Ukrainian veterans clinch bronze medals at 2025 Invictus Games

As members of the mixed team Afghanistan Unconquered 3, Ukrainian athletes Artur Mylin and Illia Pylypenko won bronze medals in wheelchair basketball, competing admirably against the Colombian team.

The Basketball Federation of Ukraine reported this.

Artur Mylin and Illia Pylypenko, playing for the Afghanistan Unconquered 3 team, helped secure victory in Group C during the first stage of the competition. 

Each game consisted of two quarters, each lasting 10 minutes.

The Ukrainian national team also played in this group, which defeated the Colombian national team. The match took place immediately after the games' opening ceremony on February 9, 2025. The Ukrainians defeated the Colombian team with a score of 12:6 and then lost to Afghanistan Unconquered 3.

The Afghanistan Unconquered 3 team, featuring veterans from Afghanistan and other countries, advanced to the semifinals of this year's Invictus Games by winning their group. The team went on to secure the bronze medal. In addition to Ukrainian athletes Illia Pylypenko and Artur Mylin, the mixed team included six American veterans.

Illia Pylypenko, a sailor with Ukraine's armed forces and a veteran from the Odesa region, sustained injuries in September 2022 when a tank he was in struck a mine near Bilohirka in the Kherson region. Pylypenko views the competition as an excellent opportunity for rehabilitation and reintegration into civilian life. He expressed his emotions regarding winning the bronze medal on his Instagram page.

"In the morning, you join a wheelchair basketball team you've never met, unaware of their origins or style of play. You participate with one goal: to enjoy the game the experience, and have fun that day. By evening, you're awarded a bronze medal.

This day will remain in my memory for a long time. I can't describe the emotions I experienced today in words yet, but I can only say that it was a wonderful and driving day. The smile still doesn't go away as I write this post," Illia Pylypenko wrote.

Artur Mylin, a soldier and veteran of Ukraine's armed forces from Kyiv, sustained injuries in October 2022 during a combat mission near Terny in the Donetsk region. He aspires to be a role model for others, demonstrating that life continues even after a serious injury and that it is possible to overcome such challenges.

The opening ceremony of the Invictus Games 2025 took place in Vancouver, Canada. These are some of the largest international competitions among veterans and military personnel.

For reference:

The Invictus Games are international sports competitions among military personnel and veterans who have suffered injuries, wounds, or illnesses during or as a result of their duty. They were founded by the British Prince Harry.

The first Games were held in 2014 in London.

This year, the winter Invictus Games will be held for the first time in Canada from February 8 to 16. More than 550 wounded soldiers from 25 countries will participate.