Themes by tag: women

Dafna Sosnovska is the co-founder of the “Zavdyaky” project. The idea for the initiative emerged from her frustration with how Ukraine has commemorated those killed since the beginning of the russian-Ukrainian war in 2014. In 2023, she decided to take action, bringing together a team of like-minded people, and the project began to take shape.

“Zavdyaky” aims not only to honor those who died for Ukraine, but also to tell the stories of their lives, dreams, values, and contributions to the fight for freedom. Anyone can contribute to the project, as the team’s main priority is to preserve every memory of the fallen.

The platform combines a database, documentary films, and personal profiles that allow relatives, friends, fellow service members, and acquaintances to share their memories. The team is currently working on an ambitious goal to collect information on everyone who has been killed since 2014 and to create documentary films telling their stories.

Journalists can speak with Dafna Sosnovska and the project team both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Ania Tatu call sign “Ksena” — a UAV operator with the 37th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces — is a Polish woman with a Belgian passport. Despite living with a prosthetic limb, she chose the front lines and earned the right to serve in the Marine Corps. Her superpower is her incredible accuracy and ability to be the first to spot a threat in the night sky, saving thousands of lives.

She became one of the heroines of the large-scale communication campaign “Women Can Do Anything!”, launched by the VETERANKA Movement. The initiative tells the real combat stories of four Ukrainian female servicemen in comic book format. The campaign’s main mission is to change society’s perception of women’s roles in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and highlight their impact on civilian safety.
By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to speak with Anna about her service and her participation in the “Women Can Do Anything!” campaign.

• military
• women

On March 16, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 13037 amending the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Statute of Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The VETERANKA Movement initiated this bill—in 2024, the Movement’s leader, combat medic Kateryna Pryimak, registered a petition demanding the implementation of an already developed mechanism to combat sexual harassment and violence in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Experts from the VETERANKA Movement were involved in every stage of the document’s development. Member of Parliament Maria Mezentseva submitted the bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

On February 25, 2026, members of the Verkhovna Rada unanimously supported and adopted this bill: 276 voted “for,” with no abstentions. The document provides for amendments to the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and establishes new norms intended to ensure a dignified and safe environment for military personnel.

By prior arrangement, journalists may obtain comments from representatives of the VETERANKA movement.

For reference: The VETERANKA movement is the first and only community of women in Ukraine with combat experience that has been defending the rights of female service members since 2018. Today, it comprises over 3,000 members—active-duty female service members, veterans, and volunteers. In 2018, thanks to the organization, 63 combat positions were opened for female service members that had previously been inaccessible. Over the course of four years of full-scale invasion, the Movement has supported 107 brigades and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard (amounting to over 140 million UAH in aid to female defenders and their units).

• military
• women

About 1,000 women have been trained as truck and passenger bus drivers as part of the Reskilling Ukraine project. To mark the occasion, graduates can join a flash mob: sharing photos or videos from their work on social media.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Reskilling Ukraine graduates who work as drivers.

For reference: Reskilling Ukraine is a project of the Swedish non-profit organization Beredskapslyftet. It was created to help Ukrainians rebuild Ukraine through education, retraining, and professional development programs. This is Beredskapslyftet’s first project implemented in Ukraine.

• women

Daria Ulman is the wife of soldier Kirill Ulman, who was killed on February 15, 2024. At the start of the full-scale invasion, her husband joined the ranks of the Territorial Community Volunteer Unit in Dnipro, which was formed by veterans of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.” In December 2022, he joined the Third Separate Assault Brigade as part of an anti-tank battalion. Kirill was killed by a sniper’s bullet.

Daria says her husband was passionate about military affairs. After his death, she regretted not having started training alongside Kirill. Over the course of a year, Daria completed six courses and underwent two full training programs. She later founded her own community dedicated to military training for women. She named it Community Ulman in honor of her fallen loved one.

Over 80 women have already completed the training, and thanks to the project, 115,000 hryvnias were donated to Kirill’s comrades-in-arms.

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the training on March 22.

Media can arrange interviews with Daria Ulman both online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Hanna is the mother of two sons and the wife of a soldier who died in the war. Their family first lost their home back in 2014. Before that, the family lived in Olenivka in the Donetsk region. After hostilities began, the family left with their four-year-old child, leaving their home and all their belongings behind in the occupied territory. After several moves, they settled in the town of Bilozerske in the Ukraine-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast. They bought a home, her husband won a grant and started his own business, and the couple had a second son.

In 2022, due to the full-scale russian invasion, they were forced to leave everything behind once again. The family donated their home to the Ukrainian Armed Forces—Ukrainian soldiers lived there for a time.

In the summer of 2024, the husband joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He completed training and served as an operator of a multiple launch rocket system. He was listed as missing in action as of October 23, 2024. Four months later, the family was informed that the DNA of a body repatriated during an exchange matched his samples. He was buried in March 2025.

After her husband’s death, the woman was left with her children in a new city without the support of relatives. The hardest part, she said, was telling her sons about their father’s death.

