Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association

Published: August 26, 2026

Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association

Announce Joint Venture

August 26, 2026—Razom for Ukraine and the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) are excited to announce the establishment of two new programs. Through this new partnership, ALTA will administer the Razom Mentorship for Decolonial Translation and the Razom Ukrainian Translation Award.

“This partnership with ALTA marks an important step in building lasting infrastructure for Ukrainian literature in translation,” said Anna Solovei, Interim Connect Program Director at Razom for Ukraine. “Ukrainian voices have too often been filtered through frameworks that obscure or diminish them. By centering decolonial approaches to translation and investing in both emerging and established translators, we hope to help create a more accurate, more resonant space for Ukrainian—and other historically marginalized—literatures in English. We’re grateful to ALTA for their partnership and expertise in bringing these programs to life.”

“We’re delighted to enter into partnership with Razom for Ukraine, whose work we so admire, to offer this mentorship and award,” said ALTA Executive Director Katrine Øgaard Jensen. “We’re humbled by the trust shown in our organization to administer these new programs: one to foster the next generation of literary translators, and one to recognize the excellent work of our colleagues. We are excited to begin work on these initiatives.”

The Razom Mentorship for Decolonial Translation will foster emerging literary translators working with literature from historically marginalized regions and languages, through a dedicated mentorship stream that pairs emerging translators with experienced mentors, with a different regional or language focus each year. This mentorship will be offered annually starting in 2027. Applications for the first year of this mentorship, which will offer a focus on Ukrainian-language literature with mentor Dominique Hoffman, open next week, on September 1, 2026.

The Razom Ukrainian Translation Award will sustain and recognize excellence in literary translation from Ukrainian and other languages of Ukraine into English. This award will be judged and awarded annually starting in 2027. Submissions will open, alongside the other awards ALTA administers, in mid-January 2027.

Razom for Ukraine is a leading U.S.-based nonprofit organization working to build a secure, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. Founded in 2014, Razom (“together” in Ukrainian) supports urgent needs in Ukraine while investing in long-term solutions across health, civil society, advocacy, and culture. As Ukraine’s future has global implications, Razom strengthens trauma care systems, supports local leaders and communities, and connects Ukraine to the world. For more information, visit razomforukraine.org.

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) is a nonprofit arts membership association that provides programs and professional affiliation to the literary translation community: individual translators, academic institutions, presses, and others working in literary translation. The annual ALTA conference and year-round events are structured around the creation of high-quality art. ALTA also administers awards to recognize excellence in translation and provides fellowships and mentorships to support emerging translators. For more information, visit literarytranslators.org.

А Way Home: How Adaptive Sports Help Ukraine’s Veterans Rebuild Their Lives

Published: August 22, 2026

For many Ukrainian service members, returning home from the front marks the beginning of a new chapter —one of recovery, readjusting to civilian life, and finding new sources of purpose and support.

A training gym tucked inside a garage in Kyiv’s Podil district feels like its own little world. Blues and rock music fill the air, while the exposed brick walls are covered with military flags and unit patches. Veterans gather here to train, learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and spend time among people who understand their experiences without requiring lengthy explanations.

On the mats, there is friendly competition, laughter, and a strong sense of camaraderie. It is a place to focus on movement, challenge yourself, support others, and simply be yourself. Every person returns from war with a different story, different needs, and a different pace of recovery. For some, the priority is regaining confidence in their body. For others, it is finding a community, discovering a new role, or creating a space where they can begin planning for the future.

Adaptive sports are athletic activities tailored to an individual’s abilities and needs. For veterans — especially those recovering from injuries or living with disabilities — they can play an important role in physical rehabilitation, psychological well-being, and social connection.

Since 2025, Razom has supported initiatives that help veterans recover through sports, train adaptive sports coaches and instructors, strengthen veteran leadership programs, and build local communities. This summer, we visited two of these projects and witnessed participants not only discovering new opportunities through sports, but also passing their knowledge on to others, creating safe spaces, and bringing their communities together.

A New Chapter

“We have immense respect for those still serving on the front lines, and just as much respect for those who return home,” says Nataliia, project manager of “New Calling: A Profession for Life”. “The transition back to civilian life can be challenging, which is why it is so important for veterans to feel supported by society.”

That support is especially critical in smaller communities, where access to infrastructure, specialized services, and spaces for connection is often limited. Every veteran follows their own path of readjustment after returning home. When support is unavailable, emotional struggles may go unnoticed, leaving people to face them alone.

Project participant Artem remembers his own experience after demobilization:

“There were certain mental processes I didn’t like.”

One day, a friend invited him to a jiu-jitsu practice. Over time, the sport became an important source of stability.

“It gave me direction—somewhere to channel my emotions and a healthy way to clear my mind.”

Nearly ten years later, Artem remains part of the jiu-jitsu community. His experience showed him just how important movement, teamwork, and a sense of belonging can be in rebuilding life after military service.

Another participant, veteran Artem P., underwent a long recovery after being wounded and losing both legs.

“I was unconscious for a long time. For nearly two months, I was constantly under medication following multiple surgeries. When you finally return to everyday life after that, it’s difficult to find your place again,” he says.

Throughout his recovery, his greatest source of support was his family — his wife and daughter. Later, he joined an adaptive archery program. Training helped him better understand the capabilities of his body, regain confidence, and discover new goals.

“The most important thing is changing the way you see yourself — not as someone who is helpless, but as someone who is still capable of so much.”

For Artem, adaptive sports became much more than part of his physical rehabilitation. They became a space where he could test his limits, keep moving forward, and once again feel like an active participant in life.

How Do Adaptive Sports Help?

Oleh, the head coach of the “New Calling: A Profession for Life” project, explains that adaptive sports help participants develop body awareness, regain control over their movements, and improve their sense of balance.

“During the first few months of training, we focus on learning how to fall safely without getting injured. For people with disabilities, this is a skill that can make a real difference in everyday life.”

The ability to fall safely, maintain balance, or simply feel confident in your own body may seem like a small thing — until one day you have to learn those skills all over again.

