Themes by tag: military

The Every Animal NGO team has been promoting veganism practice and is engaged in creating a vegan movement in Ukraine (they set up training courses on veganism, organize street animal protection actions, etc.). Since the outbreak of the full-scale war, activists have been sending vegan field rations to male and female soldiers, feeding people with free vegan food in 10 cities of Ukraine, and holding charity festivals called Vegan Weekend.
On April 22, the next Vegan Weekend charity festival will take place in Kyiv. This time, it is dedicated to women at the frontline (currently, more than 60 thousand women are defending the country). The event’s goal is to raise 150,000 UAH for vegan military rations for the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement or the needs of female defenders. Among other things, the event program includes interviews with female soldiers.

• food
• military
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The International Commission on Missing Persons started working in Ukraine. The organization identifies people who have gone missing as a result of armed conflicts or natural disasters. The DNA database of the ICMP includes 130,000 biological samples, in particular from Ukraine. With the support of the Media Initiative for Human Rights, the International Commission holds a series of meetings with the relatives of the missing in various cities of Ukraine. During those meetings, ICMP speakers talk about how to search for missing persons, collect and process data, as well as about the capabilities of the DNA laboratory in The Hague. In addition, the relatives of missing servicemen can submit DNA samples for identification.

• military

Lviv Defense Cluster manufactures light body armor and hands them over to the women in the military. Instead of the standard 20 kilograms, the body armor made by Lviv Defense Cluster weighs only 7-8 kilograms. Recently, female border guards serving in Kharkiv region received such bulletproof vests.

In addition, children’s protective kits featuring helmets and bulletproof vests, which are manufactured by Lviv Defense Cluster, are also in active use on the frontlines. For example, in Donetsk region, every crew of “White Angel” — local police officers who help to evacuate people — have children’s helmets and bulletproof vests made by Lviv Defense Cluster.

For reference: Lviv Defense Cluster unites specialists of defense enterprises, volunteers and production facilities from all over the country to provide the Defenders of Ukraine with high-quality and well tested body armor. The Cluster has its own laboratory for testing finished products.

• children
• military
• women

On April 21, Lviv will host the Armor Fest charity festival to raise UAH 1 million. The funds will be spent on purchasing ultralight body armor plates for Ukrainian paramedics who save the lives of soldiers in the most challenging areas of the frontline. The festival is organized by the VETERANKA Women’s Veteran Movement, which assists the defenders of Ukraine and people affected by the Russian invasion.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Lviv

The Books to the Front project is a Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the Cultural Forces Public Organization, headed by Ukrainian singer and soldier Kolya Sierga,  joint initiative. The project involves book collection and delivery for the military that are currently on the front line. The project aims to support Ukrainian defenders and provide them with an opportunity to distract themselves after a busy day of combat. Ukrainian bookstore retail chains have become partners of the initiative.

• culture
• military

The volunteer project “Marriage for a Hero” helps to organize turnkey weddings for soldiers. Previously, only soon-to-be newlyweds from Cherkasy region and Kyiv could apply for the service. Nowadays, the project has expanded to the whole country. Volunteers have already organized wedding celebrations in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and many other cities. The number of applications to the project has also increased significantly.

For reference: after russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Svitlana Olifer from Cherkasy, who has been involved in the wedding business for seven years, decided to organize the volunteer project “Marriage for a Hero”. The woman gathered a team of photographers, cameramen, make-up artists and florists who help to organize the celebration free of charge. Sometimes restaurants or caterers are ready to provide services on special terms. In general, newlyweds will have to spend money only on wedding clothes. Nowadays, caring Ukrainians also contribute to the project with donations.

• military
• volunteers

On March 22, at 3:00 PM, Media Center Ukraine will host a presentation of the Legal System Guide for Military Personnel developed by Human Rights Center for Military Personnel “Principle.” The legal system guide will be presented by the co-founder of “Principle,” lawyer and veteran Masi Nayyem, together with the Head of the organization Liubov Halan. Media representatives will also have the opportunity to talk with Mariia Kravchenko, Co-facilitator of the Military Medical Commission Volunteer Movement in Kyiv.

For reference: “Principle” is a non–governmental organization founded in 2023 to provide legal protection for military personnel, including those wounded in action. Masi Nayyem is a Ukrainian lawyer and human rights defender who protected Ukraine in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On June 5, 2022, Nayyem suffered a severe head and eye injury, and has since undergone a number of surgeries and experienced firsthand the challenges that wounded veterans face.

• military
• Kyiv

ARTREHUB is a volunteer-based initiative that provides psychological rehabilitation to veterans. Art rehabilitation therapy sessions are held once a week at the military rehabilitation center near Kyiv. The ARTREHUB’s team has been working with veterans since 2017.

• military
• psychological support
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Journalists are invited to the handover ceremony of mobile bath and laundry facilities to two combat units of the Ground Forces.

These facilities enable the soldiers to take a hot shower, wash and dry their clothing, and rest after combat missions.

Within three weeks, Charitable Foundation “RIY” (Swarm) managed to collect funds and equip two bath and laundry facilities, which will be handed over to the army on March 17. The goal is to provide the army with at least 20 facilities this year.

Accreditation required.

• military

Five volunteers from Odesa, including welders, mechanics and electricians, assembled a military buggy. They developed the vehicle themselves, and even took some spare parts from a soviet car. They managed to assemble the buggy by themselves within one month. In the near future, defenders who shoot down enemy drones will be able to use it. And very soon volunteers will make another vehicle.

In addition, volunteers are making portable bathing facilities for the military, which will be also equipped with washing machines. There will even be a place to set up a barbershop in these facilities so that the military can shave and get a haircut.

Also, Odesa volunteers began making a mobile Invincibility Center out of a large bus.

• military
• volunteers
• Odesa