Themes by tag: women

In Kyiv and its surrounding region, the Ukrainian Valkyrie NGO is equipping women with essential self-defense skills. The organization’s training sessions aim to dispel fears around weapons, instill a culture of responsible handling, and teach practical armed defense techniques. The initiative seeks to empower women—whether wives, mothers, or professionals—to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from potential threats.

Classes are held four times a week and incorporate two core elements: mental resilience and armed defense training. Participants can practice using a multimedia shooting simulator, learn the basics of firearm laws, and engage in practical shooting drills with rifled and smoothbore weapons. The program also includes first aid and psychological preparation, ensuring a comprehensive approach to safety and security.

The program attracts women from diverse professions, including teachers, accountants, IT specialists, police officers, firefighters, artists, psychologists, models, and bloggers. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, approximately 3,500 women have completed the training, with many going on to serve in Ukraine’s armed forces.

Media representatives can arrange to observe and report on these training sessions in Kyiv and the region.

• women
• Kyiv

Tetiana Tipakova, originally from Donetsk and a longtime resident of Berdiansk in Zaporizhia Oblast (now under occupation), spent nearly 30 years working in a travel agency. When russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she became an active voice in support of her country, organizing peaceful protests in Berdiansk.

For her efforts, Tetiana was abducted by russian forces. Blindfolded and taken to a detention center, she endured two days of interrogation and brutal torture, including electric shocks to her fingers and a mock execution. She was forced to record a video apology before being released. However, the next day, she was captured again, held for four more days, and subjected to further abuse.

After this harrowing experience, Tetiana made the decision to flee Berdiansk. She crossed more than 20 checkpoints to reach Zaporizhia, where she founded a women’s initiative group. This eventually led to the creation of the NGO “Ridna Stezhka” (Home Footpath), dedicated to helping displaced people and supporting fellow Ukrainians.

In the early stages, Tetiana’s organization provided food, medicine, and support for evacuees, helping them settle into their new lives in Zaporizhia. Within the first year, the NGO successfully applied for 24 grants, winning 3.

By 2024, Tetiana had secured financial backing to launch an educational space offering computer literacy classes, movie screenings, and psychological support. Her organization is now expanding its mission to empower women through education, training, and ongoing support in Zaporizhia.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Zaporizhzhia

Oksana Starodub, a mother of two from Chernihiv, faced unthinkable challenges after deciding to stay in her hometown when the war began. Her husband, Mykola, joined the territorial defense forces on the second day of the all-out invasion, determined to protect his family and city. On March 6, 2022, russian mortars struck Oksana’s home, leaving her severely injured and unable to move. Her teenage son bandaged her wounds as they awaited help, but continued shelling prevented an ambulance from reaching them. Eventually, Mykola and his unit managed to return home, where a military medic applied a tactical tourniquet to Oksana’s leg before she was taken to a hospital. The hospital, overwhelmed with wounded, was operating under dire conditions. Power was down due to nearby shelling, staff was stretched thin, and resources were scarce. Drinking water arrived only once daily, and food for both patients and doctors was cooked outdoors over an open flame. Oksana later traveled to Vinnytsia for multiple surgeries and, by September 2022, was able to walk on her own again. 

Meanwhile, Mykola continued defending the Chernihiv region until his battalion was deployed to Donetsk. On June 17, 2024, during a combat mission, Mykola sustained fatal wounds, leaving Oksana a widow.

The Children of Heroes charity foundation is currently supporting the family. Dedicated to aiding children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the foundation offers financial assistance, psychological counseling, legal aid, and educational support to help these children grow and thrive until adulthood.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• women
• Chernihiv

Oksana Pohomii, a dedicated volunteer and member of the Kherson City Council, remained steadfast in her commitment to her community during the relentless occupation by russian forces. Throughout this challenging period, she awaited the city’s liberation while providing crucial support to those in need, even managing to share videos documenting life under occupation. Oksana was present in Kherson during the catastrophic explosion of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023.

As the head of the Kherson Solidarna Sprava Hromad NGO (Solidarity Cause of the Communities in Kherson), Oksana recently oversaw the establishment of the Kherson Ukrainian Cultural Center, named after Oleksandr Menshov, a renowned Ukrainian writer from Kherson who lost his life at the front last year. This center serves as a refuge and hosts various cultural events, welcoming participation from all members of the community.

Following the city’s liberation, Oksana’s organization launched a volunteer bakery, providing freshly baked bread for both local residents and military personnel. On the second anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, November 11, the bakery is set to celebrate a significant milestone: the production of its three hundred thousandth loaf of bread.

Journalists interested in learning more about Oksana’s inspiring efforts can engage with her in Kherson or connect online.

For context: Kherson fell under russian occupation on March 1, 2022, at the onset of the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but the threat remains, with regular shelling continuing to affect the area.