Supporting Mental Health and Healing from PTSD

War leaves behind more than physical wounds. After returning home, many veterans face the psychological consequences of combat, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, irritability, and feelings of isolation. Adaptive sports offer a safe and structured way to work through these challenges.

Oleh, who primarily teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, explains the science behind the process:

“In training, we redirect the aggression associated with PTSD into a controlled environment. We know the violence isn’t real — it can stop at any moment — but hormonally, the body responds as if the danger is real. When the sparring session ends, the brain receives a clear message: I survived. Dopamine is released, and the person’s emotional state begins to improve.”

In this way, adaptive sports support recovery on multiple levels, helping veterans rebuild both physical strength and psychological resilience.

Nataliia, the project’s program manager, emphasizes that recovery is never one-size-fits-all. Different people need different entry points.

For some veterans, working with a psychologist comes first, giving them the confidence to eventually step onto the training mat.

For others, the process unfolds in the opposite direction. They need to release tension through physical activity before they are ready to open up in therapy.

Adaptive sports make both paths possible, meeting veterans where they are and allowing recovery to begin in the way that works best for each individual.

Rebuilding Confidence and Finding New Purpose

Adaptive sports do more than support rehabilitation — they also open the door to new careers and ambitions. For many veterans, they become an opportunity to pursue competitive athletics or become coaches after military service.

With just two or three years of training, many Ukrainian veteran-athletes are already competing at national and international tournaments, earning podium finishes and proving that recovery can lead to new achievements.

Nataliia recalls one particularly inspiring story:

“We had a participant with bilateral above-the-knee amputations. He had been training for only one year, and he came home with a gold medal.”

Ukrainian athletes continue to achieve remarkable success on the world stage. At the 2025 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi, Ukraine’s national team finished second in the overall team standings and third among participating nations.

Coach Oleh hopes to see the team reach the very top — and is determined to help make that happen.

“Brazilians used to dominate jiu-jitsu. They were used to being the ones everyone looked up to. In 2024, Ukraine burst onto the scene, and people were genuinely surprised. In 2025, we performed even better. We want to keep building on that success and show the world how strong we are.”

Adaptive jiu-jitsu is unique because it allows athletes to transform what others might see as limitations into competitive advantages. Some of Oleh’s athletes with disabilities even aspire to compete in open divisions alongside able-bodied competitors.

“In this sport, your disability can actually become your strength. When your opponent encounters it for the first time, they’re disoriented — they simply don’t know how to respond.”

Jiu-Jitsu as “Human Chess”

Andrii, a participant in the “Sports Ambassadors” project, an experienced jiu-jitsu coach, and a veteran who defended Donetsk Airport in 2014, describes the sport as “human chess.”

Every match, he says, is a contest of two minds, with opponents solving complex problems under constant pressure. Success depends not on physical dominance but on strategy, timing, and the ability to use an opponent’s strength against them. In jiu-jitsu, the smaller or seemingly weaker competitor can defeat a stronger one through skill and tactical thinking.

For Ukrainians, this idea feels deeply familiar. Throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ukrainian defenders have repeatedly faced a much more powerful enemy, relying on ingenuity, adaptability, and determination to overcome overwhelming odds.

For many veterans, adaptive jiu-jitsu recreates that mindset in a safe environment. It allows them to experience familiar emotions — stress, focus, determination, and resilience — without the life-threatening danger of combat. On the mat, they learn not only how to respond under pressure, but also that they are capable of regaining control, trusting themselves again, and moving forward.

From Athletes to Community Leaders

Training offers veterans more than physical recovery — it creates opportunities to reconnect with others who share similar experiences, both on and off the mat. For veteran Artem, the gym has become much more than a place to exercise. It is a place to meet friends, unwind, and talk openly with people who understand.

“These are the same people I stood in line with at the military enlistment office.”

Inspired by the support he found through jiu-jitsu, Artem dreams of returning to his hometown of Uman and building a local jiu-jitsu community where fellow veterans can train, connect, and support one another.

This is precisely the kind of impact Razom’s adaptive sports initiatives are designed to create. By equipping veterans with new skills, professional training, and leadership opportunities, these programs empower them to build lasting support networks in their own communities.

“New Calling: A Profession for Life”, implemented by the nonprofit “TMS – Fighting for Ukraine”, helps veterans build new careers as adaptive sports coaches. Participants completed comprehensive training in coaching, rehabilitation methods, psychological resilience, and entrepreneurship. Upon graduation, they received professional certificates and support with admission to the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport.

“Sports Ambassadors 3.0”, implemented by “StratCom UA”, focuses on developing veteran leadership through adaptive sports. Over five months, participants completed training in leadership, communications, grant management, and community project development. Thirty finalists representing 20 communities took part in an in-person intensive program, where they presented their own adaptive sports initiatives. At least seven of these community projects will receive grant funding from Razom to bring their ideas to life.

The impact of these programs extends far beyond the participants themselves. Every graduate becomes someone who can pass on their knowledge, mentor others, and strengthen their local community. One trained coach can support veterans for years. One adaptive sports program can transform an entire community. And one veteran who regains confidence often goes on to help dozens of others begin their own journey of recovery.

Step by step, these initiatives are restoring more than individual lives—they are helping build a stronger, more resilient, and more connected Ukraine.

Author Mariia Krychevska

Razom for Ukraine Announces Fourth Annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, Opening with US Premiere at Carnegie Hall

Published: August 18, 2026

Razom for Ukraine Announces Fourth Annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, Opening with US Premiere at Carnegie Hall

NEW YORK, NY, August 18 — Razom for Ukraine today announced the return of its Ukrainian Cultural Festival (UCF), a celebration of Ukrainian arts and culture across New York City, running October 18 through November 6, 2026. Now in its fourth year, UCF spans performing arts, cinema, theater, and literature, and continues Razom’s mission of connecting American audiences with Ukrainian voices, artists, and institutions.

