Veteran Business: 3 Inspiring Stories of Mariupol Defenders

The fourth season of the educational grant programme “Living Toward” is also running in a special format. Fifteen teams have joined, formed by Mariupol defenders together with fellow servicemen, relatives or business partners. Participants learn the basics of entrepreneurship, how to create and improve business plans, and prepare to launch or grow their own businesses. Meet three of them.

Dmytro Morozov and Viacheslav Konstantinov: Clean Water for Irpin and Bucha

Dmytro is a National Guardsman, a defender of Mariupol and an ambassador of the NGO “Heart of Azovstal”. At the start of the full-scale war, he stood up to defend his hometown and went through the defence of Azovstal. After the ordered withdrawal from the plant, he was taken prisoner. He spent six months in captivity, underwent two operations and lost 40 kg.
After returning, Dmytro focused on advocacy and the campaign to free Ukrainian prisoners of war, promoting the #FreeMariupolDefenders message in Ukraine and abroad. Now he has decided to realise a long-held dream, to create his own business, and has brought Viacheslav on board. They have known each other since childhood: they were neighbours in Sartana near Mariupol and later served together.

The team plans to open a water purification, bottling and delivery point in Irpin and Bucha. Dmytro has experience working at the Mariupol water utility, so he understands well how to organise a team, delivery and routing. Later, the partners want to buy equipment for ice production, which would let them expand the business and create new jobs.

Dmytro and Viacheslav came to “Living Toward” to improve their business plan, gain new knowledge and prepare to launch the business.

Ihor Laskavyi and Serhii Naumov: From a Meeting During a Renovation to a Shared Workshop

Ihor served under contract from 2019 to 2025. From the first days of the full-scale invasion he defended Mariupol. On 17 May 2022, on orders from higher command, he went into captivity, and he returned home in May 2025.
Ihor met Serhii, also a veteran, when Serhii was installing interior doors in his flat. The working acquaintance grew into friendship, and later into a joint business. Serhii has experience working in a carpentry shop, and the partners share responsibility for the business equally.

At present, the team installs doors, shelves and other wooden structures in Vinnytsia and beyond. They plan to launch their own production of small wooden items such as toys and furniture parts. They already have the tools, but still lack equipment for the workshop.

From the programme, Ihor and Serhii expect to learn how to manage a business competently, plan finances, build logistics and supply, keep documentation, and develop advertising and customer relations. Their goal is to scale the business and make it stable and profitable.

Ivan Zavhorodnii and Diana: A Family Car Wash in the Kyiv Region

Ivan was born in Donetsk. In 2014, when pro-Russian forces seized the city, he voluntarily joined the National Guard of Ukraine. He devoted ten years to service, defended Mariupol, was seriously wounded, underwent four operations and went through captivity.

Now Ivan, together with his niece Diana, plans to open a self-service car wash in the Kyiv region. The idea came from his own experience as a driver, and the team sees potential in serving a large flow of customers. Roles are already divided: Ivan will be responsible for finances, pricing and overall control, and Diana for administration, customer relations and day-to-day accounting.

The team has little entrepreneurial experience so far, but it has the main thing: a desire to grow. For Ivan and Diana, taking part in the programme is a chance to gain practical knowledge, learn from other participants’ experience and learn to run their own business with confidence.

More Than Business

Three teams, three different ideas, but one thing in common: for these people, a business of their own is not only about earning money. It is a chance to build a new life, relying on their own experience, skills and people they trust.
The “Living Toward” educational grant programme is initiated and implemented with funding from PUMB, in partnership with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, the NGO “Heart of Azovstal”, the NGO “Redoubt Business” and KSE Business School.