“It’s Good to Know Someone Cares About You”: Defender of Mariupol Dmytro Pazin Receives an Apartment from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation

 Thirty-year-old defender of Mariupol Dmytro Pazin has received an apartment through the At Home programme, implemented by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in partnership with the Heart of Azovstal project.

Dmytro is originally from the Khmelnytskyi region. The captain of the State Border Guard Service was in Mariupol when the full-scale invasion began. In March 2022, during fighting near the Azovmash plant, he came under heavy airstrikes and artillery fire. The serviceman suffered a severe concussion and multiple shrapnel wounds to his arm and legs. The wounded Dmytro was evacuated to Azovstal, and in May 2022, he was taken prisoner. The defender spent more than three years in captivity. There, he endured hell and abuse:  he was beaten with batons, tortured with electric shocks, and had dogs set on him.

In 2025, Dmytro finally returned home. As a result of his severe injuries and torture, he developed chronic illnesses and joint problems. 

Dmytro recently got married, making his own home especially timely. Now the young family has a place of their own where they can settle in, regain their strength, and look after their future.

“Our whole family is sincerely grateful for the opportunity to have a home of our own. We are very grateful to Rinat Akhmetov. We are defenders of Mariupol who spent a long time in captivity. To be honest, we had lost hope that anyone was waiting for us. But after returning home from captivity after three years, it is very heartening to realise that there are still people who care about you and worry about you,” Dmytro says.

Presenting the newlyweds with the keys and a certificate for the apartment, Ksenia Sukhova, Director of the Foundation, wished them peace, comfort, and a happy family life.

“I hope all their dreams come true in this wonderful apartment! It is fully equipped: the kitchen is fully fitted, and everything they need is there – a refrigerator, an oven, and an extractor hood. And outside the window, there is a beautiful view,” she said.

Previously, Dmytro had received assistance from the Heart of Azovstal project: he underwent treatment and psychological screening. This helped improve his condition and return to work. Dmytro runs his own business with his father.

He recently also joined the Living Towards Each Other educational and grant programme. As part of the programme, he is receiving business training, working with mentors, and developing his own business model to turn his idea into a successful venture. 

“He is 30 years old and has great ambitions – to build his own business. He will now join our Living Towards Each Other programme together with FUIB and KSE Graduate Business School. This is an entrepreneurship school for veterans, and the best graduates receive grants,” explained Nataliia Yemchenko, Chair of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board.

The “At Home” program provides apartments for Mariupol defenders with Group I and Group II disabilities. Having a home of their own is not only a solution to everyday needs for them, but also an important part of the path toward post-traumatic growth — a return to a fulfilling life after combat and captivity.