The festival opens on October 18 at Carnegie Hall with the US premiere of “Steel, Violet, Rage,” a Concerto for Piano Four Hands and Orchestra by Ukrainian composer Oleh Bezborodko, believed to be the first piano four hands concerto ever written by a Ukrainian composer. The piece is inspired by a poem by Maksym Kryvtsov, a Ukrainian soldier and poet who was killed in the war shortly after writing it. The concerto will be performed by the Shelest Piano Duo alongside the Brandywine Valley Symphony Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Michael Hall, in partnership with the Alexander & Buono Foundation. A donor reception follows the performance. Tickets available at Carnegie Hall event page.

Throughout the festival, Razom Cinema partners with DCTV and QUAD Cinema to present a curated weekend of Ukrainian film programming from October 22 through 26. Highlights include the opening night screening of “Sanatorium,” directed by Gar O’Rourke, and a slate of features and documentaries exploring war, resilience, identity, and community, several developed in partnership with Ukrainian film festivals including Linoleum, Docudays, and Sunny Bunny. The cinema weekend also features a screening of the documentary “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story” with a special appearance by documentary subject and punk music legend Eugene Hütz.

On October 26, Dash Arts (London) presents a workshop of “The Reckoning,” a bilingual documentary style theater piece developed from verified witness testimony gathered by The Reckoning Project, ahead of its North American tour. The workshop is produced in New York in partnership with ArKtype, the original producer of the Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival.

The festival’s literary programming includes “Poet as Witness” at Poets House on October 28, featuring Ukrainian poets and soldiers Lesyk Panasiuk and Yaryna Chornohuz alongside their translators, and a program on Lesia Ukrainka as “The Modernist Playwright America Has Yet to Discover” at the New York Public Library on October 30. The event features a reading of excerpts from Ukrainka’s two renowned plays “The Blue Rose” (1896) and “Cassandra” (1908), and a panel discussion exploring what possibilities Ukrainka’s fierce and psychologically charged work offers for the contemporary American theater artists and how her plays can be reimagined today.

UCF closes on November 6 at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Recital Hall with a performance by the Kyiv Lysenko State Music Lyceum Chamber Girls Choir together with the Westchester Children’s Chorus. The former is one of Ukraine’s premier youth choral ensembles and an international competition winner with past performances in Vatican City and at the Berlin Philharmonie. Both choirs take the stage side by side for the national anthems of Ukraine and the United States, followed by their own programs.

“We invest in culture because it’s essential, not optional. Razom’s cultural work – sharing Ukrainian arts, culture and stories – helps the world understand the real Ukraine; its creativity, resilience, and humanity.” – Ania Solovei, Razom Connect Interim Director

Tickets and full programming details are available at ucfnyc.org.

Media inquiries can be directed to Hannah Goldshlack-Wolf at hannah@wildkatpr.com (+19173302046).

About Razom:

Halfway Point, Ahead of Schedule: 48 Ukrainians Have New Prostheses

Published: August 13, 2026

Viktoria is 13 and was born with a limb difference. She loves intricate beadwork, bakes cakes to order, and is now learning to style her own hair — with a hand she received a few months ago.

She’s one of 48 people who’ve received a prosthesis through the joint initiative between Razom for Ukraine, Esper Bionics, and Ukrainian clinical partners — surpassing our original half-year target of 33 people. We’re at the equator of this program, and the pace has outrun what we planned for.

That number holds a wide range of lives. Seven of the 48 are children building their futures with new capability years ahead of them; 41 are adults returning to work, families, and routines interrupted by loss. Twenty-seven are veterans of the war; 21 are civilians whose injuries came from it in other ways. Two are living with double amputations — among the most complex cases the program takes on. Behind every one of these numbers is a story like Viktoria’s.

“I want to sincerely thank the people and organizations who care enough to support projects like this,” Viktoria’s mother says. “Because of your faith and support, our children become more confident and independent, with a real chance at an active life.”

“Our work has always been about giving people more than a prosthesis,” said Lidiia Sanyk, Country Lead UA at Esper Bionics. “We believe technology can help people regain the ability to do the things that matter to them. Every person who receives a prosthesis shows us that this idea works in real life.”

“Every person receiving a prosthesis is proof this system works — a stronger, more accessible future for Ukraine, built one person at a time,” said Iryna Gudyma, Project Manager at Razom for Ukraine. “We’re building a system of care that will keep supporting Ukrainians long after the war ends, and help make prosthetic care a standard part of recovery.”

By the end of the year, 65 people will have received their prostheses — each one pursuing what independence looks like for them.

Esper Bionics is a Ukrainian company developing advanced bionic prosthetic solutions designed to restore function, independence, and quality of life for people living with limb loss.

Razom for Ukraine Applauds Senate Passage of Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Calls on House to Act Without Delay

Published: August 7, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Razom for Ukraine Applauds Senate Passage of Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Calls on House to Act Without Delay

Washington, D.C., August 7, 2026 —Today, a bipartisan supermajority of Senators passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which targets Russia’s financial sector and puts a substantial pressure on Moscow and its enablers to end the brutal war against Ukraine. We are grateful to every Senator who supported this critical legislation.

“This marks the second piece of pro-Ukraine legislation to pass a chamber of Congress in just over two months,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine. “Ukraine’s battlefield successes have injected new urgency into Congress, while Putin’s relentless attacks on civilians have hardened its resolve. The House must now meet the moment by passing this bill and sending it to President Trump’s desk for signature.”

“The strong bipartisan support for this bill is a fitting tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who devoted years to supporting Ukraine as it bravely resisted Putin’s war machine. We are glad to see senators from both parties ready to take up the torch in the fight for freedom and democracy.”

Americans across the political spectrum have consistently supported stronger sanctions on Russia. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act answers that bipartisan demand by providing a comprehensive set of tools to weaken Russia’s economy while extending sanctions on Iran — a key military partner of the Kremlin that has also attacked U.S. troops in the Middle East.

“Putin should be under no illusion: the longer he continues his illegal war, the higher the cost he will face. We thank President Trump for publicly backing this legislation. Ukraine’s many supporters across the country now expect Congress to finish the job and make this bill law,” said Daniel Balson.

