(25 Aug 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine – 12 August 2025
1. Various of Ukrainian war veteran Oleksandr Dashko swimming
2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleksandr Dashko, Ukrainian veteran: ++STARTS ON SHOT 1 AND PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS 3 TO 6++
“It might sound pretentious, but right now, it’s my reason to keep living, because I’ve noticed that when I do absolutely nothing, I slip back to the state I was in right after the injury. I realize that in those moments, the amputation wins — and the depression, apathy, and everything else returns. But when challenges like these appear on my path, they give me a real boost — for everything: for life, for motivating others.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Istanbul, Turkey – 24 August 2025
3. Wide of Dashko walking towards boat with other swimmers for start of race
4. Wide of boat carrying swimmers to start point
5. Mid of swimmers jumping into water
6. Wide of boats in the Bosporus Strait
7. People taking part in race
8. Wide of Ukrainian veteran, Pavlo Tovstyk, heading towards finish line at end of race
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine – 12 August 2025
9. Wide of Tovstyk sitting down next to swimming pool
10. Close of Tovstyk removing his leg prosthesis
11. Wide of Tovstyk jumping into pool
12. Various of Tovstyk swimming
13. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Pavlo Tovstyk, Ukrainian veteran: ++STARTS ON SHOT 10++
“In the water, it was as if I pulled myself together. At that time, there was a kind of confusion, but in the water, my thoughts and strength seemed to come together, and my body gathered itself and became what it once was — though already with some adjustments.”
14. Mid of Tovstyk swimming
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Istanbul, Turkey – 24 August 2025
15. Mid of Tovstyk celebrating at end of race
16. Close of Dashko showing his medal to camera
17. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Tserkovnyi, Ukrainian veteran: ++STARTS ON SHOT 15++
“Many training sessions are behind us, a lot of hard work and discipline are behind us — but Ukraine can handle anything, Ukrainians can handle anything. We declare, we want to manifest that there is life after trauma — and it is an active life.”
18. Mid of Tovstyk with medal after race
STORYLINE:
During a pool training session months ago, Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi was struck by an idea: What if a group of veterans swam across the strait of Bosphorus, between Turkey’s European and Asian shores? And what if they did it on Ukraine’s Independence Day?
The symbolism of the day would draw attention to the toll and devastation inflicted by Russia’s full-out war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year, he said.
When the 34-year-old pitched the idea to fellow veterans in their One for Another support group, none raised injuries, particularly their amputations, as a barrier. Two joined him right away.
They trained for months, with the support of Superhumans Center, a veterans’ rehabilitation clinic in Ukraine, and coached by CapitalTRI, an amateur triathlon team in Kyiv.
They agreed their race would have another goal — to raise money for prosthetics, which remain costly and urgently needed by many of Ukraine’s wounded.
After months of rigorous training, discipline and physical challenges, the three Ukrainian veterans on Sunday joined more than 2,800 swimmers from 81 countries in the 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) crossing from Asia to Europe.
The Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race is an open-water event held each year in Istanbul, organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee since 1989.
All three Ukrainians completed the crossing, each swimming for more than an hour.
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