“I’m already living my dream—enjoying life”
VALERII ODAINYK is from Kamianets-Podilskyi. enlisted in the military on a contract basis in 2021. In January 2023, he was injured when his vehicle hit an enemy anti-tank mine in the Donetsk region. when
“I love living in small houses among the highland meadows to feel the unique charm of the mountainous region”
Originally from Volyn, KOSTIANTYN KOPELIUK sustained an injury during an attack in Donetsk Oblast in July 2022, which led to the loss of part of his foot. He has a non-confrontational nature and believes
“I would not like to be thanked just because I am on a prosthesis,” Roman Poltavets
ROMAN POLTAVETS was injured during the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counteroffensive in his native Kharkiv region as a result of enemy shelling in June 2022. Prior to the war, he was an avid football and
“I was born under a lucky star, but its light wasn’t strong enough”
ILLIA PYLYPENKO, a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Vinnytsia, faced life-changing challenges during his service. In September 2022, during a combat mission, Illia’s tank hit a mine. He regained consciousness surrounded by
“I’ve long realized that all the answers are within you”
PAVLO KORYTNIUK lost his leg in July 2022 as a result of a massive artillery strike by Russian forces in the Donetsk region. Following his injuryhe took on new challenges, such as trekking through
“We always achieve what we truly want and believe in”
ARSEN RIABOSHAPKO, originally from the Kirovohrad region, studied in Odesa and grew up dreaming of becoming a professional football player. His passion for sports began early and remains strong to this day, extending to
“Most people look down at their feet; I always look up at the sky”
VIACHESLAV KAISTRO is passionate about bird photography. He can tell you everything about birds—from their names and colors to how long you need to observe them to get the perfect shot. Sports help him
“This rave is something real. There are no masks here, you can truly see who people are”
OLEKSII TIUNIN is from the Kharkiv region. When the full-scale war began, he fought to defend his homeland. Later, he joined the 3rd Assault Brigade. After the war, Oleksii transitioned to a career as
“The work of a reconnaissance officer excites me; it’s unseen but incredibly important”
Born in Donetsk, YEVHEN TIURIN joined the National Guard of Ukraine in 2017. He served in the east and took part in the defense of Kyiv during the full-scale invasion. Yevhen shares that reconnaissance
“The best way I could support the army was by joining the Defense Forces”
Despite losing a leg in the war, MYKHAILO TARASENKO remains determined to chase his dreams. With the help of a prosthetic, he even conquered Mount Hoverla. He emphasizes that veteran sports programs play a
“When I get overwhelmed, I put on my sneakers and run”
For many years, RUSLAN SERHIICHUK has been working with veterans in his hometown, driven by his deep understanding of the challenges people face after returning from war. A lifelong passion for Cossack history has also
“My injury serves as a reminder that I haven’t lived my life in vain”
Before and after his involvement in the war, OLEKSII PRYTULA has worked as a veterinarian. He believes it’s crucial for society to recognize the sacrifices made by soldiers for the country and to ensure
“After the injury, I needed to prove to myself that I can still do everything”
OLEKSANDR ANDRIIENKO is the only police officer on the national team. Originally from Avdiivka, he awaits the liberation of his city. He was injured in July 2023 in his home region, resulting in the
“I’m convinced that nothing in this world is unconquerable”
ANATOLII BYRKO, a native of Khmelnytskyi and a serviceman since 2008, is known for his determination and perseverance. He views any decision to quit or leave something incomplete as a sign of personal weakness.
“I understood that saving my leg was impossible, but I was just grateful to be alive”
ANDRII BOICHUK, call sign “Hawk,” approaches his service as a job. He chose the army long before the war began. After being injured, he aims to teach people how to defend themselves—he wants to
“If the majority goes through combat, the indifferent minority will not affect their lives.”
