Having grown from GLOBSEC (C)PTSD Task Force Team throughout 2023 and 2024, in 2025 the expert network of CF AVA has expanded to over 30 experts in the field of psychotherapy, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, public policy, military and combat experience, military history and law, cinematography and journalism, dog support therapy etc. More are expected to join in 2026!
Formal establishment of CF AVA was inspired by tireless amazing work on WRT that GLOBSEC has been doing in Ukraine in terms of supporting reconstruction of human capital of the country, as part of the broader challenge to rebuild Ukraine after the war. Our cooperation with GLOBSEC started in spring 2023 when many of AVA experts were invited by GLOBSEC to join their newly established Task Force on (C)PTSD and other WRT, to provide with an expertise and to conribute in writing the comprehensive report Scars on Their Souls: PTSD and Veterans of Ukraine. This successful project laid solid foundations for future engagements and cooperation on a more systemic scale.
In 2025 GLOBSEC has officially requested CF AVA to become a successor of all its projects and activities on WRT as a reliable long-term partner, capable of ensuring their continued implementation and development. To fix this arrangement, a respective Memorandum on Cooperation was signed in summer 2025. Following the end of GLOBSEC contract with the Deputy Head of GLOBSEC Kyiv Office, the administrative lead of GLOBSEC (C)PTSD and WRT Task Force Ms Olena Kudliak, CF AVA has officially offered to her to lead the Fund in a capacity of the director. We are happy that Olena has accepted our proposal and is now the one, who unites and leads our team!
Our Team
Dr Ava Kadirova
Founder
Ava, a dermo-venerologist by profession, has over 20 years of experience in the medical field. She has extensive experience in senior administrative roles within private clinics specialising in psychological disorders and addictions. In this capacity, she has also been responsible for overseeing safety and the social environment for patients.
Olena Kudliak
Director
Coming from a background in business and the government sector, Olena brings her extensive decades-long expertise in managing complex, multilayered projects, combined with strong outreach to international partners and Ukrainian stakeholders. Over the past three years, while working at GLOBSEC as deputy director of the GLOBSEC Office in Ukraine, Olena was responsible for issues of reconstruction and development (including human capital reconstruction) and served as the administrative lead of the GLOBSEC Task Force on War-Related Traumas (WRT) in Ukraine. She is a co-author of WRT-related reports and research conducted by GLOBSEC, the latest being ‘There is a Place for Us’, about the re-employment of Ukrainian veterans (scheduled for publication in October 2025).
Svitlana Protsenko
Administrative Office
With degrees and over thirty years of practical experience in administrative management, infrastructure, and commerce, Svitlana has spent the last 15 years working in the recreational sector, overseeing recreational facilities in Western Ukraine. Her expertise includes managing construction projects and budgets, controlling operating costs and financial planning, conducting quality control checks, and supervising HR management.
Iryna Petrunko
Representative of CF AVA in Europe
Iryna is a former career diplomat with postings in Germany and the UK, and she is now based in Germany. Among other activities, she is the founder and director of the company “Medprofi” (Germany), specializes in providing medical care to vulnerable segments of the population, as well as training medical personnel for its own needs. She was also a founder of the organisation “Smile&Help GmbH” in Germany, assisted in promoting Ukrainian educational and cultural initiatives; restoring and equipment educational and childcare establishments in Ukraine; enhancing qualifications of Ukrainian medical personnel in Germany.
Currently, Iryna is pursuing a qualification as a psychological consultant with the German Academy of Psychology. With the CF AVA, Iryna is responsible for liaising with international, primarily European, partners and donors.