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Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org

Razom Co-Pilot Alumni Event: A Decade of International Medical Collaboration and Future of Ukrainian Healthcare

Published: July 29, 2026

Ten years ago, the first Razom surgical mission brought together Ukrainian and international doctors for the first time. Since then, what started as a small initiative has grown into a community of medical professionals who continue to learn from each other, share knowledge, and work together to improve surgical care in Ukraine.

This June, the Razom team brought together more than 70 Ukrainian medical professionals in Kyiv — doctors, surgeons, nurses, and partners from across Ukraine — for the Co-Pilot Alumni gathering.

“Our mission is to strengthen Ukraine’s healthcare system by sharing knowledge, supporting medical education, and building strong international partnerships. Through this work, Ukrainian medical professionals gain access to global expertise, while Ukraine’s experience continues to contribute to the future of medicine worldwide,” said Yuliia Shama, Head of the Razom Health Co-Pilot project.

In Ukraine, strengthening civilian-military healthcare cooperation is essential. It requires trust, coordination, and sustained joint effort. Over the past decade, we’ve worked alongside these professionals through medical missions, training, conferences, observerships and operating rooms in both Ukraine and the United States. We have focused on improving surgical care for patients with complex war-injuries by supporting critical specialities including neurosurgery, orthopedics, facial plastic surgery, trauma, and nursing.

Today, that collaboration has evolved into something even more meaningful: a true partnership built on reciprocal learning, where knowledge flows in both directions.

“It is a ripple effect: by saving Ukraine, the world is also saving itself. The United States and international partners, especially Razom, provide Ukrainian surgeons with expertise, knowledge, and support. At the same time, Ukrainian doctors save lives every day in the most challenging conditions of war, creating unique clinical experience that will return to the global medical community through new approaches, knowledge, and standards that can help save patients around the world,” emphasized Dr. Andriy Sirko, the head of neurosurgery at Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Tetiana Pavlychuk, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, began working with Razom during the Face the Future mission in Ivano-Frankivsk four years ago. Since then, she has collaborated with the team on strengthening military trauma care in Ukraine. Looking back on the early days of the full-scale invasion, she reflects on how Razom and its network of American experts helped transform clinical practice and supported the development of Ukraine’s national military trauma protocol.

“When the full-scale war started, it was a huge challenge for our medical community. We had never seen these types of injuries before. We began looking for partners, and step by step, we built those relationships. Our international colleagues came to Ukraine, and we traveled to the United States for courses and training. We brought that knowledge back to Ukraine and introduced new approaches that had never existed before.” said Tetiana.

Learning from Ukrainian Leaders

The Alumni event brought together medical professionals to reconnect, exchange best practices, and discuss the future of Ukrainian surgical care. Key topics focused on training the next generation of physicians and the impact of international collaboration.The event featured presentations from Ukrainian experts, as well as specialty working sessions focused on shared challenges and future priorities. Speakers included:

Dr. Victoria Kovach – Leadership in Context
Dr. Oksana Popova – American College of Surgeons: Ukrainian Perspective
Dr. Andrii Sirko – From wartime experience to global standards: How Ukrainian and USA team are changing global standards to the treatment of brain injuries,
Dr. Yuriy Demyan – How international partnership helps save limbs in Ukraine
Dr. Tetiana Pavlychuk – Reconstructive and restorative interventions in patients with facial injuries
Natalia Ruzhylo, Deputy Medical Director for Nursing – The profession that keeps the system going: how nursing changed during the war and whether systemic changes are possible in these conditions.

From Presentations to Working Groups

While the presentations inspired participants, the specialty working groups transformed those ideas into concrete plans for the future.

Neurosurgeons discussed implementing modern endovascular and hybrid surgical techniques, developing Ukrainian clinical protocols informed by wartime experience, and strengthening military-civilian cooperation through formal referral pathways and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Orthopedic surgeons emphasized that Ukraine’s wartime experience has become one of its greatest strengths. The discussions focused on translating individual expertise into lasting system-wide improvements through standardized treatment protocols, mentoring young physicians, stronger professional associations, and better patient pathways.
The facial reconstruction working group identified workforce shortages, national treatment standards, multidisciplinary care, and improved access to rehabilitation and facial prosthetics as critical priorities for the years ahead.
Nursing leaders highlighted the urgent need for safe staffing standards, stronger legal recognition of the nursing profession, expanded educational opportunities, improved compensation, and greater professional autonomy to build a resilient healthcare workforce.

Even though each specialty faced unique challenges, every group arrived at a similar conclusion: the future of Ukrainian healthcare depends not only on clinical excellence but on building stronger systems, investing in people, and continuing to collaborate across institutions and disciplines.

“I want to highlight our Ukrainian doctors and nurses who, despite the challenges of war and limited resources, continue to grow, adapt, and find new ways to care for their patients. But what is most inspiring is the community they are building” said Iryna Matsiuk, Co-Pilot Project Coordinator.

Natalia Rhyzhylo, who spoke about the changing role of nurses in Ukraine, commented on the importance of the support Ukraine receives from the Razom community.

“As long as we have this support, we know we are not standing alone. The strength of this global community — especially our partners in the United States — gives Ukraine the ability to keep moving forward. We are stronger because we know we have people standing with us,” said Natalia Ruzhylo, Deputy Medical Director for Nursing at Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital and Director of the Pre-Carpathian School of Nursing.

Measuring the Impact

Over the years, more than 300 North American medical volunteers have joined Razom Co-Pilot missions in Ukraine, more than 500 Ukrainian doctors & nurses have participated in programs, and thousands of medical professionals have gained access to training, education, and international exchange opportunities.

Feedback from the Alumni gathering demonstrated the strength of these professional relationships. More than 92% of participants established new cross-sector professional connections, and the same percentage reported having concrete plans for future collaboration. Additionally, more than 84% shared that the working group discussions closely reflected the realities of their clinical practice.

