Mykola has been working at the Law Clinic of the Educational Scientific Law Institute of Precarpathian National University named after Vasyl Stefanyk for 4 years, providing and training law students to provide free legal assistance to citizens.  He has a Master’s degree in Law from the Precarpathian National University and is currently studying for a PhD.

Since the February 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine, he has been actively volunteering, providing free legal assistance to displaced persons and collecting evidence of war crimes together with a team of volunteers of the Non-Governmental Organization “Postupovyy gurt frankivtsiv”.

Working as a lawyer and actively involved in volunteering, Mykola uses his skills to train a team of volunteers to obtain important testimony about war crimes from internally displaced persons, provide legal assistance to internally displaced persons, and promote counter disinformation about war crimes.

“Every person is important, every testimony of a war crime must be recorded and documented. Even the smallest testimony is as important as a drop to a drop in the sea that forms the ocean of all truth and justice. People should know their rights and opportunities in wartime and through obtaining the status of an internally displaced person in order to effectively protect their interests, their rights, and their future.  Thanks to the fellowship I am able to contribute to this important process.”  – Mykola OSTAPIAK