Our Experts
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Mandy Bostwick, MProf, MSc, MA, ISST-D Clinical Director, Trauma Assist International (UK) Clinical lead of GLOBSEC (C)PTSD Task Force (2023-2025), co-author and chief clinical consultant on (C)PTSD report: Scars on Their Souls: PTSD and Veterans of Ukraine. International trainer and speaker on trauma. Her work in the UK has involved supporting military regiments, veterans, and their families, as well as advising on mental health services, prison establishments, and liaising with court and police officers. In 2016, Mandy was appointed as a Specialist Trauma Psychotherapist to the Colonel Fund of the Grenadier Guards, a charitable arm of the Grenadier Guards Charity established in 2007. Recognised as one of the leaders in her field, Mandy was appointed to support the most seriously wounded and traumatised, many suffering from Complex PTSD and comorbid disorders as a result of the Afghanistan conflict. Since then, she has championed their causes and worked tirelessly to ensure their injuries are better diagnosed and understood, as the impact on their health and long-term well-being is sometimes not fully appreciated; in the most serious cases, life expectancy can be reduced, and they may be unable to work or maintain relationships. Highly respected among her peers and patients, Mandy has previously provided evidence to the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Select Committee, raising awareness of Traumatic Brain Injury for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan without proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Mandy’s pioneering work challenges the current ideology of PTSD and is based on the most up-to-date research, involving collaboration with international experts worldwide. She is currently completing her doctorate at Chester University in England and supporting Ukraine in adopting more advanced approaches to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. |
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Prof Eric Trupin Psychiatry, Children’s PTSD University of Washington School of Medicine Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences Eric has over 40 years of practical and academic experience in child and adolescent psychiatry. For more than a decade, he led the Department of Child Psychiatry and Behavioural Medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Centre (US). Eric has authored numerous academic papers and articles on child psychiatry, as well as several innovative treatment models for psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he has travelled to Ukraine to provide consultation to both governmental and non-governmental organisations on evidence-based approaches to treating trauma and other mental health challenges, particularly in children and adolescents. |
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Prof Serhii Myronets Crisis psychologist, Head of Psychology Department, State University of Trade and Economics of Ukraine With social and military psychology academic degrees from military higher education institutions, Serhii’s research focus is on the psychology of activity in extreme conditions. He is a member of the Sectoral Expert Commission on Health, Safety, and Wellbeing of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; a member of the Collegium of Polygraphologists of Ukraine; Chairman of the Institute of Modern Psychological Counselling; a member of the Scientific Council of the European Association of Security Sciences (Krakow); a member of the Ukrainian Association of Organisational and Labour Psychologists; a member of the Ukrainian Association of Family Psychologists; and co-editor of the scientific journal Civil Security: Public Administration & Crisis Management. He has authored approximately 300 scientific publications covering extreme and crisis psychology, as well as overcoming the adverse effects of acute traumatic stress among professionals operating in extreme environments. Serhii also engages in working groups drafting profile legislation and has contributed to establishing the Psychological Service within Ukraine’s Service for Emergency Situations (SES). |
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Dr (med) Asan Cadyrov Psychiatrist, head of clinic Practising psychiatrist and narcologist with over 40 years of clinical experience. Since 2014, he has been the founder and head of Cadyrov Clinic (Kyiv, Ukraine), which specialises in treatment of comorbid stances of PTSD, mental and substance abuse disorders. He is renowned for his signature tailor-made treatment programmes, where he applies a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Before 2014, he founded and led the Cadyrov Clinic in Crimea for 10 years, but was forced to abruptly cease his work and leave Crimea due to the Russian invasion. His previous years of clinical experience include a top position at a leading narcological clinic in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). |
| Dr (med) Nadiya Zhyrkova Clinical psychologist, gestalt therapist Professionally educated as practicing psychologist and clinical psychologist, Nadiya has over 10 years of practice, working, inter alia, with trauma of loss, grief, violence trauma, depressive and anxiety states, panic attacks, difficulties in adaptation of ex-servicemen and veterans to civilian life, psychosomatic disorders. She is also a certified expert in gestalt therapy, EMDR. Besides her work at a private clinic, Nadiya currently is also volunteering as a clinical psychologist at Kyiv City Clinical Hospital, supporting severely wounded military servants. She also collaborates with the MINDGUARD NGO, delivering psychoeducation courses for civilians on how to interact with military servants and veterans. Member of the National Association for Gestalt Therapy of Ukraine (NAGT); member of the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists (UUP); member of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine (NPA); member of the European Association for Gestalt Therapy (EAGT). | |