“It was a warm gathering that brought together people we have worked with for many years. It reminded me of hosting a big birthday celebration, where you get to introduce the people you appreciate most, knowing they will connect over their commitment to treating patients with war injuries.” said Alex Domaradsky, Co-Pilot Project Manager.

But the greatest achievement cannot be measured in numbers — it is the people. Ukrainian medical professionals who are now becoming educators, instructors, innovators, and leaders of change in their hospitals and professional communities. This is how lasting change happens.

Ukrainian Animation Takes Center Stage at International Animation Conference in Pittsburgh

Published: July 29, 2026

From June 15–19, Pittsburgh became a gathering place for some of the world’s leading animation scholars, artists, and filmmakers during the 37th Annual Conference of the Society for Animation Studies (SAS). Supported by Razom, Ukrainian animators joined the international conversation to showcase their work, share their experiences of creating during wartime, and introduce global audiences to a vibrant animation industry that continues to thrive despite Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Organized by the Pennsylvania Expanded Animation Alliance (PA-XAA) and the Society for Animation Studies, the conference brought together more than 100 researchers, artists, and industry professionals to explore animation as a medium for storytelling, memory, trauma, and human connection.

Bringing Ukrainian Stories to International Audiences

One of the conference highlights was “Resilient Reels: Ukrainian Animation on Screen and In Conversation,” held on June 16 at Pittsburgh’s Harris Theater.

The evening featured a curated screening of contemporary Ukrainian animated films, followed by a discussion with acclaimed Ukrainian animation directors and animation artists Sashko Danylenko, Daryna Fes, and Sasha Ruban, who joined online from Ukraine.

The conversation explored what it means to create art during war — from documenting national trauma and preserving childhood in times of violence to building an animation industry under extraordinary circumstances.

More importantly, it gave audiences the opportunity to hear directly from Ukrainian artists.

Many attendees remarked that meeting Ukrainian filmmakers in person added an entirely new dimension to the films they had just watched. Others said the discussion helped them better understand both the realities of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the resilience of Ukraine’s creative community.

Art That Continues Beyond the Screen

The conference coincided with The Animate Experience, an exhibition presented by the Pennsylvania Expanded Animation Alliance, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Society for Animation Studies at Pittsburgh MuseumLab.

Among the featured artists was Razom Cinema grantee Daryna Fes, whose multimedia works were included in the exhibition. She attended the opening in person, introducing visitors to her work and engaging in conversations about contemporary Ukrainian art.

Visitors continued discussing her VR installation, Spheres, throughout the conference, making it one of the exhibition’s memorable works.

More Than Filmmakers — Cultural Ambassadors

For the Ukrainian delegation, the conference was about much more than presenting films.

“Our small Ukrainian team not only enjoyed the event as visitors but also advocated for Ukraine — you simply cannot be anyone but an ambassador at international events,” said director Sashko Danylenko. “Stand out, spread the word, fight russian narratives and propaganda, fill in the blanks, and most importantly, build empathy.”

Danylenko also noted that scheduling the Ukrainian screening at the beginning of the conference helped spark conversations that continued throughout the week, creating opportunities to connect with scholars, educators, and fellow artists.

For Daryna Fes, the event demonstrated how animation can foster meaningful dialogue.

“Many attendees were curious about the situation in Ukraine, and I believe events like this — screenings of Ukrainian animation, Q&As, and informal conversations — help people better understand what’s happening in Ukraine. Alongside traditional animation, the festival also embraced a more artistic dimension, offering both the platform and the technical setup to show even technically demanding works. “

Why Representation Matters

For the conference organizers, introducing Ukrainian animation to an international academic audience was a long-term investment.

While Ukrainian animation remains underrepresented globally, professors and researchers attending the conference help shape future film and animation curricula. Increasing their familiarity with Ukrainian works means more students around the world may encounter Ukrainian stories in classrooms for years to come.

The event also extended beyond the conference itself. By hosting the screening in a public cinema rather than inside the conference venue, organizers welcomed members of the Pittsburgh community, creating another opportunity to raise awareness about Ukraine through culture.

Building Connections Through Culture

Throughout the week, conversations continued well beyond scheduled panels.

Audience members praised the diversity of Ukrainian animation, discussed their favorite films with the filmmakers, and asked thoughtful questions about working during wartime. Others expressed appreciation for hearing multiple perspectives from artists living through the same historical moment.

One particularly memorable interaction came after the screening, when an audience member approached Sashko Danylenko to share that he had long admired his work and could hardly believe they were finally meeting in person.

These are the connections that cultural exchange makes possible — especially in spaces like SAS creates.

“Academic community is important in this regard, because instructors who teach courses on film and animation, make choices which works they include in their syllabi, and their familiarization with Ukrainian animation can potentially result in Ukrainian animated films being seen by their students in the future.” — noted the conference organizers.

By supporting Ukrainian artists at international events like the Society for Animation Studies conference, Razom helps ensure that Ukrainian voices are not only heard — they become part of the global cultural conversation.

Because culture is more than art. It is memory, identity, and a powerful way to build understanding across borders.

The Fight to Save a Leg: How Ukrainian and American Surgeons Helped One Soldier Walk Again

Published: July 28, 2026

An FPV drone attack left 23-year-old Ukrainian servicemember Oleksii with a devastating leg injury. One of his fellow soldiers was killed, and others were seriously wounded. For Oleksii, the question was not only whether he would survive, but whether he would ever walk again.

What followed was months of treatment across three hospitals and an extraordinary collaboration between Ukrainian and American surgeons working side by side through Razom’s Co-Pilot Project. Together, they fought to save his leg, giving him the chance to return to the life he had been planning before the attack.

DNIPRO, Ukraine — “My future mother-in-law was supposed to visit on Sunday,” Oleksii says with a smile, his tone as relaxed as if we were sitting in a sunlit kitchen sipping tea, rather than in the intensive care unit of Mechnikov Hospital.

In a few moments, he will describe open fractures, serious infections, dozens of operations, and months of rehabilitation. But first, he wants to talk about his wedding.

