Society & Culture

Kharkiv resident and volunteer Ihor Shyshko, who lost 50 kilograms of weight during 801 days of detention in Russian prisons, told about interrogations with torture, psychological and physical violence that lasted until his last day in captivity. The former prisoner, acting director of the regional municipal enterprise Veteran's Space. Side by Side” said this in an interview with Ukrinform. According to Shyshko, he was held for 51 days in a camp in Shebekino, Belgorod region, and then transferred to Staryi Oskol, Bryansk region. Then the Kharkiv resident was held in Novozybkiv, Tula, and Pakino in the Vladimir region. “On May…

On February 23, 2025, on the eve of the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, a rally in support of Ukraine was held in the heart of Istanbul, on Şişhane Square. It was attended by representatives of the families of missing persons, prisoners of war, and illegally convicted defenders of Ukraine. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul. We see how our joint efforts are becoming a symbol of hope and strength. Every voice of support inspires us to fight for peace and justice. Today's rally is a real proof that…

In Antarctica, the flag of the Azov Brigade was raised over the Ukrainian Akademik Vernadsky station to honor its military and fulfill the dream of Mariupol defender Valeria “Nava” Subbotina. According to Ukrinform, the National Antarctic Research Center reported this on Facebook and posted a video. In May 2022, while on the Azovstal ship surrounded by the enemy, Valeria wrote to the polar explorers that she would like to go to Antarctica for the winter, and this would be her additional motivation to survive. She was later captured, but during the most difficult days she thought about the icy continent.…

On the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, a march and rally of the Ukrainian community organized by the LUkraine association took place in Luxembourg. The rally was attended by hundreds of local residents, representatives of the diplomatic corps of several countries, MEPs and high-ranking officials of the European Commission. The demonstration was held under the slogan “Justice for Ukraine - Peace for Europe,” an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Today, just as at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we declare: we will fight, we will not surrender. Never. Just like 11 years ago, we continue to fight for our unity,…

Several thousand people gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Saturday for a large-scale rally marking the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Demonstrators called for continued support for Ukraine. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, participants marched through the capital's downtown to the residence of the Russian ambassador, demanding an end to Russian aggression. People traveled from various U.S. states, some arriving individually and others on buses organized by Ukrainian community leaders. Many carried blue-and-yellow flags, Ukrainian symbols, and signs calling for continued military aid to Ukraine, NATO membership, and an end to Russian aggression to…

After prolonged negotiations last fall, the Russians indicated their willingness to release journalist Viktoria Roshchina, but they repeatedly postponed her return until reports emerged that she had died in captivity. This was disclosed in an interview with Ukrinform by Head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War Bohdan Okhrimenko. "The Coordination Headquarters made multiple requests for the return of Viktoria. After lengthy discussions last fall, we received a response from the Russians indicating that they were supposedly ready to return her. However, they postponed the return date several times. There were a number…

The International Committee of the Red Cross has only 130 representatives in Russia, while there are 800 in Ukraine. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. “We have ICRC offices in Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa. In total, about 800 ICRC employees work in Ukraine. There are also representatives of the National Red Cross Society. At the same time, we have five camps for prisoners of war. Russia is a much bigger country, but they have only about 130 ICRC representatives. And…

In 2024, Russia fulfilled 104% of its mobilization plan for men on temporarily occupied territories. This was reported by Head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War Bohdan Okhrimenko in an interview with Ukrinform. "In 2024, Russia was supposed to mobilize thousands of people from newly occupied territories and those that had been under occupation for some time. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, this plan has been fulfilled by 104%. They have a plan for mobilization this year as well, involving thousands of people," he said. Okhrimenko did not disclose the total…

Negotiators from Russia are primarily interested in the repatriation of conscripts and Chechens from Ukrainian captivity, and at times, Ukraine has to persuade them to take back their citizens. This was reported in an interview with Ukrinform by Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. "Our negotiators sometimes have the task, aside from reaching agreements on the return of our citizens, to convince the Russians to take their own people. They have a huge number of forcibly mobilized soldiers, some of whom were recruited from prisons. Many of these people…

Reports about a possible shutting off Starlink service for Ukraine are false, according to Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk made this statement on X, as reported by Ukrinform. "This is false," Musk wrote in response to claims that Starlink access for Ukraine might be restricted. He also accused Reuters of spreading misinformation, stating: "Reuters is lying. They are second only to AP (Associated Propaganda) as legacy news liars," Musk posted. Additionally, he shared a visual post reinforcing his accusations against Reuters. Read also: U.S. may cut Ukraine’s access…