Themes by tag: women

Oleksandr Derevianko was killed by enemy tank fire in April 2022. Together with his comrades from the Azov Brigade he was defending occupied Mariupol. Oleksandr’s mother, Anna, says she felt when her son died, and the next day she received the news from the brigade’s patronage service. Anna describes “Adams” as a passionate young man and a warrior at heart. At one point, Anna found the money to allow Oleksandr to start boxing. He also attended football matches in Cherkasy and joined the Ultras fan movement. Anna says that Oleksandr was someone who young people listened to; he encouraged them to take up sports, while he himself won first places in boxing, combat sambo and free fighting competitions.

In 2020, Oleksandr completed basic training, signed a contract with the 12th Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine, and in 2022 he defended Mariupol. After her son’s death, Anna started attending football matches and getting tattoos. She became a contact person for one of Oleksandr’s comrades-in-arms, who is now in captivity and has no relatives. Anna says she promised her son that she would live, and she is keeping her word.

For reference: Anna Derevianko lives in Cherkassy. The mother of the fallen soldier is ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement. 

• dead
• military
• women
• Cherkasy

Olena Savchenko, 33, once worked as a quality control inspector at a warehouse in Brovary, a town in Kyiv region. Her life took a dramatic turn when a russian missile destroyed her workplace, leaving her without a job. Refusing to be defeated, Olena found new purpose through The HALO Trust Ukraine, inspired by her husband, who has spent the last three years defending Ukraine in the East.

Now, Olena is part of a team dedicated to clearing her homeland of explosive remnants of war, helping make the Kyiv Oblast safer for future generations. Her efforts reflect her hope for a peaceful future, especially for her children.

For context: The HALO Trust Ukraine is the local program of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian demining organization. Active in Ukraine since 2015, the group works alongside Ukrainians to remove the deadly legacy of war.

• women
• Kyiv
• demining

On September 8, the “Beloved, I Live!” project will launch its fifth group of support classes in Zaporizhia. This initiative, dedicated to providing psychological assistance to women who have lost their husbands in the war, will welcome seven new participants.

The project was conceived in March 2023 when Yaryna Herashchenko, a social activist, was approached by a family friend grieving her military husband. The idea for “Beloved, I Live!” emerged from this interaction, with Herashchenko and her mother, a psychologist, coming together to offer support.

Participants in the program receive counseling and engage in various therapeutic activities such as archery, yoga, and Thai boxing. The initiative also includes off-site events. For example, on Khortytsia Island, participants wrote letters to their lost loved ones, crafted boats from these messages, and set them afloat on the Dnipro River. Additionally, they prepared and shared meals featuring their Beloveds’ favorite dishes. The women have also been involved in two photo projects: “In Memory of You,” which features images with memorabilia to tell the stories of their husbands, and “Beloved, I Live!,” a photo session designed to inspire renewal.

• dead
• military
• psychological support
• women
• Zaporizhzhia

Indira Urusova, a native of Mariupol, has transformed her harrowing experience of living under russian occupation into a force for good. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Indira began her studies at a university in Kyiv, but later switched to distance learning and returned to Mariupol. She was at home with her family when russia launched its full-scale invasion. Initially, they held out hope for a swift ceasefire, but as the conflict dragged on, it became clear that escape was their only option.

Their car was damaged by explosions, but Indira and her parents managed to reach russian-occupied Berdiansk. From there, they made a perilous journey through russian territory, eventually finding refuge in Bulgaria. The family remained in Bulgaria until October 2022, before returning to Kyiv.

Haunted by the devastation in her hometown, Indira sought a way to help her country. She created a drawing of a burning house in Mariupol, captioned: “We will survive, because the sun rises over the free Azov.” This artwork sparked the creation of KRYLATI, a charity project dedicated to raising awareness about Mariupol, Donetsk, and the Pryazovia region.

Alongside a colleague, Indira organizes workshops and lectures for young people, challenging myths and spreading the truth about the region. All proceeds from KRYLATI are donated to support the Ukrainian military.

• casualties
• occupation
• women
• Kyiv
• Mariupol

The NGO Vodnyk has launched a new yachting training program in Kyiv, specifically designed for women veterans, the wives of veterans, and internally displaced persons. Participants in the program are learning to sail using RS Tera sports boats, which are designed for single-person use.

Twelve women have enrolled in the program, with training sessions held four times a week. The goal is to prepare these women to compete in various yachting competitions.

Journalists can arrange in advance to cover these training sessions.
In addition to this initiative, Kyiv has also introduced an adaptive yachting project aimed at providing opportunities for people with disabilities, including veterans.

• women
• Kyiv

Oksana Vedmid, 32, was a world champion powerlifter before russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Alongside her husband and coach, Pavlo Vedmid, she achieved global recognition by securing the title in the equipped bench press category. But their lives took a sharp turn at the onset of war. When news of the invasion broke, the couple was in western Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains. Without hesitation, they returned to their hometown of Dnipro. 

