The 2026 video conference on the development of physical culture and sports was held online, with the participation of deputy heads of military administrations in settlements of the Donetsk region, district state administrations, and district military administrations. The discussion was also joined by heads of physical culture and sports management bodies of local communities, as well as leaders of regional and local physical culture and sports organizations.
Ihor Boiko, Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, addressed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of systematic work to support children and youth, develop the sports environment, and preserve the sector’s human resources.
“As we summarize our work in April, we are immediately setting priorities for May. In particular, this month we are joining the ‘Carpathian Shift’ project for the mental and physical rehabilitation of children, finalizing preparations, and holding the regional stage of the ‘Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues’ competition. These initiatives are aimed at providing children with the conditions for physical development despite the challenges of wartime. In addition, enrollment for the new academic year at the Donetsk Regional Specialized Vocational College of Sports will begin this summer, so we already have a plan for recruiting students to the institution,” noted Ihor Boiko.
Volodymyr Mytsyk, head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, emphasized that sporting life in the Donetsk region continues thanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the support of the regional leadership, and the daily hard work of the sports community at the regional and local levels. Despite the war, as of today, 45 regional sports competitions have already been held outside the Donetsk region in 2026. Athletes from the region have won 127 awards at 75 international events, 57 of which were gold medals. Representatives of the region have won another 922 medals, including 378 gold medals, at 210 national tournaments.
During the video conference, deputy heads of military administrations in Donetsk Oblast’s settlements, as well as heads of departments responsible for physical education and sports, reported on their work in April and outlined plans for May. Key topics included the organization of the training process, the conduct of physical education, health, and sports events for community residents in relocation sites outside the region, staffing, funding for the sector, support for leading athletes and coaches, as well as current challenges and ways to address them.
The speakers on the agenda items of the videoconference were Natalia Tochilova, Deputy Head of the Department and Head of the Division for the Implementation of Specialized Programs within the Regional State Administration’s Department of Physical Culture and Sports; Sergey Gorbunov, Deputy Head of the Department and Head of the Division for Organizational and Personnel Affairs; Andriy Ivanov, Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports Activities; Serhiy Golovchenko, Director of the Donetsk Regional Center for Public Physical Health “Sport for All”; and Ihor Anushkevych, Director of the Donetsk Regional Specialized Vocational College of Sports.
Special attention was given to the implementation of specialized local programs for the development of physical culture and sports. Heads of physical culture and sports management bodies in communities were advised to maintain constant oversight of the adoption, coordination with the Donetsk Regional State Administration, further adjustment, and practical implementation of such programs. Currently, in accordance with existing sectoral programs funded by the budget, 22 territorial communities in the Donetsk region are working in this area.
One of the key government digital initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine is the Electronic Register of Sports Organizations of All Forms of Ownership. Launched in 2025, the register contains open data on sports clubs, groups, branches, and services provided to the public. Currently, information on 310 organizations from the Donetsk region has been entered into the national registry, including: 130 in the Pokrovsk district, 104 in the Kramatorsk district, 39 in the Bakhmut district, 22 in the Volnovakha district, and 15 in the Mariupol district.
Significant attention during the meeting was devoted to the implementation of new initiatives for children and youth. Thus, at the initiative of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Football Association, the “Carpathian Shift” project will launch in 2026, aimed at the mental and physical recovery of children from frontline regions by combining wellness programs and team sports with the involvement of well-known Ukrainian football players. Two hundred children from the Donetsk region aged 9 to 12, including children of military personnel, law enforcement officers, and other categories, will be able to participate in the program at the “Pearl of Donetsk Region” municipal enterprise, which has been relocated to Zakarpattia. The first session at “Perlyna Donetsk” will run from May 25 to June 14, and the second from June 17 to July 8.
Another key area of focus remains the implementation of the national project “Side by Side: All-Ukrainian School Leagues,” which serves as a powerful incentive to encourage schoolchildren to participate in regular sports activities. The regional stage of the competition, with organizational support from the Regional State Administration’s Department of Physical Culture and Sports and the Donetsk Regional Center for Public Health “Sport for All,” is scheduled to take place in late May at several locations, with representatives from 22 local communities in the Donetsk region participating.
According to the submitted applications, children in the age categories specified by the regulations are expected to participate in the regional “Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues” competitions across 11 tournaments in chess, mass soccer, table tennis, track and field, orienteering, basketball, rugby-5, and 3x3 basketball. At the same time, the organizers will pay special attention to safety measures—shelters are planned to be available in the immediate vicinity of the participants’ accommodations and competition venues.
The only educational institution in the Donetsk region that trains elite athletes is the Donetsk Regional Specialized Vocational College of Sports. Following its relocation from Bakhmut in the spring of 2022, the college continues its operations at the V. Korolenko Poltava National Pedagogical University, where appropriate conditions for study, training, and accommodation have been created for young athletes from Donetsk Oblast. Currently, the college offers programs in 15 sports: basketball, boxing, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, weightlifting, cycling, kayaking and canoeing, volleyball, judo, track and field, swimming, rock climbing, triathlon, WTF taekwondo, and soccer.
Enrollment for the school division of the Donetsk Regional Specialized Vocational College of Sports (grades 7–11) is open throughout the academic year. Ninth-grade students who have a certificate of basic general secondary education are invited to apply for the first year of the college. An Open House is scheduled for June 5 in Poltava, where prospective applicants and their parents can obtain comprehensive information regarding the college’s admission requirements.
Despite Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the sports community in Donetsk Oblast continues to thrive, work, and grow. Under the current circumstances, physical education and sports help strengthen mental and emotional well-being, build resilience and fortitude, and provide energy, motivation, and faith in the future. The region’s sports community continues to focus its efforts on preserving the potential of the Donetsk region, supporting talented children and youth, and raising a strong and healthy generation of Ukrainians.