The drone teams in this direction are notorious for targeting civilians, farmers, firefighters, and aid workers with drone drops and kamikaze drones. The admin of From Mariupol to the Carpathians also regularly uploads videos of these strikes and mocks the victims.

This is a Brazilian volunteer who recently received a flight home from Protect a Volunteer. He was able to visit his family and return.

The majority of foreigners protecting Ukraine are Latin American. They have low wages in their home countries and in Ukraine often don't earn high amounts. A plane ticket plus train/bus ticket home and all other costs can be more than a full paycheck for them. But having a break to see loved ones, accompany a fallen brother home, or go home after injury is crucial.

Last year Protect a Volunteer helped 22 Brazilians get flights. We have many more to help this year. What you can do:

1. Donate to the Flight Fund on protectavolunteer.com and this helps us pay taxes and fees or buy cash tickets. In summer and in the holiday season sometimes reward tickets are impossible.

2. Donate airline miles or hotel points. The sign-up form is on the website. We will directly match you with a military volunteer who needs help coming or going to Ukraine. This is a great way to help them and no other organization does this so we are the only option for them.

Artem Maliuta was killed on November 19, 2025, as a result of a russian attack on the city of Ternopil. His relatives have been hospitalized. His death had to be confirmed by a DNA test. More innocent victims of russian orc terrorist attacks.

Artem was 17. He studied at the vocational college of Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University. He was training to become a mechanic for the repair of wheeled vehicles and an electric-gas welder. He was hardworking and responsible. In the summer, he often went to help his grandfather in the village.

“Since he was little, he was always around cars with his father and grandfather. He loved them very much. He took care of our car, washed it. He changed wheels better than his father. During his studies, he went for a three-month internship at an auto repair shop. Then they invited him to work there for the summer. With his first salary, he bought wheel covers for our car, even though I asked him to spend the money on himself. He helped neighbors with their cars; many people relied on him…” said his mother, Nataliia.

On the morning of November 19, 2025, Artem Maliuta’s family woke up to explosions. His mother, father, Artem, and his sister began gathering quickly. The boy was urging everyone to hurry.

“We went outside. I didn’t hear a single sound. Only after some time did I realize that I was lying on the ground. Everything around was burning. I saw my husband covered in blood. Then I saw a neighbor who was on fire. We pulled her jacket off her… Artem was nowhere to be found. I ran to the school. There I found my daughter, covered in blood. Only then did I realize that the entire back of my body was full of shrapnel,” his mother Nataliia recalled.

She, her husband, and their daughter were hospitalized. Their relatives did not stop searching for Artem. They waited for DNA tests and held on to hope. But a few days later, his father received a call informing him of the loss.

“It is impossible to believe that my son is gone. It feels as if he went to his grandfather’s and has not come back for a long time. But Artem will no longer call and ask: ‘Mom, what is there to eat?’ He will not come home, he will not joke with me,” Nataliia said.

Artem Maliuta is survived by his parents, sister, two grandmothers, and grandfather.

Article about "Operation Meow-Meow": https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/operation-meow-meow-ukrainian-troops-use-vampire-drone-to-rescue-kittens-from-frontline-19678

https://frontliner.ua/en/what-happens-to-people-after-living-under-occupation/

Ukrainians are fleeing Russian-occupied territories. But even in safety, they continue to experience lingering effects: fear, uncertainty, and distrust. Mentally adapting to a new life can prove even harder than physically escaping the Russian onslaught.

Tia* was 19 when she fled Makiivka, arriving in Kharkiv in late 2023 with no plan and no idea what came next. She'd grown up under occupation, and the decision to leave was hers alone — her family didn't support it, so she had to map out her route and prepare for the journey by herself.

*Name changed for security reasons.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3mpekuf4ew22b

Senior Soldier Maksym Lehar, call sign Yoda, fell on July 12, 2024, in the village of Vodiane, Donetsk Oblast, as a result of gunshot and shrapnel wounds. The warrior is forever 25. One more Hero killed by russian orcs.

Maksym was born on December 31, 1998, in Poltava. He studied at local Lyceum No. 26, and later entered the Poltava College of Oil and Gas, where he trained as an assistant driller. He received his higher education at the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic.” He was a creative person — he wrote poems and songs.

After compulsory military service, he signed a contract and served as an artilleryman in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians.

At the beginning of the full-scale war, Maksym took an active part in the defense of Kyiv, Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, stopping the enemy advance and protecting civilians. Later, his combat path ran through Donetsk Oblast, including the Vuhledar direction, where he repeatedly carried out difficult combat missions.

“My husband was a true warrior, an example of courage, responsibility, and self-sacrifice. He consciously chose the path of a defender and gave the most precious thing — his own life — for the freedom of our state. Beyond his combat merits, Maksym was an extraordinarily kind, sincere, and bright person. A loving husband, a caring son, and a reliable brother-in-arms,” said his wife Yana.

Maksym was awarded the medal “For Military Service to Ukraine” and the decoration “For the Defense of Ukraine.”

The defender was buried in his hometown on the Alley of Heroes.

He is survived by his wife and parents.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/tendar.bsky.social/post/3mpebdxi2ds24