Defiant Hope
Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Courage, and the Fight for Ukraine
Courage is contagious. Read the proof in Defiant Hope, a new book from Hope For Ukraine Founder and CEO Yuriy Boyechko, with Halyna Lubinska. After ten years on the ground, these real stories of Ukrainian resilience, service, sacrifice, and survival are coming to readers around the world.
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Praise for Defiant Hope
“Through wrenching, first-person narratives, Boyechko shows why Ukrainian resistance didn't collapse immediately, as predicted, upon Russia’s invasion. As he explains, ‘They asked how many weapons Ukraine had. They never asked how many people were willing to drive into the fire.’”
“This illuminating anthology offers a window onto a people thrust into the existential terror and impossible daily choices of war. The stories of these souls lay bare the human cost of Russia’s war and explore the reservoir of resolve that fuels Ukrainian resistance.”
“Defiant Hope captures the extraordinary courage of ordinary people who refused to look away, and reminds us that the most powerful force in the world is one person deciding to show up for another. This book will move you to tears and to action.”
“We're used to watching war from a distance, counted in territory, casualties, and outrage. Boyechko brings us close enough to see what the people of Ukraine are becoming, not despite what's been done to them, but through what they refuse to let be taken from them.”
“The story of war is found in the experiences of ordinary people. Defiant Hope brings those voices to life, revealing the human instinct to stand by one another when everything else falls apart.”
“What is captured in this work is something most outsiders never fully see: the quiet courage of ordinary Ukrainians who chose to stay, serve, and sacrifice for others in the middle of unimaginable hardship. A powerful and deeply human account of courage, faith, and resilience in the face of evil.”
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Defiant Hope arrives February 16, 2027.
Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers and distributed by Penguin Random House, Defiant Hope brings true stories of Ukrainian courage and resilience to a global audience.
Book information
A tribute to courage in the middle of war.
Defiant Hope shares the true stories of ordinary Ukrainians who answered war not with power or position, but with action, courage, and service.
The book follows civilians, volunteers, pastors, aid workers, families, and everyday people whose lives were changed by Russia’s invasion, and whose choices reveal the strength of a nation refusing to be broken.
Written by Yuriy Boyechko with Halyna Lubinska, Defiant Hope grew from Hope For Ukraine’s decade of frontline humanitarian work and three years of documenting the people we serve alongside every day.
Written from the work we live every day.
Defiant Hope is rooted in a decade of service, including the meals delivered, medical aid provided, solar kits distributed, shelters supported, and families reached through Hope For Ukraine’s programs.
Real people
The book centers on ordinary Ukrainians whose courage, choices, and sacrifices reveal the human story behind the headlines.
Frontline service
These stories come from the communities Hope For Ukraine has served and stood beside before and after the full-scale invasion.
Defiant resilience
At its heart, the book is about people who refused to give up on their families, neighbors, country, and future.
Meet the voices behind Defiant Hope.
Featuring a foreword by David Meltzer.
David Meltzer is chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire.
David is also executive producer of the Apple TV series 2 Minute Drill and Office Hours. His perspective on resilience, leadership, and purpose helps introduce these Ukrainian stories to a wider global audience.
The stories behind Defiant Hope have reached the world.
Before these stories became a book, pieces of them were already being reported by journalists covering Ukraine’s civilians, volunteers, and families living through war.
Defiant Hope: How Ukraine Revolutionized Civil Defense Under Fire
Hope For Ukraine Founder and CEO Yuriy Boyechko joins Brian Whitmore to discuss how Ukrainians transformed improvised, community-led action into a powerful civil defense and humanitarian response.
The conversation highlights Hope For Ukraine’s work in Kherson, where volunteers continue delivering aid despite blockades, drone attacks, and constant danger.
3 Key Takeaways
- Civil defense grew from the ground up as ordinary Ukrainians organized local rescue, relief, and supply networks without waiting for a formal playbook.
- In Kherson, humanitarian delivery became a high-risk operation carried out under blockades, drone surveillance, and attacks from Russian positions across the river.
- Resilience comes from people who continue serving their communities even when traditional systems, infrastructure, and support networks have been disrupted.
Yuriy Boyechko speaks with Metro about allegations that Russian forces are disguising explosives as everyday items, including wet wipes and power banks, placing civilians across Ukraine at serious risk.
Read article →Yuriy Boyechko joins Mark Pattison to discuss surviving “human safari,” drone warfare, basement cities like Kherson, and the volunteers still delivering aid in Ukraine’s most dangerous zones.
Watch interview →Yuriy Boyechko examines how humanitarian organizations can empower on-the-ground teams to respond faster, reduce risk, and reach vulnerable communities more effectively.
Read article →Reporting on Russia’s use of disguised “rag mines” wrapped in old clothing and smaller “gingerbread mines” scattered by drones across Ukraine.
Read article →Coverage of Ukraine’s war, power outages, food needs, and humanitarian response connected to the people featured in this story.
Read article →A powerful report on surviving Russia’s “human safari” in Kherson and the courage of civilians and volunteers.
Read article →Reporting on Ukraine’s volunteers on the front lines after four years of war.
Read article →Reporting on the danger civilians face from hidden mines and Russia’s attacks across Ukraine.
Read article →Coverage of Russian drones hunting civilians in Kherson and the daily danger faced by families and volunteers.
Read article →Yuriy Boyechko speaks about 60,000 civilians still living under drone attacks in Kherson, Ukraine.
Watch interview →