ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi has inspired two fellow veterans to swim across the Bosphorus strait on their country’s Independence Day.
___
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk removes his prosthesis in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, as he prepares to train for an upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian war veterans Oleksandr Dashko, from left, Oleh Tserkovnyi and Pavlo Tovstyk, prepare to compete in a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk jumps in a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, during a training session to compete in a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Competitors jump into the water at the start of a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Ukrainian war veterans Pavlo Tovstyk, left, and Oleh Tserkovnyi, smile after completing a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Ukrainian war veteran Oleksandr Dashko trains in a pool for an upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk reacts at the finish line after completing a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk trains in a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, during a training session to compete in a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strai. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian war veteran Oleksandr Dashko crosses the finish line during a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Participants compete in a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, from the Asian side to the European side, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk rests during a training for a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian war veteran Oleh Tserkovnyi trains in a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, for the upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Coach Roman Korol, center, instructs Ukrainian war veteran Oleksandr Dashko, right, at a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, during a training session for the upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian war veteran Pavlo Tovstyk dons a medal for his participation in a 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
