Mariupol defender Bohdan Markovtsii receives an apartment from Rinat Akhmetov

Mariupol defender Bohdan Markovtsii has received the keys to his own apartment through the “At Home” program, implemented by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation in partnership with the Heart of Azovstal project.

Bohdan joined the Azov Brigade in 2016. He met the full-scale invasion in Mariupol, where he took part in the defense of the city. At the end of March 2022, during a combat mission, he sustained severe injuries. After receiving first aid, he was evacuated to the hospital at Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, where he underwent surgery and was later transported by helicopter to Kyiv during a special operation conducted by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

Bohdan Markovtsii has now been discharged from military service. He has undergone a series of complex surgeries and continues a long road to recovery. His own apartment will become the foundation of his return to civilian life - a safe space for recovery and a place where he will be able to plan his future.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to Rinat Akhmetov. Thank you for such a valuable gift. Honestly, I have no words. I am so overwhelmed that I do not even know how to thank you,” the serviceman says.

The keys to the apartment were presented to the defender by Nataliia Yemchenko, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, and Kseniia Sukhova, the Foundation’s CEO. They congratulated Bohdan on his new home and thanked him for his courage and for defending the country.

“Today we have a very important mission - on behalf of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, together with Heart of Azovstal, to hand over to you this cozy, bright, and most importantly, your very own apartment. I know that you were forced to end your military service. I hope you will find yourself in something new together with Heart of Azovstal. We are always by your side and will certainly help you build your future,” said Kseniia Sukhova while congratulating the defender.

Nataliia Yemchenko emphasized that supporting the defenders of Mariupol is one of the priority areas of the Foundation’s work, while providing housing for servicemen is a strategic objective of the project that has already shown significant results:

“Since October 2023, when Mr. Akhmetov decided that Heart of Azovstal would provide apartments to servicemen with Group I and Group II disabilities, we have already handed over more than 300 homes. By the end of this year, we plan to reach the milestone of 400 apartments.”

Over the past three years, more than 320 apartments have already been provided to the defenders of Mariupol by Rinat Akhmetov under the “At Home” program.