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20 April, 2023
Respect to veterans regardless of sex, age, nationality, or sexual orientation

Ukrainian Veterans Foundation under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs as supported by Independent Anti-Corruption Commission launched an information campaign under the motto “Veterans vary. Yet the victory will be common.” Big boards depicting Ukrainian veterans were erected in the streets of several Ukrainian towns. Let us meet the characters of this social campaign.

Nariman Bilialov is a Crimean Tatar, founder and commander of the Crimea volunteer battalion. When he moved from the temporarily occupied Crimea, together with his fellows he took part in Savur-Mohyla battled in Donetsk region and participated in the Mariupol defense. Later, he helped his fellow Crimeans to settle in mainland Ukraine and promoted the traditions of Crimean Tatars in Vinnytsia region. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he returned to the front line to end the war with Russia and liberate the peninsula from the invaders. Currently, this ATO/JFO veteran known under the call sign Isa Akaiev heads the Crimea special unit.

Olha Benda went to war, leaving her infant son at home. In October 2016, she began her service in Avdiivka town in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, and in May 2017, she lost her leg after shelling of the Ukrainian positions. In 2019, the veteran ran the Marine Corps Marathon. Olha is a mother of two sons and inclusive environment advocate. She became the first Ukrainian woman to receive an International Human Rights Award Dr.-Rainer-Hildebrandt-Medaille. 

Oleksandr Budko is a 26-year-old veteran with the call sign Teren. He planned to become a graphic designer. After February 24, he joined the Karpatska Sich battalion as a volunteer. In a month, he headed the joint fire support of the second company. When his positions were shelled during the Kharkiv counteroffensive, he lost his both legs. Currently, the young man is preparing for the Invictus Games. 

Yeva Roiter, call sign Planochka, is a military paramedic and an LGBTIQ+ person. She joined Hospitaliery voluntary battalion in November 2022. Before the full-scale invasion, she worked in game dev and studied art. A 22-year-old artist dreams to become a tattoo master for her fellow combatants.

Roman Kulyk with the call sign Viking represents a generalized image of a Ukrainian veteran (statistically, these are men 30 to 44 years old) fighting for Ukraine.  He was an active participant of the Revolution of Dignity, a civic activist, and Ukrainian Institute of National Memory Legal Department Head. In 2015 and 2016, he was a deputy company commander for personnel, later a company commander of the 39th Separate Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade. After the full-scale invasion, he joined the Kyiv territorial defense. He is now a head of a mechanized company of the 206th battalion of the 241st Brigade of Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Roman took part in the defense of Kyiv and served on the battlefields in Mykolaiiv, Kherson, Kharkiv regions, and Bakhmut town. 

The social ad focuses on instilling in Ukrainians respect to veterans regardless of sex, age, nationality, or sexual orientation. All the characters are united by an irresistible urge to protect Ukraine in the state of war lasting for long nine years.

The project is implemented by the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs together with NAKO as supported by the Office of the UK Special Defense Advisory.