Mykhailo Murza, a 26-year-old defender from Mariupol originally from Mangush in Donetsk Oblast, joined the fight to protect his city at the onset of the full-scale invasion. During intense street combat, he faced multiple mortar and artillery strikes, resulting in explosive injuries and several concussions.
In March 2022, Murza was captured by Russian forces. His nearly three years in captivity were marked by physical and psychological torture, including electric shocks. Upon his release, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep issues, and knee joint injuries.
After returning to Ukraine, Murza underwent extensive rehabilitation and psychological screening as part of the “Heart of Azovstal” project. He was recently provided with a certificate of ownership and keys to an apartment.
“I am grateful to Renat Leonidovych for what he does for the defenders of Mariupol. Every serviceman released from captivity receives crucial support from ‘Heart of Azovstal’,” Murza stated.
Ksenia Sukhova, General Director of the Renat Akhmetov Foundation, noted that supporting defenders and their families remains a core focus of the Foundation and the “Heart of Azovstal” project.
According to Murza, the apartment is equipped with everything necessary for living.
“The apartments we provide serve as a foundation to help our heroes, the defenders of Mariupol, move forward in life after their service. This is the main goal of post-traumatic growth practices, which form the basis of ‘Heart of Azovstal’ and are considered a new national norm for Ukraine. Many individuals in Ukraine carry or currently experience trauma. It is vital for us to help people understand how to transform the trauma of war into a resource. We should not stigmatize it as a disorder but recognize it as a complex experience that can and should become a resource,” said Natalia Yemchenko, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Renat Akhmetov Foundation.
