Ukrainian War Veterans Crossed the Bosphorus in Symbolic Crossing

• Three Ukrainian veterans successfully crossed the Bosphorus in the strait on Independence Day of Ukraine.
• The competition was small to gather funds for the protection of the wounded.
• Sports help veterans to recover after the trauma of war.

ISTANBUL (AP) — During training in the base, a Ukrainian war veteran, Oleg Tserkovny, came up with the idea: what if a group of veterans crossed the Bosphorus, between the European and Asian shores of Turkey? And how would they do this on August 24, on Independence Day of Ukraine?

The symbolism of that day was meant to draw attention to the consequences and devastation caused by the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine, which has been ongoing for the fourth year. When 34-year-old Tserkovny shared this idea with his comrades in the support group "One for All," they didn’t mention the traumas, including amputations, as on the barrier. Two veterans joined him.

They trained for months under the auspices of the "Superlud" Center, a rehabilitation clinic for veterans in Ukraine, and under the guidance of the amateur team from the triathlon CapitalTRI in Kyiv. They agreed that their goal would also be to raise funds for the protection of the wounded, which remain a dire need for many wounded in Ukraine.

"We did not ask for pity," Tserkovny said before the competition. "We asked for support."

After months of intense training, discipline and physical exertion, three Ukrainian veterans managed to swim over 2800 meters from the Asian shore to the European shore. The Bosphorus is a narrow waterway that is usually crossed in Istanbul, organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee since 1989.

All three Ukrainians successfully completed the swim, each crossing in more than an hour. Two veterans with amputations faced difficulties even before they started — the organizers banned them from participating, stating that they should be in a separate category for people with disabilities. However, they insisted and swam together with others.

For Ukrainians, this was not only a matter of survival, but also a reflection of control over bodies that changed due to war, and to share their experiences with a world that often looks away from their injuries.

Search for Equality in Water

Sport has always been part of Tserkovny's life, but the war and injuries forced him to use it as a tool for survival after two serious injuries to his head — a way back to life for veterans with disabilities. "Sport itself heals — we have seen this in our own experience," he said.

Tserkovny noted that the changes he sees in himself — it’s a reflection and a new tremor of hope. The injuries he suffered were a result of prolonged exposure to artillery fire while serving at the front. After the second strike, he realized that he had lost the feeling of balance.

Electronic Pavel Tovsty signed up as a volunteer at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in February 2022. During his service in the intelligence unit, he was hit in the leg in June 2023, as a result of which he lost it.

A 47-year-old man, who previously actively engaged in swimming, never thought that swimming would become his salvation. He began to train in the pool while still recovering.

"Water became for me a salvation," he said. "In the water of my thoughts, strength and will were gathered again. I became myself again. Just... different." The idea to swim across the Bosphorus began to ignite in him, and then transformed into a plan.

Peace in the Whole

Oleksandr Dashko opened up for himself swimming only after losing his left leg. The 28-year-old joined the armed forces at the beginning of the Russian invasion and served in the infantry on different fronts. In June 2023, he was injured by a mine explosion, and since then he has been in rehabilitation.

"I didn’t perceive this as a big tragedy, let’s say," he recalls about the feeling he endured for a long time. Adapting to life with an amputation was physically and psychologically challenging.

Only in the last year did he manage to engage in physical rehabilitation, and swimming became an activity that brings him peace. The challenge of swimming across the Bosphorus became for him a goal.

"When I don’t work out at night, I return to that state of depression, apathy, feeling that the amputation is overwhelming," he said. "But when something like this appears on my path, it gives me a reason to live, to move forward, to motivate others." Physical goals, in his words, help strengthen him.

Tags: Ukraine/Sport