Pavlo quickly enlisted in the local territorial defense forces, playing a critical role in the liberation of Izium in the Kharkiv region. Tragically, his life was cut short when an enemy shell struck his vehicle during a mission. Devastated but determined, Oksana decided to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces, driven to carry on the fight Pavlo had started. Today, Oksana serves on the front lines, using drones to target enemy positions.

Oksana Vedmid is currently serving on the frontline and is available for interviews with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• dead
• military
• women

Khrystyna Drahomaretska, 27 years old, is an architect by profession. With the beginning of the full-scale war, the woman started rescuing homeless animals and evacuating them from the war zone. She continues working despite the enemy shelling. For example, recently in Toretsk, Donetsk region, three russian guided aerial bombs struck not far away from Khrystyna. And in Vovchansk, Kharkiv oblast, while rescuing animals, Khrystyna sustained a shrapnel wound from enemy mortar fire.

As a rescuer, she uses a catch pole and a blow-pipe. Khrystyna works with her dog (German shepherd) Miledi that helps to find animals, which Khrystyna has hit with a tranquilizer dart, as they still have a few minutes to run away.

Khrystyna also founded a shelter for four-legged friends in Odesa, where she evacuates some animals from the war zone. There they are treated, taught to behave in the society and put up for adoption (about 70% of the animals go abroad). Currently, there are 160 dogs in Khrystyna’s shelter.

Journalists can learn more about Khrystyna’s work and communicate with her online or in person by prior arrangement.

For reference: Khrystyna rescues animals from the war zone together with the 12 Vartovykh (Guards) Charitable Foundation. She also joined the UAnimals rescue mission.

• animals
• casualties
• women
• Odesa

In a move widely condemned as illegal, russia has sentenced Ukrainian activist Irina Horobtsova to 10 years and 6 months in prison on charges of “espionage.” 

Horobtsova, a resident of Kherson and an employee of a Ukrainian IT company, gained attention in the spring of 2022 for her outspoken posts on social media about life under russian occupation. She shared images featuring Ukrainian symbols and referred to her apartment as the “home base of the resistance.” However, on May 13, 2022, russian forces abducted her from her home. She was subsequently held in a pre-trial detention center in occupied Crimea, where she was kept in isolation with no access to the outside world or visits from family.

Horobtsova’s parents have expressed their willingness to speak with the media about her situation.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Kherson

Mariia Peshko raised her son Ivan alone while living in a village in the Rivne region, where she taught math at the local school. As a child, Ivan frequently played in the schoolyard or in a nearby vacant lot.

In 2014, as an adult, Ivan  joined the army. He served for a year before being mobilized again in 2021. His contract was set to end in April 2022, but during one of his combat missions, Ivan Kliuiko and his unit were caught in enemy fire. Ivan was killed. Devastated by her loss, Mariia frequently gazed at the empty lot where Ivan once played, yearning to restore its sense of joy. In a poignant tribute, she decided to transform the space into a vibrant community hub. Using the state compensation she received after Ivan’s death, Mariia, with the support of Ivan’s wife Olha, constructed a playground and a soccer field in his honor. Today, the village of Orvianytsia boasts these new facilities, which have become focal points for community activities. Mariia and Olha continue to organize various events, ensuring that Ivan’s memory lives on through the laughter and camaraderie of the village.

• dead
• military
• women
• Rivne

Iryna Shmatko lost her husband and mother in the war. Iryna met her beloved Oleksandr back in 2014 at the Azov training center, where her future husband was serving at the time. The relationship developed, in 2017 Oleksandr was discharged and the couple became parents of three children.

With the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Shmatko immediately returned to the ranks of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and Iryna took up volunteering.

On April 15, 2022, Iryna lost her mother, Nataliia Strebkova (call sign Zoriana), who defended Mariupol and died during the bombing of the Azovstal plant.

Later, Iryna found out that she was pregnant with her fourth child. However, Oleksandr didn’t live long enough to meet his youngest daughter. He died in November 2023 in Donetsk region. The girl, who was born three weeks after her father’s death, was named Zoriana after her heroic grandmother.

Journalists can talk to Iryna in person in Poltava or online. Iryna is raising two sons (ages 9 and 5) and two daughters (age 7 and an 8-month infant).

For reference: Nataliia Strebkova (call sign Zoriana) was posthumously awarded the Order for Courage 3rd degree. The “Memorial” platform created a documentary film about Nataliia.

Currently, the family is being cared for by the Children of Heroes charitable foundation. The organization helps children who lost one or both parents as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion. The foundation provides financial assistance, psychological and legal support, promotes education and development of children until they reach adulthood.

• children
• dead
• military
• women
• Poltava