News
On Volunteer Day, we invited paramedic and volunteer Olga 'Kroha' Bashey to tell her three stories about the war.
In 2014, Kroha went to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. Olga returned from the front lines in 2018, but in 2022, in the first days of full-scale invasion, she joined the forces again as a volunteer paramedic and continues to save the lives of wounded soldiers to this day.
Read about luck, true friendship, and death in war in Kroha's own words.
The story about luck
There was one story in 2014. We were working near Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. The commander[...]
14.03.2024
Iryna joined the Army at the age of 45. In January of 2015 she joined the Azov volunteer battalion. She had moved out of Crimea 2 months prior to that and in 6 months she joined the 24th brigade as a sanitary instructor where she was on combat duty on the frontline, was saving servicemen and was responsible for the health of the brigade. Today she is defending Ukraine as an aerial reconnaissance soldier.
My husband stayed in Crimea and I left with the children. At the time I was working in the medical field and the company sent me to Uzhgorod. There I started going to recruitment[...]
14.03.2024
This Mother's Day, we want to express our respect and admiration for mothers in the army. You made a difficult choice when you went to defend the country, being aware of all the risks and complications that could happen in your family's life. The most difficult test is being away from your children. We embrace each of you, are proud of you, are inspired, and call on every Ukrainian man and woman to respect the conscious choice of mothers in the army. We have only one common enemy, let's remember the price of our freedom and thank everyone who fights for this freedom and us.
Why didn’t[...]
14.03.2024
Emotional rollercoasters, driven by news from the frontlines, constant air raid alerts, and a sense of lack of control, have become the reality for most inhabitants of our country. Both military personnel and civilians experience a wide spectrum of feelings. During the execution of their duties, when they must constantly remain focused and prepared for any trials, supporting comrades and close circles becomes particularly crucial.
We wake up in the morning ready to conquer mountains, but by midday, we're overwhelmed.
Yes, these are emotional rollercoasters, and almost everyone has[...]
05.11.2023
Continuing to address the challenging and rarely discussed topic of captivity, our military psychologist, Kateryna "Melnik's Daughter," has gathered recommendations from former hostages and experts on how to conduct oneself in extremely difficult conditions and survive.
1) Restore and maintain self-control. Try to overcome panic reactions after being captured as quickly as possible. To manage this, engage your body's physical resources: for a short period, allow yourself to tremble as much as you can (if it's safe); tap yourself on the thighs or shins to feel your body; press your heels[...]
31.08.2023
Yesterday, on August 21, 2023, members of parliament registered Bill No. 9637, which proposes an updated definition of the statuses of war veterans. Today, the Committee on Social Policy and Veterans' Rights issued its conclusion and recommends to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to include the bill in the agenda, designate it as urgent, and shorten the deadlines for submitting alternative bills.
We, a community of expert civil organizations in the field of veterans' affairs, express our professional disagreement with the logic of defining veterans' experience proposed by the authors of the[...]
22.08.2023
According to the accounts of defenders themselves, the worst consequence of combat for a soldier is captivity. As of the end of June 2023, the National Information Bureau reports that 126 women are held in Russian captivity. Among them are 46 military personnel and 80 civilians. In certain situations, falling into the hands of the enemy is considered worse than death. The adversary seeks to obtain the maximum amount of operational information, often disregarding the concept of "human rights" and resorting to torture. Those who conduct interrogations use all available means to extract[...]
13.08.2023
Ukrainian society has not fully adapted to the fact that war has made significant changes in our lives. Often, war injuries are not visible externally: one doesn't necessarily need to be in a wheelchair, have an amputation, or possess disability documents, yet they may grapple with serious health impairments. They might leisurely stroll through the park beside you or enjoy a favorite drink in a nearby café, and you may not notice the silent battle they face with relentless pain every day. Sometimes, these "hidden" injuries like PTSD, post-concussion syndrome, blast injury (or shell shock),[...]
30.07.2023
On the first day after the explosion at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, the VETERANKA volunteer headquarters began collecting aid and preparing a humanitarian mission to the areas most affected. Our team was among the first to set off to assist Kherson Region. We evacuated animals, delivered medicine, boats, clothing, food, and hygiene products to those in greatest need. Thanks to your donations, friends, and the support of philanthropists, we have successfully carried out four such missions. Our fourth mission to assist the Kherson Region took place in collaboration with our[...]
26.07.2023
Friends, we love to report when we have good news. Thanks to Kryzhanivskyi's "Flowers of War" photo exhibition and a charity stand-up, the support of our partners Peremoga, Ukrainian Witness and benefactors, we closed the collection of UAH 350,000 for Ukrainian medics.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined, supported and participated in these events.
A large collection for paramedics and a charity exhibition continue. Soon the photos will be available in different parts of Ukraine. Stay tuned for[...]
19.07.2023