OLEKSANDR ANDROSHCHUK is part of the football fan community and never saw himself as a soldier. However, he joined the military during the early years of the war and once again during the full-scale
“I don’t put off things I once dreamed of”
SERHII KHRAPKO first went to the enlistment office in the summer of 2014, but they sent him home. It wasn’t until January 2015 that he received his draft notice, and by then, he already
“I often thought it might have been easier to lose a leg than to live with these panic attacks”
At 18, VLADYSLAV KAPKANETS signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fulfilling a childhood dream to serve. But during one mission, he encountered his first panic attack. Since then, he’s lived with
“In our ward, there were six of us, and the support we gave each other really made a difference”
Originally from the Kherson region, YEVHEN KAUS admits he’d never even been to the Black Sea before his service — he’s always been drawn to his hometown’s Azov Sea. A lifelong hard worker, Yevhen
“I imagine what people look like. Sometimes they resemble cartoon characters”
In civilian life, IVAN LAVRENIUK worked as a sales representative and was a fan of team sports. His decision to join the war stemmed from two reasons: to liberate the country from the occupiers
“I know exactly the moment when I stayed in this world”
VOLODYMYR MARCHENKO is the Head of the Marketing Department at the “Osvita” Publishing House, a company that produces textbooks for schoolchildren. During the war, he received a severe traumatic brain injury but continues to
“You can either run away from your home or fight for it”
OLEKSII VASYLIUK believes he has seen a lot in his lifetime, though not enough. Before the full-scale war, he had traveled across Europe hitchhiking and worked with children. About himself. Before joining the army,
“People need to realize and check on whether their lives are worthy of what our soldiers are doing”
IHOR OLIINYK enjoys film photography, used to play in a band, did tattoos, and painted. However, now he plans to focus on military-related matters and help others develop in this area. About myself and
“I have a goal—to run a marathon on prosthetics”
VIKTOR DYKYI has felt like a soldier since childhood, claiming that he is a warrior at heart. Originally from the Kharkiv region, he lived in Donetsk for twenty years. He currently works for the
“Going to war was the right thing to do. I’d have felt utter remorse if I hadn’t gone”
DEMIAN DUDLIA has a delicate, poetic nature. He writes poetry and dreams of starting his own business. He finds happiness in simple, everyday things and in the presence of loved ones. About self: I’m
“I am a rebel and an adventurer, I’ll take risks to experience something unknown”
ALLA SENCHENKO has a strong intuition and is fascinated by Kabbalah. She is drawn to the understanding that “you are a part of something greater.” She survived captivity and discovered her inner strength. Participating
“If you don’t set limits for a person, they can achieve anything”
When ILLIA HAIDUK takes an interest in anything, he becomes a fanatic about it. He loves the feeling of adrenaline and believes that the veteran community is very important for an active life after
In mountaineering, just like in the army – if you want to survive, you have to listen to the guide and work as a team”
OLEKSII HORB has climbed a 5,000-meter peak in Kyrgyzstan and dreamed of snowboarding in Vancouver. He traded office stability for adventure and uncertainty. About Himself and His Passions: “I am naturally stubborn, because
“I know that I will walk; I need to dance with my daughter at her graduation.”
SERHII HORDIIEVYCH feels at home in the military, but he loves doing renovations by hand, and when everything is well-organized. He dreams of starting his own business and refers to himself and his daughter
“I was considered a madman; I loved to cook borscht in the Crimean Mountains”
OLEKSII VASYLIEV, outside of military affairs, is a polygraphist who loves traveling and Georgian cuisine. He finds happiness in moments spent with his granddaughter and the small steps he takes to achieve his goals.
Yulia Payevska: “The army wins battles, but it’s the people who can win the war”
In her civilian life, she is a designer, president of the Mutokukai-Ukraine Aikido Federation, 5th dan aikido. Since 2013, she has participated in the Revolution of Dignity and the war in eastern Ukraine as
Yulia Shevchuk: “It is very difficult not to fight when there is an ongoing war”
Student I am from the city of Lubny, Poltava region, and lived there with my grandmother until I was in the 9th grade. In the 10th and 11th grades, my parents took me to
Dmytro Kozak: “When the injured go in for sports, they seem to be reborn”
A child of the military I was a good child. I did well at school. As a child, I played chess. And, as they say: “Those who play chess are more disciplined”. It was
Oleksandr Budko: “I like to show people that it is possible to reach the top without legs, arms, or any other body parts”
Before the full-scale war I studied food processing engineering. So I worked as a barista in one of Kyiv’s cafes for a reason. I worked and studied graphic design at the same time. In
Vadym Maznichenko: “If not just one person, but a lot of people express their gratitude, it will give veterans confidence and understanding that they did not fight in vain”
The first year of the war “Until 2014, I worked in Kyiv installing metal structures. And I went to war voluntarily and became a grenade launcher. My ego led me then, and I knew