| Larysa Bakhmutova, PhD (psychology) Psychologist, chief researcher, Institute of Psychology, n.a. H.Kostiuk (Ukraine) Larysa’s professional experience spans over 10 years of applied work and research in psychology, specialising in extreme conditions, resilience, psychophysiology, psychodiagnostics, intra-group relationship dynamics, and profiling. She is a member of the Ukrainian Association of Psychologists in Organisations and Labour, the National Psychological Association of Ukraine. She holds professional membership with the International Organisation for Health, Sports, & Kinesiology (IOHSK), USA. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Larysa has been extensively working in the field of psychological counselling and support for Ukrainian refugees in Europe (especially women and children), IDPs, combatants, and demobilised individuals, focusing heavily on grief from loss and other profound traumatic experiences. | |
| Dmytro Panchenko Practising psychologist, social and psychological counselling of families who have lost a member(s) With a total of 10 years’ practice, Dmytro is involved in the practical work of assisting those suffering from psychotrauma related to wartime, primarily linked to combat. He works as a military psychologist with the Armed Forces and the National Guard of Ukraine. For over five years, Dmytro has also been engaged in the psychological rehabilitation of combatants and their family members. A member of the Association of Professionals in Addressing the Consequences of Psycho-Traumatising Events; an associate member of the World Association of Positive Psychotherapy; a member of the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists; and a member of the National Psychological Association. | |
| Dr (med) Viktor Sahaidak Neurosurgeon Practising neurosurgeon Victor specialises in treating spine and brain neurodegenerative disorders and traumas. He has extensive experience in microsurgical discectomy at lumbar, thoracic, and cervical levels, as well as surgical procedures for vertebral body disorders, spinal cord and spinal tumours (intramedullary, extramedullary), neuropathic pain syndromes (including phantom pain), neuralgias, acute traumatic brain injuries, chronic subdural haematomata, post-traumatic brain injury sequelae (cranioplasty), and purulent-septic diseases of the brain and spinal cord (brain abscesses, subdural empyemas). Furthermore, Viktor is pursuing his doctorate, focusing on innovative cell treatment methods applied to brain and spine neurotraumas. | |
| Dr (med) Denis Bohush Master in ancient spiritual healing techniques Certified as a general practitioner, neurologist, and neurophysiologist, Denis also researched stress, pain physiology, the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body, extreme exposure, biologically active acupuncture, and acupuncture at the Bogomolets Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Additionally, he completed a psychology course at Yale University (USA). He has also delved deeply into the fields of longevity medicine and psychotechnology. Denis has developed his expertise in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, encompassing Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, and Su-Jok acupuncture, as well as massage and manual therapy. He also undertook survival courses in extreme conditions, hypnotic techniques, psychotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming, psychotechnology, psychodiagnostics, and paranormal influences. Furthermore, he revived and systematised an ancient Ukrainian spiritual martial art and healing techniques of Cossack Kharakternyk, which he promotes through his international project Cossack-Kharakternyk. Author of over 30 books and 100 scientific articles, including “Practical and Experimental Methods of Emergency Care and Self-Regulation in Extreme Conditions in the System ‘Alpha-Control'” (1997), “Anti-Stress Strategy and Practical Methods of the System ‘Alpha-control'” (2001), “How to live 120 years or modern technologies of longevity”, “Japanese resuscitation technique in martial arts practice”, and many more. Mobilised as a military doctor, Denis has been serving in the AFU since 02.03.2022. | |
| Dr (med) Volodymyr Gaponov Chief doctor and curator of mental health, private clinic of disorders and addictions With over ten years of practising psychiatry, Volodymyr now works with patients suffering from various disorders caused or developed by war traumas. His professional specialisation includes crisis psycho-emotional disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, often worsened by addictions. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Volodymyr has been expanding his knowledge through daily practice as well as participating in international professional workshops and consiliums on (C)PTSD and other war-related disorders’ diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. | |
| Dr (med) Dina Merzaieva Practising psychiatrist and narcologist With a focus on distorted brain chemistry caused by synthetic chemical intrusion, Dina has been supervising patients with various addictions for over 15 years. Since 2022, her professional interest has expanded to include the comorbidity of (C)PTSD, polytrauma, and substance abuse disorders (SAD). In 2024, Dina confirmed her qualification in psychiatry with the International European University. Her postgraduate research examined the legal aspects of limited conviction and capacity linked to medical causes. | |
