Ukrainian war veterans Oleksandr Dashko, from left, Oleh Tserkovnyi and Pavlo Tovstyk, pose for an underwater photo in a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, as they take a break from their training session for the upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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 Oleksandr Dashko, from left, Oleh Tserkovnyi and Pavlo Tovstyk, pose for an underwater photo in a pool in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, as they take a break from their training session for the upcoming 6.5km swimming race across the Bosporus Strait. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
MAL
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)
MAL
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)
MAL
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)
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.
