When Russia invaded Ukraine, Mitya traded his skateboard for a drone controller.
A familiar face from local skate spots, he’s now one of thousands who chose to step away from daily life and into something far more dangerous - defending Ukraine.
He’s not the only one. Like many of his friends, Mitya didn’t need much convincing. “I contacted my friends and we joined the resistance,” he says.
The decision came quickly. One moment he was skating around Bucha; the next, he was training with military units, learning to operate drones and help gather crucial intel for defense operations. From the street to the sky - quite literally.
Skateboards Not Bombs: Skateboarding Becomes a Symbol of Strength in Ukraine
A short clip produced for the UK Ministry of Defence recently gave the world a glimpse of Mitya’s new life.
It shows a young man in military fatigues, far from the skateparks he once roamed, navigating equipment instead of concrete.
Despite the change in scenery, you can still catch traces of the same focus and calm that make good skaters great. Now applied in a whole new way.
This story was shared by Ukrainciaga International, a Ukrainian-run NGO and charity known for their design work, cultural commentary, and now their advocacy.
They're not just highlighting stories like Mitya’s. They’re also fighting their own battles online, dealing with reduced reach and waves of bot attacks that attempt to silence their posts.
One update shared how their social media reach plummeted from tens of thousands of views to just a few hundred per story. Reels barely reach anyone now.
Despite being officially registered and mentioned by global media outlets, the group says they’re stuck in what looks like a permanent shadow ban.
And while Meta has offered limited support, there's little they can do unless a final suspension takes place, even though the group has two-factor authentication and receives multiple phishing attempts daily.
They’ve also been approached by shady third-party services offering account verification. The kind with thousands of dollars attached and questionable ethics.
They’ve refused. “We’d prefer not to,” they say.
Verification, they argue, isn’t just about a blue badge or paying for a subscription. It’s about visibility and access to proper support, especially when under constant pressure from coordinated digital harassment.
Still, they press on. Whether it’s through visuals, stories like Mitya’s, or raising awareness about Ukraine’s situation - they’re doing what they can with what they’ve got.
And for now, if you know someone who knows someone, especially someone who can help with account verification - Ukrainciaga is all ears. Message them on @hugenough or reach out to ukrainciaga@gmail.com.
Sometimes resistance isn’t just found on the battlefield. It’s found in telling the truth, showing the human side of war, and doing whatever it takes to keep people like Mitya seen.