Themes by tag: Ternopil

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Symanyshyn lived in Poland. But when the war began, he returned home to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces. In July 2023, during a combat mission, he suffered severe injuries that resulted in the amputation of both hands.

Shortly thereafter, Volodymyr’s girlfriend left him — a devastating blow on top of his physical loss. But instead of giving in to despair, he focused on rehabilitation. He started with sports and later discovered a passion for painting. Attaching a brush to his arm stump, he learned to create artwork and embraced a new form of self-expression.

In the summer of 2024, he traveled to the United States, where he received a prosthetic hand. Upon his return to Ukraine, he enrolled in the Theological Academy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, taking his first steps toward becoming a chaplain. Now, Volodymyr is preparing to dedicate his life to helping soldiers and veterans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Volodymyr Symanyshyn both online and in person in Ternopil by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• Ternopil

Denys was born and raised in Berdiansk, a town in southern Ukraine. When he was 16, he and his mother moved to Moscow. A year and a half ago, he returned to his hometown, where his grandmother lives. At that time, Berdiansk was already occupied by the russian army.

Denys’ parents support the war and putin, while he holds the opposite views. His pro-Ukrainian stance caused him numerous problems, and after the full-scale invasion, he was even summoned for interrogation by the FSB.

Determined to escape the occupation and reach Ukrainian-controlled territory, Denys faced resistance from his parents when he told them of his decision. They put pressure on him and tried to intimidate him. However, he persevered. In December 2024, he successfully crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine. On the way, he also helped elderly women who were evacuated with him. Now Denys lives in the Ternopil oblast.

He is willing to share his experience of life under occupation and offer insights into how to escape when even your closest family members oppose your decision and Ukraine itself.

Background: The volunteer organization Helping to leave has evacuated over 45,000 Ukrainians from the occupied territories and russia.

• occupation
• Ternopil
• evacuation

Maryna Chernyshova, originally from Mariupol, a city currently under enemy control, lived through the early days of the full-scale invasion alongside her family. The family spent over a month under occupation, seeking shelter from relentless shelling in their basement. During this harrowing period, it was their cat, Marsi, who provided emotional support, offering comfort and helping the family navigate through an incredibly difficult time.

Once they were able to escape Mariupol, Marsi accompanied them as the family relocated to the Ternopil region. There, Maryna found herself inspired to create a space for others in need of emotional relief. Noticing the abundance of stray cats in Ternopil, she decided to open a cat café, a place for people to find solace and relaxation.

With a combination of personal savings and funding from the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development, Maryna launched the café, which is now home to two previously homeless cats. The café offers a variety of activities aimed at providing psychological support to its visitors, including stress-relief meditation sessions led by experts. In the future, Maryna hopes to channel a portion of the café’s profits into building an animal shelter to further help animals in need.

• animals
• casualties
• occupation
• women
• Mariupol
• Ternopil

6-year-old Sasha’s face now appears on the cover of War Through the Voices of Children, a new book featuring quotes from children about the war, recently released in American bookstores. Sasha was born in Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine’s Donetsk region that is now devastated and under russian occupation. His parents met there while volunteering—his mother working with children facing difficult circumstances and his father opening a boxing club to engage local youth. Shortly after Sasha’s birth, his sister Eva was born. But as the conflict escalated, the family relocated to Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, seeking safety.

Since the start of the full-scale war, Sasha and Eva’s father has been serving on the front line. A photo of him reading a Timothy Snyder book in a trench circulated widely online. “When my dad comes back, he’ll sleep next to me, so I won’t be afraid of air raid sirens,” Eva told her mother when she was just three.

Their mother now works for the Voices of Children charity, providing psychological support to children and parents impacted by the war.

By prior arrangement, journalists can connect with the family in Ternopil or online.

• children
• military
• women
• Ternopil

Vitalii Shepel is a biochemist by profession. Before the full-scale war, he served in the Chemical Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and later in the State Emergency Service. After retiring, he worked in the Ternopil municipality, where he and his colleague Roman Repko helped young entrepreneurs secure grants.

With the start of the full-scale invasion, Vitaliy joined the defense forces, but within a few months he was forced to return to civilian life. At first he was unsure what to do, but his colleague Roman stepped in and they decided to start their own business together.

