include: “Ten Years of International russian Crimes in Ukraine: Which Strategy Leads to Justice?” — a conference. Format: offline; Destroy, in Whole or in Part — screening of the Kyiv Independent film and its discussion. Format: offline.

Journalists are welcome to learn more about the full program of events.

• russian crimes

On July 11, the training began for guides, who will work at memorial sites of the russo-Ukrainian war in Kyiv region. Their goal is to train qualified specialists who will be able to provide meaningful, reliable information about the tragic events of the war in Kyiv region.

The courses will consist of online and offline classes, trainings, educational and methodological excursions and will culminate in thematic exams. The program is divided into theoretical and practical parts. The training will last 4 weeks.

At the first stage, the organizers selected 29 applicants, including representatives from tourism industry and museum institutions.

Journalists are welcome to cover the training process.

For reference: Guide training takes place within the framework of the project “Kyiv region. Memorial Sites” of the Kyiv Regional State Administration.

• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Svitlana Solonska worked as a kindergarten teacher in Zaporizhia region. Her husband, Vladyslav, was a teacher by education. At one time, he graduated from the Zaporizhia Police School. After the Revolution of Dignity, he joined the ranks of the Azov volunteer formation. Vladyslav was very happy when the unit later became part of the National Guard of Ukraine (now it is the Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine). Having started as a driver, Vladyslav was promoted to the position of company commander, and then to the position of logistics officer.

On February 22, 2022, Vladyslav came home and told his wife that they were being sent to Mariupol. It was the last time Svitlana saw her husband.

Svitlana and her 13-year-old daughter were in Zaporizhia region when the full-scale invasion began. During the first days, their settlement was occupied by the russians. The woman saw enemy tanks driving through her village in the direction of Mariupol. Later, her husband called and said that Svitlana and her daughter needed to leave urgently, as the invaders would come to their home. On March 19, they were able to leave for Ukraine-controlled territory.

Vladyslav was at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. Despite the blockade of the city and constant shelling, he was assigned the task of delivering products and supporting the rear. He delivered food and water to the field hospital under the shelling. A “Starlink” allowed him to keep in touch with his wife.

In May 2022, Vladyslav together with other defenders followed the order of the high command and surrendered. On the night of July 29, 2022, Vladyslav was injured during an explosion in the barracks in Olenivka, he did not receive proper medical care. There was no information about his condition for a long time. Later, Svitlana found out that her husband had died: they could find him only by DNA matching.

Journalists are welcome to learn more and talk with Svitlana in Kyiv.

For reference: On the night of July 29, 2022, the russian federation committed a terrorist attack, setting off an explosion in the barracks of the penal colony in Olenivka, which housed Ukrainian prisoners of war. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed in the attack.

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