Oleksii was born in Cherkasy and lost his father when he was young. His mother raised three children in a small apartment in Kryvyi Rih. After trade school, he planned to work as an electrician at the local water utility. But a bureaucracy issue with his official residence registration brought him to a military enlistment office instead.

“Well, what else was I going to do?” he says with a shrug.

He entered compulsory military service at 19 and became a signalman—the person his fellow soldiers relied on when communications failed or battlefield maps needed updating.

By early 2024, Oleksii had been deployed to a combat brigade on the Lyman front. He later served in the Donbas and Sumy regions.

It was between rotations that he met his fiancée. The parents of one of his squad mates often brought homemade meals to the unit, and during one of those visits, Oleksii met their daughter. Ask when the friendship became something more, and he grins: “Now, everything is heading straight toward a wedding.”

He talks about it as though the celebration is just around the corner—even as artillery rumbles outside the hospital and metal fixation pins extend from his injured leg.

The Day Everything Changed

Oleksii and his unit were returning from an assignment. The road was familiar, and they thought the most dangerous part of the journey was behind them.

“Two FPV drones were waiting for us on the road,” Oleksii recalls. “An ambush.”

One drone hovered ahead while another chased their vehicle from behind. His teammate opened fire as they moved. Then came the explosion.

The vehicle slammed to a halt, and the men scrambled out onto the road. Oleksii tried to jump clear, but his right leg collapsed beneath him. “I thought I’d just taken a piece of shrapnel.” He tried to stand up again, but nothing worked. The blast had shattered a large section of bone.

Despite the shock, Oleksii managed to apply a tourniquet himself. Doctors later told him that the fragments had narrowly missed his main artery. That small margin made it possible to consider saving the leg.

Oleksii quickly turns the conversation away from himself. Instead, he lists the rest of his crew: one teammate died at the scene, another lost three fingers, and a third suffered a severe concussion.

“One guy is already back on active duty,” Oleksii says briefly. “The others are still recovering.”

What followed was a blur of evacuation points soaked in pain and high-dose painkillers: a frontline stabilization point in the Zaporizhzhia region, then a military hospital, external fixators, and finally, the intensive care unit at Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, one of Ukraine’s leading trauma centers for critically wounded soldiers.

Choosing to Fight for the Leg

“I remember Oleksii very clearly,” says orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Maksym Makarenko. Thousands of patients with blast injuries have passed through his operating room, but Oleksii’s case stood out.

“Patients with this level of damage often also have serious polytrauma—head injuries, collapsed lungs, or abdominal damage,” Dr. Makarenko explains. “In Oleksii’s case, the destruction was concentrated in his leg. The rest of his body was stable enough that we could fight to save the limb, rather than amputating it to save his life.”

Around this time, an American medical delegation arrived at Mechnikov through Razom’s Co-Pilot Project. Dr. Makarenko was joined in the operating room by Dr. Craig Silverton, an American orthopedic surgeon experienced in treating combat injuries.

The Ukrainian and American surgeons worked together through several procedures. They removed dead and infected tissue and placed an antibiotic cement spacer into the gap left by the missing bone. The spacer helped control infection while preparing the leg for future reconstruction.

Once Oleksii’s was stable, he was transferred to a hospital in Vinnytsia,freeing an intensive care bed at Mechnikov for newly wounded patients arriving hourly from the front.

Before he left, Oleksii and Dr. Makarenko exchanged phone numbers. Each week, Oleksii sent the surgeon X-rays, lab results, and photographs of his wound dressings through VIber. When doctors in Vinnytsia began discussing the possibility of sending him abroad for treatment, Oleksii contacted Dr. Makarenko.

“If you trust us, come back, the surgeon told him “We’ll be working with the American team again soon.”

“I’m coming to you,” Oleksii replied.

A Transatlantic Surgical Team

A few weeks later, Oleksii was back in Dnipro. This time, Dr. Makarenko was joined by Dr. Roman Hayda, an American orthopedic surgeon and U.S. Army veteran of Ukrainian descent. Dr. Hayda’s parents migrated to the U.S. after World War II and raised him with a strong connection to his Ukrainian heritage. He went on to treat combat injuries during decades of military service, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Given my heritage, military background, and experience with battle injuries, I simply couldn’t stay away,” says Dr. Hayda. Yet, he shies away from the word “mission,” careful not to describe his work in Ukraine as one-directional assistance

“I come to work alongside them, not to lecture,” he says. “Ukrainian doctors today possess a unique level of trauma experience found nowhere else in the world. We learn from each other.”

The night before Oleksii’s surgery, Dr. Makarenko and Dr. Hayda spent hours studying his x-rays and discussing possible approaches. There were no visiting experts on one side and local doctors on the other—only one surgical team trying to solve an extraordinarily difficult problem.

“Surgeries like this always carry immense uncertainty,” Dr. Hayda says. “Our job is to exhaust every option so the patient gets a real shot at returning to a normal life.”

Oleksii’s bone loss was severe. He had already endured infection, and further complications remained possible. No one could promise that the reconstruction would succeed.

“We worked toward this day for months,” Dr. Makarenko says. “More than anything, we wanted to give Oleksii the chance to stand on his own feet again.”

Photos of Everyone Else

Several months after the surgery, Oleksii’s leg has been saved. His recovery is not over, but he is making steady progress and now walks with one crutch.

“A surgeon’s greatest joy isn’t when the operation ends,” Dr. Makarenko smiles. “It’s when the patient takes their very first steps. That’s the moment you realize what all the work was for.”

For Dr. Hayda, Oleksii’s story reflects what the Co-Pilot Project is meant to be: not charity flowing in one direction, but a genuine partnership. American surgeons contribute techniques developed through decades of military medicine, while Ukrainian doctors bring unmatched experience treating large numbers of complex wartime injuries . Together, they are finding better ways to care for patients in Ukraine and beyond.

As we prepared to leave, we asked Oleksii whether he could share a few photos for this story. Without hesitation, he replied: “I have photos with my unit mates. I’ll send those.”

