Themes by tag: volunteers

Bakhmut resident Kateryna Arisoi is Head of Pluriton NGO: since the beginning of the full-scale war, the organization’s volunteers provided assistance in hot spots near the front. In particular, they were involved in the evacuation of people and animals.

While doing their work, part of the team was captured by the enemy in Lysychansk, Luhansk region. It was possible to return the volunteers home only after seven months. Kateryna met with the freed team members in Sumy oblast — at the only checkpoint on the border with russia. That’s when she saw that people after crossing the border have nowhere to rest or get help. A week later, the woman, together with other activists of the organization, returned to Sumy oblast with the necessary things and created an Assistance Center that could receive up to 20 people a day (March 2023). In addition, the NGO paid for a carrier who took refugees to Sumy or Kharkiv free of charge. The number of people grew, so the Center was repeatedly relocated to larger buildings. And recently, due to russian shelling near the border, the center was moved to Sumy.

In total, since the beginning of its work, the Atmosphere Assistance Center has received almost 19,000 people. Here the displaced people can eat and take a shower. There is a “mother and child” room. The center also helps people with limited mobility. In addition, all visitors can receive free psychological and legal assistance. People continue receiving support even after leaving the Center.

Journalists need to obtain a permit from the Sumy operational-tactical group in order to cover the activity of the Center.

• casualties
• volunteers
• Sumy

Oleksii Yukov leads the search squad for the “Platsdarm” Association of Military and Historical Heritage Researchers. Since 2014, Yukov and his team have been dedicated to locating and recovering the remains of fallen Ukrainians, whether they be military personnel or civilians. Yukov’s commitment to this mission is unwavering, as evidenced by his near-death encounter with occupiers in 2014 while carrying out his duties.

Operating amidst gunfire and facing the danger of the enemy frequently booby-traping the corpses of fallen, Yukov and his team encounter grim scenes, often discovering bodies that have been subjected to torture or mangled by passing vehicles and enemy tanks. 

Notably, the team undertook a search for bodies underneath rubble at the Kramatorsk tragedy site, where a Russian Tochka-U missile struck the city’s railway station on April 8, 2022. This devastating attack claimed the lives of 61 individuals and left 121 others injured.

Currently, the search team remains active in the eastern region of the country.

For reference: As February 24, 2024, marks the grim two-year anniversary of Russia’s criminal incursion into Ukraine. It stands as the apex of a decade-long war of aggression, which actually dates back to February 20, 2014, beginning with the annexation of Crimea. Russian forces invaded Ukrainian Crimea without any identifying markings and, after that, seized control of the peninsula back then. Subsequently, these events escalated into war in eastern Ukraine.

• dead
• military
• volunteers
• evacuation

Spearheaded by the Yanina Sokolova Foundation, volunteers are rallying individuals to contribute blood, emphasizing its critical role in supporting the military amidst ongoing war. With donation serving as a vital lifeline for Ukrainian defenders, the foundation aims to dispel misconceptions surrounding blood donation. 

Since 2019, the Yanina Sokolova Foundation has been reshaping public perceptions of blood donation through its Red Brunch events. Since its inception, 1,993 donors have contributed, resulting in 5,979 lives saved.

• volunteers
• Lviv

Olesia Korzhenevska is a producer and volunteer who has been taking care of the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers since 2014 when Russia unleashed its first attack on Ukraine.

With the full-blown war outbreak, Olesia’s beloved bound for the frontline, and she took up supporting military units this time again. Now she travels to the frontline position every month to deliver another batch of aid and see her significant other.

The whole thing started with Olesia’s friend’s interest in joining the military, but having no clue what to expect, he found himself quite puzzled. His lack of understanding with the army issue inspired her to start the school. The woman wondered how many other potential enlistees in Ukraine were both willing and afraid to join the army. So Olesia decided to set up a school that would make people absolutely love the Armed Forces affairs. The idea was supported by Olesia’s military friends. And within a few days, the results beat expectations, bringing so many people willing to study leaving the business owner unsure about whether it’ll be possible to accept everyone. The “school of gentle military mobilization,” as Olesia calls her initiative, covers several disciplines: the theory and practice of drone control, tactical medicine, and close combat techniques. The school offers online and offline training sessions delivered by the military personnel of various service branches, including intelligence officers, assault troops, and infantry. Olesia explains that “Zesykas 9 ¾” (the diminutive word for Armed Forces of Ukraine service members) is not about joining army ranks, but an opportunity to learn about military jobs and various military occupational specialties, recruits are more interested in qualifying for when enlisting in the military in the future.

For reference: February 24, 2024, Ukraine marks 2 years since Russia commenced its unprovoked criminal full-scale invasion. This attack was the culmination of the initial war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 10 years. This armed conflict was ignited on February 20, 2014. Back then, Russians invaded the territory of Ukrainian Crimea giving no obvious sign of its covert military operation in the now-occupied peninsula. After that, Russia started a war in Ukraine’s east.

• volunteers
• women

In the summer of 2022, Kyiv-based engineer Vladyslav founded the Friends of Borysthenes association, which brought together people willing to work from home to bring Ukraine’s victory closer. (Borysfen is the name of Vladyslav’s dog, whose picture the activist used in the logo for the volunteer initiative). At that time, Vladyslav was working from home: he designed factories for European customers in 3D and put in a lot of overtime. He assumed that there are many similar people who work from home and have a few hours a day to spare and the necessary skills to help the military. He found most of those willing to join the volunteer initiative through Twitter (now X). Over time, the Friends of Borysthenes developed into a network of engineers throughout Ukraine who manufacture power banks out of batteries from disposable e-cigarettes. They also make charging stations.

