By Kevin Knodell

Mykola Melnyk never expected to go to war. He was a lawyer working in the Ukrainian parliament with a promising career ahead of him. But in 2014, everything changed when along with thousands of young Ukrainians, he participated in the Maidan Revolution that led to the removal of Ukraine’s then pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

When Russian troops then invaded and annexed Crimea, Melnyk joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, one of several hastily formed militias that fought against Russian forces, before eventually becoming a company commander in the regular Ukrainian Army.

The war intensified in 2022 when Russian forces pushed into Western Ukraine in an attempt to seize the entire country. In June 2023, Melnyk was severely wounded in a Russian attack that took his right leg and most of his left foot. 

Today he walks on a pair of prosthetics and with a cane. But though no longer on the front line, the war hasn’t ended for him.

Recently he and two fellow Ukrainian veterans visited Oahu, where they met with members of Hawaii’s Ukrainian diaspora, government officials and business leaders as they shared their stories of what they’ve seen in the war and raised money to support the children of Ukrainian soldiers who have died in the bloody conflict.

Melnyk is the founder of the charity Brave Children of Ukraine Opens in a new tab, and sits on the board of the organization with Oleg Bonchynskiy — a construction worker-turned soldier who lost his left eye in battle — and Denys Hayda, a former bartender who fellow soldiers nicknamed “cyborg” for his discipline and ferocity in combat.

The organization uses money it raises to fund scholarships, back to school supply drives, psychological counseling, medical support for special needs children, birthday gifts and other services.

“The kids must know that they’re not alone in this world,” said Melnyk. “That in their future they have strong support from the friends of their fathers, from the community of their fathers.”

The three have been touring the United States, speaking at schools, libraries, churches and any other venue that will host them. On Sept. 22 that journey brought them to Hawaii, where they spent a week working with the Honolulu-based Ukrainian Cultural Center Pacific. The organization estimates there are about 2,000 Ukrainians in Hawaii.

“In Hawaii we have a very active Ukrainian community and we want to support it,” said Melnyk.

While on Oahu they met with Gov. Josh Green, members of the state Legislature, and addressed several community groups. They spoke with audiences about their personal experiences, their work supporting children orphaned by the war, and raised money for their charity.

They also met with the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Council, which hosted a meeting that included current and retired military leaders hoping to learn from their experiences in the war, and how Ukrainian troops have adapted to repel invading Russian forces.

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