| Lia Zhgenti Clinical psychologist, psychotherapist Member of the Institute of Symbol-Drama and Depth Psychology, as well as the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists, Lia practices psycho-analysis, symbol-drama, guided affective imagery, CBT, art therapy, and coaching. She specialises in intra-family relationships, psychological dependencies and addictions, anxiety, and positive psychotherapy. Her practical experience spans over 8 years as a psychotherapist and five years working as a clinical psychologist. | |
| Nadiya Kharchenko, PhD (Psychology) Clinical Psychologist, Lviv Regional Center of Medicine of Catastrophies and Emergency Educated as biologist, practicing psychologist and teacher, Nadiya is also qualified as CBT-consultant and clinical psychologist. Apart from working at the Lviv Regional Center for Medicine of Catastrophies and Emergency, she is currently also engaged in volunteer activity, doing art-therapy sessions with families who lost their member in the war, but also individual consultations for veterans, combatants and their families. Nadiya has also obtained first-hand experience of a family living with trauma, as her civil partner (a veteran of Anti-Terroristic Operation of 2014-2015) was killed in action near Bakhmut in 2022. Nadiya’s professional and scientific interests include impact of trauma on reproduction system and fertility; traumatic experience of emergency medical personnel and prophylactic of burn-outs, PTSD and neoplasms resulting from TBIs. A member of the Ukrainian Association of Family Psychologists. | |
| Iuliia Osmolovska Deputy head of GLOBSEC (C)PTSD Task Force, Editor-in-Chief and co-writer of GLOBSEC analytics on WRT A career diplomat in the past, member of the Civil Council at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Director of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office, Iuliia has been the core driving force behind GLOBSEC’s interest in WRT and (C)PTSD phenomena since November 2022, when GLOBSEC officially opened its office in Ukraine. She was the lead author and editor-in-chief of contributions from 16 experts to the pioneering GLOBSEC report Scars on Their Souls: PTSD and Veterans of Ukraine, which was officially presented to the President of Ukraine and the First Lady during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in September 2023. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the situation with WRT in Ukraine, considering international experience, and offers projections and policy recommendations on how to address the challenge, making it manageable and reducing risks. Iuliia has been an active speaker on the topic, participating in public events held in Brussels, Berlin, London, Washington, and elsewhere. She continues to be a promoter of innovative solutions drawn from international experience, advising on effective advocacy and public campaigns. | |
| Nataliia Bilyk GLOBSEC Kyiv Office, project coordinator Together with Iuliia Osmolovska, Nataliia has been involved in the work of GLOBSEC (C) PTSD and other WRT Task Force since its inception in June 2023. Nataliia has been responsible for developing a network of connections with international and Ukrainian experts on WRT and for designing and preparing all GLOBSEC WRT-related activities from 2023 to 2025. She is a strong supporter of innovative solutions. She acts as a facilitator in educating Ukrainian society — combatants, their families, medical personnel, social workers, teachers, and others—about potential mental health challenges after the war. Nataliia remains committed to continuing this work for the AVA Foundation as an expert and to ensuring the consistency of GLOBSEC’s efforts after they are officially transferred to the AVA Foundation under the relevant Memorandum of Cooperation. | |
| Iryna Nykorak Member of the Ukrainian Parliament since 2022. Head of the Subcommittee on Veterans Rehabilitation, founder of the social initiative “Arm Women Now” Iryna Nykorak is a Ukrainian MP leading veteran policy reform and gender-sensitive defence initiatives. She is the Head of the Subcommittee on Veterans’ Rehabilitation of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights, and heads the Inter-Fractional Group “Veterans Now,” which advocates for the rights, support, and social reintegration of veterans. Iryna is also a member of the Inter-Fractional Deputy Association “Equal Opportunities,” which promotes gender equality within Ukrainian political and social spheres. As the founder of “Arm Women Now” (UA NGO), Iryna advocates for inclusive military standards and international cooperation on veterans’ reintegration. Established in 2013, the Arm Women Hub in Kyiv serves as a support and reintegration centre for female veterans and active servicewomen. The hub provides psychological counselling, social reintegration, and mentorship. The network currently supports over 10,000 military women. Founder of Brave Ukraine, an NGO advocating for environmental rights, supporting vulnerable populations, and promoting women’s rights. Through this initiative, Iryna is actively involved in activities providing humanitarian aid and psychological support to internally displaced persons (IDPs). Annual host and organiser of “Protection and Respect: Women’s Role in Peace” forum, which brings together experts, policymakers, and veterans to discuss women’s combat experience, veteran policy reform, gender-sensitive defence policies, and the role of women in post-war recovery. Author of ArmWomenBlog YouTube Channel, documenting the stories of Ukrainian servicewomen through monthly field interviews near the frontlines, and author of the book Strong Women of the Strong Country, which features stories of Ukrainian women in the military, based on over 30 field interviews. | |