The idea for freeze-dried treats came from children who needed something tasty and healthy. This led Vitaliy and Roman to create the TM Tobi snack brand. Their children were the first to try the freeze-dried fruit and soon Vitaliy sent a batch of snacks to his comrades on the front line. Everyone loved them. Now Vitalii and Roman are working to export their products abroad. They are also reviving Roman’s snail farm and plan to produce freeze-dried snail meat.

Vitalii Shepel and Roman Repko live in Ternopil. They are open to communication with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• military
• Ternopil

At the age of 17, Ivan lost the ability to walk due to an accident. However, he did not lose his desire to live a full life. He learned to ride a bicycle, drive a car and started doing charity work in his home village in the Ternopil region. Among other things, he helped renovate the local stadium and put up tourist signs.

When the full-scale invasion began, Ivan focused his efforts on supporting the Ukrainian military. Together with other villagers, Ivan managed to raise about 10 million hryvnia for the needs of the defense forces. The volunteer purchased drones, anti-drone guns, charging stations, vehicles, and many other things needed by the soldiers. Today, Ivan continues his volunteer work, raising funds for FPV drones and a relay station.

• volunteers
• Ternopil

Serhii Tsytrykov has been using a wheelchair for the past seven years since he suffered a spinal injury. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he immediately joined the volunteer movement, and soon began to assemble FPV drones for the military. In order to continue supporting the army and get funds for parts for drones, Serhii organized a campaign called “A Thousand Kilometers in a Wheelchair.” Serhii went on his first marathon in May 2024, the second one was held in July. During two marathons, the volunteer traveled more than 700 kilometers across Ukraine. In the second marathon, he managed to collect UAH 236,000. According to Serhii, this should be enough to make 15 FPV drones.

Serhii plans to start his final marathon in September and cover another 300 kilometers. Serhii is currently in Ternopil undergoing rehabilitation, recovering from previous marathons. He will go on the road when he receives a doctor’s permission.

• volunteers
• Ternopil

The BusDrive course is a free training program that empowers women to obtain Class D licenses for driving passenger buses. This initiative is part of the Reskilling Ukraine project.

Priority participants for the BusDrive course include women veterans, women from military families, IDPs, single mothers, and women over 50. Applicants must hold a Category B driver’s license and have at least three years of driving experience.

The course comprises theoretical and practical training, along with corresponding exams. Practical classes will commence next week in the Ternopil region.

The first class has already graduated, with eight women earning their Category D licenses. More than ten participants have joined the current course.

Journalists can, by prior arrangement, speak with participants and cover the practical classes in the Ternopil region. They can also interview the program organizers based in Sweden online.

For reference: Reskilling Ukraine is a project by the Swedish non-profit organization Beredskapslyftet, focusing on retraining and career support for women in Ukraine. Since its inception, over 100 women have been retrained as passenger bus or truck drivers.

• women
• Ternopil

A social project in support of Ukrainian defenders has been operating in Lviv and Ternopil, since the beginning of the full-scale war. The project makes it possible for couples to undergo a free infertility treatment program, as well as to cryopreserve (freeze) their biological material (sperm and eggs).

Journalists have the opportunity to learn more about this project by talking to the doctor of medical sciences, reproductive endocrinologist Stefan Khmil. And, if possible, with couples who used the services provided by the initiative.

• children
• doctors
• military
• Lviv
• Ternopil

Arkadii Fishman, an innovative mind hailing from Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, now residing in Ternopil Oblast, has devised a unique fundraising strategy. Teaming up with his companion, Olenka Dunets, Fishman is embarking on a 650 km journey across Ukrainian cities, showcasing his creation—a sofa on wheels—to raise funds for the Armed Forces.

Their odyssey has already commenced, with Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv slated as pit stops along the way. Residents of these locales can catch a glimpse of the mobile sofa, snap photos, and contribute to the cause through donations. Fishman aims to culminate the tour in the capital on July 6th.

As Fishman is on his way to Khmelnytskyi, journalists have the opportunity to delve deeper into the charitable expedition and engage in conversation with him.

• Khmelnytskyi
• Kyiv
• Ternopil
• Vinnytsia
• Zhytomyr