Not photos of himself. Photos of people who served beside him.

Throughout hours of conversation, Oleksii never complained about his pain or his circumstances. He spoke about his unit, his mother, his fiancée, the doctors who treated him in three different cities, and Nastya—a nurse who once surprised him in the ward with a homemade apple strudel.

Then his thoughts returned to his future mother-in-law and the wedding ahead. The months of intense effort by surgeons from two continents were never only about repairing bone and muscle. They were about helping a 23-year-old man reclaim the life the war nearly took from him – and giving him the chance to stand on his own two feet on his wedding day.

Neurosurgical Mission by Razom: U.S. and Ukrainian Doctors Perform 37 Complex Surgeries

Published: July 22, 2026

Just one day after the large-scale attack on Kyiv, the medical team witnessed the aftermath of russian strikes firsthand, including the area around the Lukianivska metro station. It was the beginning of another surgical mission. Yet beyond the destroyed buildings, the American doctors saw something that inspires them to return to Ukraine time and again — the extraordinary resilience of the Ukrainian people.

Razom for Ukraine organized the international CO-PILOT NEURO neurosurgical mission, which took place on June 12–20 in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. Over nine days, Ukrainian and American specialists jointly performed 37 free, high-tech surgeries for patients at four medical institutions.

Leading U.S. interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons Dr. Maxim Shapiro and Dr. Kim Nelson traveled to Ukraine to take part in the mission. Working alongside Ukrainian medical teams, they performed some of the most complex endovascular procedures while sharing their expertise directly in the operating room.

A key focus of the mission was the exchange of surgical knowledge between American and Ukrainian neurosurgeons. The program covered three cities — Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lviv — where U.S. and Ukrainian doctors worked side by side to provide care for patients with the most complex cerebrovascular conditions.

“This is what true systemic change looks like — the very change we aim to achieve by organizing our surgical missions. We receive not only support from American doctors, but also valuable knowledge that remains in Ukraine and continues to strengthen our healthcare system after each mission concludes,” said Yuliia Shama, Head of the Razom Health Co-Pilot project.

During the mission, doctors performed a wide range of complex neurointerventional procedures, including treatment of cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulas, venous sinus recanalization and stenting, as well as interventions for traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck. Patients from various regions of Ukraine, including both civilian and military patients, received specialized care.

In Dnipro, the team worked at the Mechnikov Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital, where 12 complex neurointerventional procedures were performed in just three days. During the mission, doctors spent hours in operating rooms, carrying out advanced interventions while simultaneously providing continuous emergency care, including treatment for patients with ischemic stroke.

“We worked from morning until night, putting all our energy, knowledge, and inspiration into solving highly complex and unusual medical challenges. It was a true team effort, and we all worked together toward one goal — saving Ukrainian lives and improving the quality of medical care in Ukraine,” said neurosurgeon Yurii Cherednichenko.

Throughout the mission, Dr. Maxim Shapiro and Dr. Kim Nelson worked alongside Ukrainian neurosurgeons as part of CO-PILOT NEURO. This collaborative approach enabled Ukrainian specialists to gain hands-on experience with modern endovascular treatment techniques and exchange knowledge while managing complex clinical cases.

The final stage of the mission took place in Lviv, where, alongside surgical procedures, a lecture titled “Modern Aspects of Endovascular Treatment of Central Nervous System Pathologies” was held. The educational session was attended by 26 Ukrainian physicians. The training program was also organized by Razom for Ukraine, as strengthening the professional skills of Ukrainian medical workers remains one of the organization’s key priorities in supporting the country’s healthcare system.

Despite air raid alerts and new attacks, the mission continued. Teams traveling to Ukraine do not abandon their plans — they know their assistance is needed. It is the resilience and courage of Ukrainians that gives them the strength to continue.

“Between Minutes and Eternity”: How a Stabilization Point Functions in War

Published: July 9, 2026

Our team visited a stabilization point near the front line — less than 20 kilometers from active combat zones. This is where wounded soldiers are brought after evacuation, and where medics work in a reality where only minutes often stand between life and death. We spoke with a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and the medical team working there every day about what a stabilization point really looks like from the inside, why time remains the greatest challenge of this war, how telemedicine is saving lives under fire, and what the phrase “the golden hour” truly means on the modern battlefield.

Time That Does Not Exist: Evacuation and the Limits of Medicine

A stabilization point in war is not a hospital in the usual sense, nor simply an intermediate link between the battlefield and a hospital. It is a place where medicine functions under conditions in which time has already been lost — or nearly lost — and decisions must be made faster than normal human psychology allows. It is here that a wounded soldier who has been evacuated from the battlefield first reaches a team capable not only of stopping critical bleeding or relieving pain, but of stabilizing the patient enough to survive the next stage — transport, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation.

Anesthesiologist Dmytro, who works at a stabilization point, speaks about his work without romanticizing it. There is no pathos in his words, although the reality he describes is stronger than any pathos. What troubles him most is not the complexity of injuries or the exhaustion of the team, but the fact that sometimes wounded soldiers cannot be evacuated from the battlefield in time. “The thing that upsets me the most is the inability to evacuate a wounded person from the battlefield in time,” he explains. “We know the person is wounded, we are ready, we have the conditions necessary to provide care, but sometimes evacuation from the battlefield either takes a very long time or does not happen at all.”

Military medicine often speaks about the “golden hour” — the critical period after injury during which the chance of survival is highest. But in this war, especially on certain sections of the front line, that formula does not always work. The doctor describes it almost bitterly: “As they say — the golden hour. For us, it’s a golden week.” There were cases when wounded soldiers remained in positions for too long, while medics could support them only remotely: dropping antibiotics by drone, consulting on what medications to administer, how to dilute them, what to do until evacuation became possible.

