Ukrainian war veterans swim the Bosphorus strait in triumph over injuries

During a pool training session months ago, Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi was struck by an idea: What if a group of veterans swam across the strait of Bosphorus, between Turkey's European and Asian shores? And if they did it on Aug. 24, Ukraine's Independence Day?

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The symbolism of the day would draw attention to the toll and devastation inflicted by Russia's full-out war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year.

When the 34-year-old pitched the idea to fellow veterans in their One for Another support group, none raised injuries, particularly their amputations, as a barrier. Two joined him right away.

They trained for months, with the support of Superhumans Center, a veterans' rehabilitation clinic in Ukraine, and coached by CapitalTRI, an amateur triathlon team in Kyiv. They agreed their race would have another goal — to raise money for prosthetics, which remain costly and urgently needed by many of Ukraine's wounded.

"We're not asking for pity," Tserkovnyi told The Associated Press shortly before the competition. "We're asking for support."

A race that links continents