In addition, engineers repair and donate old laptops, tablets and phones to the military.

Power banks cases are 3D printed. By the way, one of these 3D printers was once given to Vladyslav by a woman from a village in Kyiv region that had been under occupation. Power banks made by volunteers are 5-10 times cheaper than their factory counterparts.

For reference: During the entire period of work, as of January 2024, volunteers have already handed over 1,050 power banks, about 15 charging stations that they produced themselves, as well as over 150 mobile phones and dozens of laptops to the army.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

Agnieszka has worked as a guide in the Biebrza National Park in Poland for 15 years. The woman has 4 children (the youngest is 5 years old, and the oldest is 26). When russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Agnieszka sheltered more than 20 refugees from Ukraine in her apartment in Poland. Particularly, she gave shelter to families with children. People had lived there for several months before they managed to rebuild their lives a little by finding a job or starting to study.

Later, Agnieszka started visiting Ukraine herself: first as a driver for another volunteer, and later she began taking aid to the front. She was in the hottest spots: the Kupiansk, Zaporizhia, Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar sectors. The soldiers she helps have already become her friends. Agnieszka knows who likes coffee and who will be happy to receive candy. The woman brings a wide variety of aid to the frontline — food, medicine, as well as clothes, sleeping bags, charging stations, etc.

• volunteers
• women

With the beginning of the full-scale war, Mykola Volyka, a resident of Lebedyn village in Cherkasy oblast, was approached by a fellow soldier and asked to make 300 staples for his unit. Mykola, who had never dealt with metal before, set up a forge right in his yard. He studied blacksmithing together with his friends, whom he also invited to join in. Later, he involved his fellow villagers to the forge to produce not only staples, but also potbelly stoves, axes, pickaxes, anti-tank hedgehogs and spades.

Tetiana Chepur, now a craftswoman in the forge, says that women actively took up the new activity. And now they are the main workers as a total of five female blacksmiths volunteer at the forge. They often work in the evenings after finishing their day jobs.

Since the forge was created, volunteers managed to make 156,000 staples, 13,000 pickaxes and 10,000 spades.

• volunteers
• women
• Cherkasy

Colonel Monte and Colonel Chuck from the U.S. call themselves the “Traveling Colonels.” They are retired US Marine Corps officers, both are Iraq War veterans. The men help Ukraine: they bring medical and other supplies purchased, in particular, with funds donated by U.S. citizens. All this is transferred to the Ukrainian military at the front. For example, in October 2023, in just one week, Monte and Chuck, together with volunteers from Ukraine, Canada and the U.S., prepared and packed 1,167 IFAKS (NATO standard Individual First Aid Kit) and 16 medical bags in Kyiv. In addition, colonels help civilians with medicines.

Colonel Monte is currently volunteering in Ukraine with ex-servicemen Dave (Navy Captain), Steve and David. They are assembling first aid kits for Ukrainian soldiers and medical boxes of supplies.

Colonel Chuck will arrive a little later to coordinate the unloading of a shipping container with medical supplies for the hospital.

Journalists have the opportunity to talk with the “Traveling Colonels” in the capital.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

Prior to the full-blown enemy invasion, Violetta Oliinyk used to make custom jewelry. The girl’s life changed on February 24, 2022, when her father and brother volunteered for mobilization to the Defense Forces. Violetta recalled her experience as a volunteer in 2014, when Russia first attacked Ukraine and her brother stood up to defend the country. So she started setting up fundraising, buying everything the service members needed, including drones, thermal imagers, tile carriers, sights, and cars.

Later, she decided to try to build a drone herself, as purchasing them does not come cheap. For that, Violetta took two free online courses that taught her how to assemble FPV drones, passed a theory exam, ordered the first parts, and equipped a small workshop in Chernivtsi. Nine of Violetta’s FPV drones are already eliminating the occupiers at the front. She recently assembled four more, which she sent to her brother, and soon six more will be ready for her father. The craftswoman says she get inspired by the military’s feedback and videos of her “birds” in use.

• volunteers
• women
• Chernivtsi

Yevhen Kompanets ended up in a wheelchair as a result of an industrial injury in 2011. At that time, in the hospital, he met his future wife, who worked as a nurse. And now, together with their daughter, they cook goodies in their kitchen for Ukraine’s defenders. 

The family started volunteering in April 2022. They work every day and have already prepared 150 thousand dishes for the defenders. These include dumplings, pancakes, donuts, pies, and chebureks. (The dumplings are oven-ready meals, so service members only need to defrost them). In addition, the family prepares borscht dressings and cutlets and even manages to send more than 7 tons of pork fat to the defenders. The family invests their own money in the work, and caring people also help with donations.

Journalists can talk to Yevhen by phone, online, or site visit after February 15.

For reference: February 24, 2024, Ukraine marks 2 years since Russia commenced its unprovoked criminal full-scale invasion. This attack was the culmination of the initial war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 10 years. This armed conflict was ignited on February 20, 2014. Back then, Russians invaded the territory of Ukrainian Crimea giving no obvious sign of its covert military operation in the now-occupied peninsula. After that, Russia started a war in Ukraine’s east. 

• food
• volunteers
• Cherkasy