| Edna Fernandes Co-Founder & Executive Director, Beyond the Conflict Charity (UK) Edna Fernandes is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Conflict, the award winning UK mental health charity for victims of war, terrorism and displacement. Edna founded the charity in January 2018 in response to testimony from two young Iraqi victims of war whilst working as a writer and journalist. Today, Beyond Conflict has grown into a respected charity with a world class team of trustees, ambassadors, volunteers and advisors, supporting projects in Ukraine, Iraq, the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, and Israel, helping frontline workers and thousands of civilians. Edna is the founding Executive Director and runs the operational side of the charity. Prior to this, she was foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, and a journalist for Reuters, AP-Dow Jones and Associated Newspapers. Edna is author of the acclaimed books Holy Warriors, The Last Jews of Kerala and The Hollow Kingdom. She is a patron of Stop Trafficking. | |
| Dr Frank Ledwidge Military historian, Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Law at the University of Portsmouth(UK) Dr. Frank Ledwidge is a leading expert on military affairs, with a distinguished career spanning law, international security, and academia. He serves as a Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Law at the University of Portsmouth, where he provides professional military education to the RAF on strategy, ethics, and contemporary conflict. Frank is a best-selling author, known for books such as Losing Small Wars (Yale, 2011/17), Aerial Warfare (OUP, 2018), both of which feature on the RAF Chief’s Reading list, and Ground Truth (Bloomsbury, 2024), which was shortlisted for the prestigious Templer Medal. His 2013 publication, Investment in Blood, details the costs of the Afghan War and made front-page news worldwide. He has contributed hundreds of articles, interviews, and analyses to major international outlets like the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, and France 24, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict. His investigative work has supported award-winning journalism on war crimes for the BBC and The Sunday Times. Frank has held senior roles in UK government stabilisation missions in Afghanistan and Libya, and has worked with the OSCE across the former Soviet Union. Most recently, he advised the Ukrainian government on policies for prisoners of war and missing persons, and he currently serves on the UK panel of the OSCE’s committee of experts. | |
| Ryan Hendrickson CEO and Founder, Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal (US-Ukraine) An engineer and demolition expert Ryan Hendrickson served as a US Army Special Forces Green Beret. In 2010, Ryan was severely injured by an IED blast in Afghanistan which nearly took his life. After 28 surgeries, Ryan Hendrickson returned to active duty, deploying to Afghanistan 8 more times, leaving July 2021 during the US withdrawal. After his retirement from the Army, Ryan founded Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal Inc, a US Nonprofit NGO that helps clear dangerous areas for civilians in conflict zones. He is also an advocate for veterans’ mental health and the author of “Tip of the Spear: The Incredible Story of an Injured Green Beret’s Return to Battle.” Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ryan has been engaged in humanitarian work and demining in the country. He has undertaken over 11 missions since March 2022 and continues working tirelessly on projects linking US and Ukrainian veterans together, ranging from joint humanitarian demining missions to mental health initiatives. Very humble person in civil life, Ryan is a highly decorated US veteran, having earned many awards such as the Silver Star, 4 Bronze Stars, an ACRM with V, a Purple Heart, and the Major General Frederick Award. | |
| Volodymyr Tarasiuk PhD in law, doctorate, senior researcher on veterans’ reintegration and re-employment A reserve officer of the AFU and participant in Ukraine’s defence during 2022-2023, Volodymyr has direct experience in understanding the psychological challenges faced by combatants in war zones, as well as those encountered during the transition to civilian life. He is currently completing his doctoral research in law at the Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He has expertise in legal issues related to protecting the rights of military personnel and veterans after service. Volodymyr has also provided legal advisory services for voluntary organisations under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (voluntarily) and contributed to the working group preparing the draft law on the military ombudsman. His previous work history includes 23 years of security and due diligence activities within significant Ukrainian commercial holdings. He is the author of 34 scientific publications and two monographs, and co-author of five monographs on constitutional law and political science, as well as a co-author of scientific and legal expertise in civil and criminal law. Volodymyr is the lead researcher of GLOBSEC’s forthcoming report on re-employment of veterans, titled “There is a Place for Us,” due for publication in autumn 2025. | |
