Themes by tag: women

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. On April 15, Khartiia Hub will host a meeting with Kateryna Shavanova — a servicemember, radiobiologist, and co-author of the book “The Terrible, the Beautiful, and the Ugly in Chornobyl.”

During the discussion, she will share her research on present-day Chornobyl — a space she describes as “terrible, beautiful, and ugly.”

The event will also address the future of radiation and nuclear safety in Ukraine and globally after the end of the russian-Ukrainian war. Participants will discuss the period of the russian occupation of Chornobyl, the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the broader context of nuclear risks during and after the war.

Registration is required to attend the event.

• military
• women

Halyna Hlobchasta is the head of the villages of Makiivka and Hrekivka in the Luhansk region. For more than 30 years, she worked as a teacher of mathematics and physics in her hometown of Makiivka. She later became the village head.

On March 3, 2022, russian forces occupied her village. Halyna categorically refused to cooperate with the occupiers. In mid-April of the same year, russian forces abducted her. She was interrogated and brutally tortured. In her yard, the occupiers found a hiding place with Ukrainian flags and blue-and-yellow ribbons. During one of the interrogations, they brought in her husband and ordered them to say goodbye.

Eventually, the couple was released, and they decided to flee the occupation. They managed to reach the Kharkiv region, where they met Ukrainian soldiers.

Journalists can arrange to speak with Halyna Hlobchasta both online and offline in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv

Olha Shchedrina lived in Ireland until 2024, where she worked as an assistant to the Ambassador of Ukraine. After the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, the embassy faced an increased workload, as many Irish citizens reached out to support Ukrainians.

Soon, Olha began traveling to Ukraine on short missions, delivering humanitarian aid while also training in tactical medicine. In late 2023, she decided to stay in Ukraine permanently and later joined the medical battalion Hospitallers.

She now evacuates wounded soldiers to stabilization points and provides medical assistance. Between rotations, Olha travels abroad to speak with international audiences about the war in Ukraine.

Journalists can arrange an online interview with Olha Shchedrina upon prior agreement and coordination with a press officer.

Background: The Hospitallers Medical Battalion has been operating on the front line since 2014. Its crews carry out dozens of evacuations daily along much of the front line. The Hospitallers have been providing tactical medicine training since 2015 and first aid training since 2018.

• doctors
• military
• women

On April 5, journalists are invited to attend the Ukrainian premiere of “SANCTUS VERITAS” performed by the National Academic Symphonic Band of Ukraine. The concert will be conducted by Honored Artist of Ukraine Olha Rukavishnikova and conductor Ivan Stetskyi, featuring works by European composers.

For Olha Rukavishnikova, this performance marks a return to civilian life after four years of service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces on February 24, 2022. Her primary weapon was an RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launcher, and she is also trained to operate a sniper rifle, automatic grenade launcher, machine gun, and mortar.

During one of the combat missions, she was thrown several meters by a blast wave, and a fragment fractured her cervical spine. As a result of the same injury, she lost her left eye.

Background: The first part of “SANCTUS VERITAS” will feature the dramatic biblical work Adam and Eve by Hugo Chinesta and the large-scale symphonic piece Noah’s Ark by Óscar Navarro. The second part will include the deeply emotional symphonic poem Abraham by Ferrer Ferran and Byzantine Mosaics by Franco Cesarini — a musical symbol of spiritual grandeur and the light associated with the birth of Christ.
Journalists can review the full program in advance. Accreditation is required.
Interviews with Olha Rukavishnikova are available upon request.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• women
• Kyiv

Oleksii Naidenko joined Ukraine’s defense in 2014, serving in the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Prior to that, he had worked for more than 15 years as a boatswain on gas carriers. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned from abroad to defend the country again, this time serving in the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade (DUK PS).

In 2023, he was discharged from military service due to health reasons. On November 25, 2024, he died in hospital as a result of complications from his injuries.

His wife, Olena, has been involved in volunteer work since 2016. She founded the initiative group “Cherkasy Charivnytsi,” which prepares dry rations and ready-to-eat meals in retort pouches for soldiers on the frontline and visits wounded defenders in hospitals.

The couple has a 13-year-old son, Matvii Naidenko. He is an eighth-grade student and actively participates in sports, including competitions under the “Side by Side” initiative (rugby, football, handball). Since 2020, the family has also taken part in charity runs and marathons in support of the military.

According to his mother, Matvii was very close to his father. While his father worked at sea, the boy helped at home, and after his loss, he became a strong support for his mother and actively participates in volunteer work.

The family has remained in Cherkasy. Matvii is a beneficiary of the “Children of Heroes” Charitable Foundation.

In 2025, one of Matvii’s dreams was to receive an autograph from Ukrainian footballer Artem Dovbyk. This wish was fulfilled with the support of Daniel Salem and Lida Lee. He is now focused on football and preparing to enter a football academy.

Journalists can arrange interviews with the family online by prior arrangement.

• children
• dead
• military
• women

In 2023, the UNBROKEN Centre, together with the UNBROKEN Charitable Foundation and L’Oréal Ukraine, launched the joint social project “(Not) Up For Beauty.” Its goal is to help women affected by russian aggression overcome the physical effects of war, restore their appearance, and regain self-confidence.

What support do participants receive within the project?

– Consultations with qualified specialists in plastic surgery, aesthetic medicine, and other medical professionals if needed;

– Individual treatment plans depending on the consequences of injuries, including surgeries, cosmetic procedures, and CO₂ laser scar resurfacing;

– Sessions of body-oriented psychotherapy and counseling.

Over more than two years since its launch, 61 women have received assistance. All services within the project are provided free of charge.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with the project’s specialists and, where appropriate, with participants.

• casualties
• doctors
• 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