Ihor Derman: “I want to show the world that we are still here, we have not all been killed yet, we are fighting and will continue to fight”
The beginning of the war When I was deciding where to go to school, I chose between a military university and a university of civil defence, which was subordinated to the Ministry of Emergency
Veniamin Bondarchuk: “When you evacuate the wounded and killed, there is no time to think about how sorry you are for everyone”
A dream of the sea Since childhood, I wanted to be a sailor. I loved the sea. We travelled to Crimea in 2006-2008, to Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yevpatoria. As a kid, I would look at
Pavlo Luchkiv: “If you want to change something, you need to do something”
Earnings in Moscow Before the war in Ukraine, I used to go to work in Moscow. It was easier to get there than to get to Europe. My goal was to earn money, become
Nazar Vozniuk: “In the army, there is something you cannot find in any other circle – a sense of trust”
A premonition of a full-scale war I lived in Kryvyi Rih, happily, with my wife and small child, who was almost three years old in 2014. I worked as a lawyer, had my own
Kostiantyn Kobylianu: “I didn’t come to the Invictus Games on my own – I was brought by fate”
Part of the army I am from Zaporizhzhia. For the last four years, I had been working as a forklift driver at a company called Silpo. But on February 26, 2022, I was already
Ivan Moldun: “I dream of diving in the sea in Crimea”
The need to join the army Before the full-scale war, I was not a military man, I did not serve. I worked in Kherson as a traffic engineer and a CNC machine operator. Kherson
Bohdan Yarotskyi: “I’m going to win so that fighters with injuries like mine can be inspired”
The beginning of the full-scale war Before the war, before the full-scale invasion, I worked in Izyum forestry in the Kharkiv region as a forester. I come from Izyum. It was there that I
Volodymyr Tovkis: “In a coma, I did not see the light at the end of the tunnel, I saw pink Mercedes”
Temper and war I was in the military before it became mainstream. I was born in the Kirovohrad region, did my military service in the 25th Airborne Brigade in 2008-2009, I even have a
Oleksandr Makovey: “I’m a man of principle – if I work, I’ll work for a gold medal”
Universal instructor I did not see myself in civilian life after my military service. We were constantly told: “Who needs you there?”. All I could think about was military service. I didn’t know what
Mykola Zaritskyi: “I want to show what I’m worth, demonstrate good results and make my youthful dreams come true”
Before the full-scale war I am a tractor driver, a gunner, and a mechanical engineer. I studied to become a mechanical engineer, and at the same time, I received a second degree as an
Dmytro Polovian: “My paratrooper oath helped me in captivity”
Work at the railway I am from Kvasyliv, in the Rivne region. I worked at the railway – at the Zdolbuniv locomotive depot – as a brigadier of the battery department. Since childhood, my
Oleh Dolzhok: “I went to war, to be honest with myself”
Life and work before the full-scale war I was born in Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro region. As a child, I played rugby and even played for the Ukrainian junior national team. After school,
Volodymyr Hera: “When you can’t walk, you develop a lot of patience. That’s when the essence of a samurai is cultivated”
Love for the military from childhood I was born in a village near a military unit, close to a shooting range. Ordinary kids would play behind the garages or on playgrounds but I would
Alexander Ponomarev: “As long as there is a war, we are in it to the end”
Football fan and military man I’m a football fan and I support Dynamo Kyiv. Apart from that, I don’t support any other clubs. As a child, I used to play at the CSKA Kyiv
Yevhen Kireyonok: “Invictus Games is about real men and women. This is a real rehabilitation”
Military career In 1990, I finished military school and served in various positions until 2000. Then I was dismissed due to the length of service. I made an unsuccessful attempt to find myself in
Maksym Dmytrash: “Now I live not only for myself but also for the four fallen comrades”
Service in the Police and the Dream Before 2010 I only had civilian jobs – construction, service station, car wash. I wasn’t afraid of any kind of work, whether it was hard, easy, or
Yaryna Alimanova: “I have already defeated myself”
Before the war I come from an athletic family, I have been into cycling since childhood, and I am a master of sports in cycling. I graduated from the Mykolaiv School of the Olympic
Vitalii Borodavka: “I wanted to be a special military man”
Children’s dreams Since childhood I dreamed of joining the military, I liked everything military. But I wanted to be not just a military man, but… a special one. A special forces officer. I looked
Semen Lagun: “Invictus Games is the benchmark that allows you to live life to the fullest”
Before the war I am from the Rivne region, from Zarichne. I finished school in 2014. At that time, my brother was already a border guard and was fighting in the ATO. Everyone was
Maxym Zubov: “I compete with the person in the mirror”
Why the Army In 2012 I graduated with honours from the master’s program at the Kyiv National University of Technology and Design. I was offered a Ph.D. position, and I even planned to pursue