A solemn event in Ukraine’s capital this week served as a poignant reminder of the toll this war continues to take on the country’s youth.
It was organized in response to The Moses Videos, a recent episode of the Scripps News series "In the Shadows," which centered on Ukrainian soldier Victor Medyanyk.
Medyanyk served in a unique and dangerous role — what Ukrainian soldiers call a “Moses,” tasked with guiding fresh troops to and from the frontlines, and delivering water and other supplies to areas unreachable by vehicle due to the threat of Russian drone attacks. In the summer of 2024, Medyanyk deployed on a high-risk incursion into Russia’s Kursk region — a mission he documented himself. Those recordings would become his last.
RELATED STORY | The Last Stand of Moses: A video chronicle of Ukraine’s frontline
The screening of The Moses Videos — re-dubbed by Scripps News into Ukrainian — was co-hosted with a local group supporting the families of fallen soldiers. The event culminated in a heartfelt Q&A session, led by Vadym, Medyanyk's close friend and fellow soldier.
“Applause to Victor Medyanyk’s mother,” Vadym said, gesturing to Olena. “Please stand up.”
When she addressed the audience, Olena spoke with quiet resolve.
“My boy believed very much that even one can change the course of events,” she said. “And today, he proves it again.”
Now, Olena is turning her grief into action. She offers support to other parents who have lost children in the war and plans to screen The Moses Videos in their hometown of Poltava.
“The worst thing is to be silent about your loved ones,” she said. “Our boys should have lived — like thousands of others who lost their lives on the front.”
In Ukraine, families of the fallen are becoming more vocal. Not to protest the war, but to ensure that the world understands what’s being sacrificed — and who is doing the sacrificing.