| Serhii Deka Serving AFU officer, (C)PTSD expert A defender of Ukraine since 2014, Serhii has participated in defending the country during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in 2014-2015. He then served in the renowned 95th Airborne Assault Troops Brigade, which defended Donetsk Airport; the group was known as ‘Cyborgs’. He has been serving in the AFU ever since the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. Having personally overcome combat traumas and PTSD, Serhii authored a research paper on the specific manifestations of (C)PTSD in servicemen with combat experience, based on his own experiences from 2014-2015, as well as those of his comrades from the Ruzhyn community. An active member of public life, Serhii is also the head of the community union “Ruzhyn District Union of Participants of Combat in Anti-Terrorist Operations” (Zhytomyr region, Ukraine). With AVA Charity, Serhii is offering his invaluable expert advice on understanding the inner world of a soldier, combat trauma, PTSD, flashbacks, challenges of reintegration into civilian life (based on his experience after 2015), and returning to service (since 2022), among other issues. | |
| Valentyn Lytvynchuk Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), combat veteran of Ukraine’s defence (2014–2024) Valentyn Lytvynchuk is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, former commander of the 3rd Assault Battalion of the 5th Separate Assault Brigade, a military lawyer, Knight of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (3rd Class), and Chairman of the NGO MindGuard. He is a graduate of the Ivan Bohun Kyiv Military Lyceum and the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy in Lviv. During his 18 years of service, Valentyn advanced through the ranks from platoon commander, company deputy commander, and deputy chief of staff, to chief of staff of a military unit. After sustaining a severe injury in 2022, he was medically discharged from the Armed Forces in late February 2024. However, Valentyn could not leave the military field behind. He founded MindGuard – a company that provides psychological support and shares real-world experience to help train the next generation of Ukrainian warriors. Valentyn is also the author and developer of the project “Tolerant Conversation”, aimed at supporting veterans and assisting civilians to develop the skills needed to communicate effectively with former servicemen and women. | |
| Andrii Polikashkin Film-maker, Director, NOVA-Film Professional film-maker Andrii is pursuing further studies in psychology. His career in cinematography began twenty years ago. His filmography includes over 28 films focusing on historical and modern themes of Ukraine’s statehood, war, politics, and social issues. Among the most recent are ‘Battle for Kyiv’ and ‘Price of Freedom‘, both produced in collaboration with VYR Technologies in 2D and 3D formats. With the AVA Foundation, he works on visual educational materials explaining the nature of war-related trauma, as well as documentaries like ‘PTSD. Invisible Scars’ and ‘PTSD. Children.’ Member of the Union of Cinematographers, member of the Union of Journalists. | |
| Ivan Novyk Director, VYR Immersive Technologies NGO Professional filmmaker Ivan has been honing his skills with contemporary virtual reality (VR360) and immersive technologies such as 3D and 5d. In collaboration with NOVA Film, Ivan produced both 2D and 3D versions of the documentaries Battle for Kyiv and Price of Freedom, demonstrating the brutal reality of the Russian occupation in 2022-2023. He is also engaged in testing experimental technologies using VR360 and 3D for treating and rehabilitating stress-related disorders and addictions, as well as creating 3D stress-relief clips for children and 3D video products designed to help decompress combatants. Moreover, he has developed several 3D educational resources for training in emergency scenarios. Working with the AVA Foundation, he creates visual educational materials that explain the nature of war-related traumas, alongside documentaries like PTSD. Invisible Scars and PTSD. Children. Member of the Union of Cinematographers, member of the Union of Journalists. | |
| Yehor Stankevych Video editor, director Yehor is the main creative force behind video-educational materials on WRT and PTSD, developed in collaboration with GLOBSEC and AVA Foundation. With over 10 years of experience in film editing and post-production, Yehor has directed numerous documentaries, narrative films, and commercials. Passionate about emerging technologies and the innovative use of AI in filmmaking, Yehor is recognised for frame-accurate editing that maximises impact and maintains audience engagement until the very last second. He is the creative director of the documentaries PTSD. Invisible Scars and PTSD. Children, both currently being produced at the request of the Ukrainian Cultural Fund. | |
| Dmitry Mayevsky Co-owner, UD-Vet Centre for Pet Treatment and Rehabilitation Qualified as a veterinarian and with over 20 years of experience in pet treatment and rehabilitation in his civilian career, Dmitry is currently serving in the medical forces of the AFU. He is a passionate supporter of the veterans’ assistance dogs programme and is dedicated to supporting it through his practical involvement after demobilisation. | |
| Victoria Kazakova Owner of Shaggy Land kennel Victoria, a qualified medical nurse, has over 30 years of experience in training and working with dogs. Her Shaggy Land kennel will celebrate its 15th anniversary in October 2025. Since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022, Victoria has been practising canis-therapy at the request of the Society of Assistance to Defence of Ukraine (the oldest national service dogs organisation in Ukraine), working with children evacuated from frontline areas, as well as with combatants and veterans. Dogs from her kennel have been tested and meet the criteria for working in canis-therapy. Based on her practical experience in this volunteer work, Victoria has gained a unique understanding of what works best with children and adults. Her young trainees have practised and learned how to train dogs, give commands, and handle them in preparation for dog shows. We are proud to have Victoria and her furry family with us! |
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