• culture
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Daria Bondar, once a lawyer, and Olena Tkach, a former translator and communicator, left their established careers to train in the USA as end-of-life doulas, offering support to individuals in their final days. Their goal was to ease the dying process and provide comfort to families. Yet in Ukraine, they found a different need—helping those grieving war-related losses.

Today, Daria supports people grappling with various forms of loss due to the conflict: homes, pets, marriages, identities, and even the joy of life. Olena works directly with those mourning loved ones lost in war, as well as the families of missing persons and prisoners of war.

Doulas, they emphasize, are not psychologists or medical professionals; they do not treat but offer compassion and companionship. Their sessions, lasting up to two hours, can be held online or in person when possible.

Daria is based in the Kyiv region, while Olena lives in the capital. Both are available for interviews with journalists, in person or online, by prior arrangement.

For reference: “Doula” comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “maid.” Traditionally assisting women in childbirth, the term evolved in the 2000s in the U.S. to include professionals offering end-of-life companionship. 

• casualties
• women
• Kyiv

Olha Kurtmallaieva, a 25-year-old finance professional, was in her hometown of Berdiansk, Zaporizhia oblast (currently occupied), when the full-scale russian invasion began. She managed to leave the occupied territory in the summer of 2022.

Olha’s husband, Ruslan, has been defending the country since 2014, serving in the ATO/JFO zone. He has now been in russian captivity for 30 months, having been captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.

In 2021, Olha was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system). Despite her serious illness, she actively fights for her husband’s release and participates in every POW-related event. Initially, she co-founded a non-governmental organization to help soldiers of the 501st Marine Battalion return home. Later, together with other women fighting for the return of captured Marines, she created the association “Marine corps strength”, a coalition of seven public organizations, three charitable foundations and a family association. Among other things, the women organize events, hold meetings, and communicate with representatives of the Ukrainian government. The association also provides legal aid, support for released prisoners, psychological support for families, and aid to the front lines.

During the full-scale war, Olha learned that her disease had progressed from the second to the fourth stage. Doctors attributed this to her high stress level. Olha has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy and is in remission, but still needs a stem cell transplant.

By prior arrangement, journalists can talk to Olga in Kyiv.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

The Ukrainian women’s national amputee soccer team is set to compete in the inaugural Women’s Amputee Football World Cup, held in Colombia from November 4-11, 2024. Journalists have the chance to engage with team members and report on their final preparations for the journey.

The team, composed of nine players from across Ukraine—including Chernivtsi, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and the Kyiv region—represents diverse backgrounds. The goalkeeper, an internally displaced person, now resides in the Netherlands, while team captain Olha Benda is a military veteran who lost her leg in the war.

Reporters will have access to the team in Ukraine’s Cherkasy region on October 30, with another opportunity on October 31 in Lviv, the day of their departure. Interviews via online platforms will also be available.

This initiative is supported by the Ukrainian Amputees Football Association and the Women’s Department of the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF), in collaboration with NGOs Camp Maximum and Way of the Champion.

• women
• Cherkasy
• Lviv

Alina, a volunteer from Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, is raising two sons while supporting the nation’s defenders. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, she began by cooking meals with a friend and sending them to the frontlines. Soon after, she acquired a car, allowing her to personally deliver essential supplies to soldiers.

Her commitment led her to establish a charity named “Unbreakable Kitty,” inspired by her call sign. She recalls being called “Kitty” since her school days, with “Unbreakable” added as her resolve deepened. Her foundation continues to prepare meals and dry rations, storing all donated and purchased supplies at its facility.

In a separate room, Alina keeps cherished mementos: flags signed by soldiers, shell casings, certificates, letters of gratitude, and a photo banner honoring her brother, who was killed by a drone strike on March 17, 2024.

Alina is based in Nova Odesa, Mykolaiv region, and is open to interviews with journalists, both online and in person, with prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• women
• Mykolaiv

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

When the full-scale invasion began, Valentyna Nechvolod was working as a seamstress in Kupiansk, Kharkiv oblast. She wanted to evacuate immediately, but she couldn’t leave her mother, who lived near the town. However, she did not want to leave her 14-year-old son, who lived with her in Kupiansk, under the occupation. Faced with a difficult decision, she finally allowed him to leave with volunteers for Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Valentyna spent seven months in the occupation without work, refusing to work for the occupiers. When Kupiansk was liberated in September 2022, she and her mother moved to Kharkiv, where she began looking for a job. However, finding steady work in a city that was constantly shelled by the russians and left without electricity proved challenging. So Valentina enrolled in a course to learn how to start a business and soon received a grant to open a women’s space in Kharkiv called “Nezalezhna” (Independent).

The women’s space offers three types of services: beauty care, clothing repair in a textile workshop, and organizing various events for children. Valentyna employs displaced women who, like her, are struggling to find work in their new environment.

• occupation
• women
• Kharkiv