The family received psychological support from the “Children of Heroes” charitable foundation. The support of specialists became a crucial part of helping the children and their mother adapt to their new reality.

The family currently lives in Kyiv, renting an apartment. The older son spent almost his entire childhood moving from place to place, while the younger one was born during the war.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with the family online.

• children
• dead
• military
• women

Serhiy Petrenko, a soldier with the pseudonym “Bashnya” — Natalia Petrenko’s son — died on the night of July 29, 2022. The soldier encountered a full-scale invasion in Mariupol, defended the city, then Azovstal, and before being taken prisoner on orders, he called his parents and told them to prepare his ammunition so that he could rejoin the army upon his return.

Serhiy Petrenko’s name was on one of the first lists of those killed during the russian terrorist attack in Olenivka. His mother, Natalia, decided not to shut herself away in her grief and to support Serhiy’s comrades. In memory of her son, she created the online platform “Basht,” which helps military personnel find their place in civilian life.

Natalia and her like-minded friends gathered useful information for veterans in one place: from medical, psychological, and legal assistance to courses and training.

Journalists can speak with Natalia Petrenko both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Ahead of March 8, International Women’s Day, the VETERANKA Movement is launching a large-scale communication campaign called “Women Can Do Anything!”, which tells the real combat stories of four Ukrainian female soldiers in comic book format. The main mission of the campaign is to change society’s perception of the role of women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to highlight their impact on civilian safety.

As part of the project, throughout March and April, social advertising will be displayed in the capital’s metro, on billboards in Kyiv, and on screens in shopping malls.

The heroes of the campaign:

• Eva “Yunga” — FPV drone operator for the Rubizh brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Eva joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the age of 18 after graduating from school. During her first 1.5 years of service, she managed to destroy 250 enemy targets. Her superpower is to see in the dark and hit targets that pose a threat to our cities.
• Anya Tatu “Ksenia” — UAV operator of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Her story is one of unconditional love for life and Ukraine. A Polish woman with a Belgian passport who chose our country as her destiny. Despite living with a prosthesis, she chose the front line and earned the right to serve in the marines. Her superpower is her incredible accuracy and ability to be the first to spot threats in the night sky, saving thousands of lives.
• Oksana “Oksi” is the commander of the combat group of the special forces unit “OMEGA.” First, she wrote her will, evacuated her two children abroad, and then joined the army. A successful entrepreneur in civilian life, she turned her strategic talent into a weapon of the future in the military. Today, she is the first female commander of a group of robotic complexes in the special forces unit “OMEGA.”
• Yana “Multik” is the commander of the women’s platoon of the 141st Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is a symbol of resilience and sisterhood. Having survived the occupation of her native Kherson region and numerous injuries, Yana not only returned to the ranks, but also headed the first female unit of UAV operators. She is breaking down prejudices and building a new army where every woman is protected and heard.

The author of the visual part is Ukrainian illustrator Anna Ivanenko, known for her collaboration with The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Economist, Forbes, and other international media.

In addition, the communication campaign aims to close a large charity fundraiser for 6,000,000 hryvnia. The funds will be used to equip mobile air defense groups of the 37th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to purchase Heavy Shot bomber drones for the Rubizh Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.

By prior arrangement, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to the heroines of the campaign, as well as representatives of the VETERANKA movement.

• military
• women

Maria Gvasalia has been volunteering since 2014. One of her latest projects is creating adaptive tableware for veterans and civilians to make it easier for them to eat and serve themselves after injuries.

The unique feature of adaptive plates is that they have fastening elements that make it easier for people with injuries or amputations to eat. To start manufacturing such tableware, Maria learned from Ukrainian craftsmen and consulted with specialists at medical centers that specialize in military rehabilitation.

It takes about two weeks to make one batch of plates. Currently, all products are already reserved, so Maria’s team is working on the next batch of plates. Volunteers deliver the tableware to rehabilitation centers free of charge.

Journalists can speak with Maria Gvasalia online or in person in Cherkasy by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• volunteers
• women
• Cherkasy

On March 8, the Center for Civil Liberties will join the Women’s Rights March in Kyiv.

“We stand up for women who are currently serving on the front lines and fighting alongside men. Female military personnel must be provided with everything necessary for service and safety, have equal access to positions and opportunities, and be protected from discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence.

We stand up for women—military and civilian—who are in russian captivity. For those who are tortured, raped, starved, kept in complete isolation—without communication, without information, without the right to a voice,” say representatives of the Women’s March.

Violence against women in this war is a weapon that russia deliberately uses to humiliate, intimidate, destroy human dignity, and silence.

That is why the Center for Civil Liberties is marching with the following demands:

• to take immediate and systematic action to return women from russian captivity;
• to increase international pressure on the aggressor state;
• to provide full support for those who have returned — psychological, medical, social, and legal.

Women should not disappear behind prison walls, in statistics, or in public silence. Our task is to talk about them and together demand justice.

A separate set of demands of the March concerns legislative changes. These are drafts of the new Civil Code, which contain provisions that could narrow women’s rights and contradict the principle of equality.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv