“This feels like home”: Defender of Mariupol Anatolii Basenko receives an apartment from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation
10.09.2026
Mariupol defender Anatolii Basenko has received his own apartment through the “At Home” programme, implemented by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in partnership with the Heart of Azovstal project. For the veteran, who lost both his leg and his home because of the war, the new apartment has given him the opportunity to feel at home once again.
Anatolii is originally from Dymytrov in the Donetsk region and worked as a miner before the war. He began fighting in 2014 as a member of the Dnipro-1 volunteer battalion. He took part in battles near Pisky, Donetsk Airport, Avdiivka, Stanytsia Luhanska and Popasna. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Ukraine from Poland and joined the Azov Territorial Defence unit. He defended Kyiv and later took part in a Defence Intelligence of Ukraine special operation to assist the defenders of Mariupol.
While approaching Azovstal, Anatolii was seriously wounded and lost his leg. His amputation was carried out inside the steelworks bunker. Later, together with the other defenders of the city, he was taken into russian captivity. He was released from captivity a month and a half later due to his critical health condition.
After returning home, the defender began a long journey of recovery. He received a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb, rehabilitation support, and became an ambassador for the Heart of Azovstal project. Now, Anatolii has also received a home of his own.
“I am deeply grateful to the Foundation and to Rinat Leonidovych for providing homes to veterans. It’s incredible – I get goosebumps every time I talk about it. This apartment gives me a sense of home. Officially, I no longer had a home because it had been destroyed. And now I have a home again, and my family once more has a place to build its future from. There is no need to think about rebuilding our own home because we already have one. Now we can simply focus on our family and enjoy life,” the defender says.
While handing over the apartment keys, Kseniia Sukhova, Director General of the Foundation, thanked the defender for his courage and for taking part in the mission to rescue the defenders of Mariupol:
“We have known each other for a long time, and I am truly delighted to see such positive changes in your life and to see you smiling. We are proud to know you and deeply admire your courage and everything you have done. The operation of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine was extremely important for Mariupol. Thank you for going to rescue the boys and girls.”
Today, Anatolii leads an active life: He is raising his son, plays amputee football, works as an instructor, and helps civilians and military personnel develop first aid and weapons handling skills. The defender says it is important for him to remain useful and to help others.
“Anatolii was one of the first to return from captivity and come to Heart of Azovstal. Together, we have come a long way – from trying to understand what to do after his above-knee amputation to having a clear vision of what he wants to do, what makes him happy, and how he can contribute to others. His role as an ambassador is immensely valuable to us. Through his example, he shows those returning from captivity that life goes on and that it is truly beautiful,” said Nataliia Yemchenko, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
The “At Home” programme provides apartments to Mariupol defenders with Group I and Group II disabilities. For them, having a home of their own is not only a solution to practical everyday needs, but also an important part of their post-traumatic growth journey – helping them rebuild their lives after combat and captivity.
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