This is where one of the key realities of modern frontline medicine becomes visible: the problem is not always the absence of specialists, medications, or skills. Very often, the problem is that between the wounded soldier and the doctor lies the battlefield itself — drones, artillery, destroyed roads, weather, the absence of safe evacuation routes, and constant danger for evacuation teams. That is why a stabilization point works not only with the wounded body, but also with the consequences of delays that medicine itself cannot control.

Under these conditions, telemedicine stops being a modern buzzword from presentations and becomes a practical survival tool. Doctors consult combat medics and soldiers remotely, sometimes effectively directing care in real time. “We called and explained what to do: how to bandage, where to apply pressure, where to pack the wound,” recalls surgeon Yevhen. In one case, according to him, remote guidance made it possible to remove tourniquets, control bleeding, and save a limb. This does not replace evacuation and does not eliminate the need for surgery, but sometimes such remote support gives a person a chance to survive until help arrives.

Working at the Edge: Stabilization, Decisions, and Responsibility

When the wounded finally arrive at the stabilization point, the team must act quickly, but not mechanically. Stabilization is not a chaotic set of actions, nor an automatic process of “stitching someone up and sending them onward.” It is a complex process in which every step depends on the patient’s condition: whether the person is in shock, hypothermic, suffering from massive blood loss, whether blood pressure is stable, whether the body can tolerate intervention. “A soldier arrives soaked, cold, without pain management. He has to be undressed, laid down, dried off, warmed up, provided with anesthesiology support, stabilized in terms of blood pressure and other indicators. Only then can the surgical team work safely,” explains surgeon Yevhen.

That is why the amount of time spent at a stabilization point cannot fit into a single chart. If the patient is relatively stable, treatment may take 15–20 minutes. If the condition is severe, doctors may work for two or three hours. To civilians, that may sound like a long time, but for frontline medicine it is sometimes the only opportunity not to lose the patient before reaching the hospital. “Medicine is not always two plus two,” says the surgeon. “Everything depends on the patient’s condition, the extent of the injury, the amount of care required, and the stabilization measures needed.”

A particularly difficult topic is amputations and severe limb injuries. According to the doctor, stabilization points are not places for “planned” amputations in the hospital sense. If a limb is nonviable, the team does not attempt to make a final decision in conditions where not all capabilities are available. Their task is to stabilize the patient, avoid worsening the condition, preserve whatever may matter for future surgical work and prosthetics, and transfer the patient to the next level of care. “The hospital shapes the residual limb in a way that is more adapted for prosthetics,” explains Yevhen. “If we see that the limb is nonviable, we do not remove the tourniquet, we perform surgical debridement, stabilize the patient, and prepare them for transport.”

This is important to understand: a stabilization point is not a place of “final treatment.” It is a place where a wounded person must be moved from a state of catastrophe into a condition in which transport becomes possible. The patient’s story is not completed there — they are given a chance for it to continue. In this sense, the anesthesiologist’s role is one of the central ones: not simply “administering anesthesia,” but guiding the patient through the most dangerous interval — between uncontrolled post-traumatic condition and the possibility of surgical intervention.

War constantly destroys any sterile image of medicine. Patients may arrive on ATVs, improvised stretchers, covered in mud, soaked, freezing, after prolonged periods in frontline positions. The doctor recalls cases when a wounded soldier essentially “flew into” the stabilization point in a condition where only the eyes were visible, while everything else — mud, clothing, blood, exhaustion — blended together. The team cuts away clothing, pulls the person out, evaluates the condition, and starts working. This is the daily reality in which stabilization points exist: not under ideal protocols, but under the conditions of war, where every case brings a different scenario.

Impact and Systemic Change: From Experience to Standards

Despite this, medics speak not only about survival, but also about development. One of the recurring requests in these conversations is for more opportunities for training, professional exchange, conferences, workshops, and courses. This is not a “bonus” or abstract self-education. For people who work every day with the harshest consequences of war, development means better decisions, fewer mistakes, faster responses, and a greater chance of survival for patients. The conversation directly mentions the need for funding conferences, courses, visiting workshops, and exchanges with specialists.

Already in Ukraine, several educational initiatives are being launched or discussed: the ASET course, the future implementation of ATLS, work related to infection control, and educational initiatives connected to Razom Health. It is separately emphasized that infections in hospitals have become such a serious problem that they require an entire direction of work on their own. This is another indication that frontline medicine does not end at stabilization. A wounded person moves through a long chain, and the quality of every stage affects the outcome: from first aid at the position to evacuation, stabilization points, hospitals, infection control, rehabilitation, and return to life.

In this context, the Razom Heroes program plays a key role, working not with isolated cases but with the system as a whole. This includes the training of combat medics and instructors, equipping units, developing educational programs, and creating conditions in which frontline experience does not remain at the level of isolated stories, but is transformed into standards. It is through programs like these that a connection is formed between the reality of stabilization points and long-term systemic change: implementation of training courses, development of telemedicine, support for instructor programs, systematization of knowledge, and transfer of that knowledge to other units.

A stabilization point is a place where medicine looks least like a beautiful story and most like a struggle against time. Not everyone can always be saved there. It is not always possible to do what the doctor knows and is capable of doing, because sometimes the patient simply cannot arrive in time. Here, the “golden hour” can turn into days of waiting, while telemedicine becomes a temporary bridge between the battlefield and the physician. But it is here that the most important thing becomes visible: Ukrainian military medicine is not simply reacting to war — it is learning, adapting, creating new practices, and trying to turn the experience of every injury into knowledge that will help save the next patient.

And perhaps the most accurate way to describe the work of a stabilization point is not through heroic language, but in very practical terms: it is a place where people are given a chance to reach the next opportunity. To the hospital. To surgery. To a prosthetic. To rehabilitation. To life after injury.

That is why the main question for this system is not only how many medics work at stabilization points or what equipment they have. The main question is how to ensure that wounded soldiers reach them sooner, how to give doctors more time, how to make telemedicine systematic, how to make training continuous, and how to ensure that frontline experience is not lost in isolated stories, but transformed into standards.

Because in war, medicine often begins not when the patient reaches the operating table. It begins much earlier — at the moment when someone manages to bring them out alive.