Themes by tag: volunteers

French journalist and blogger Sébastien Gobert, who has been living in Ukraine for years, has been a steadfast supporter of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the start of russia’s all-out invasion. Recently, he discovered that Jonathan Delport, a former French soldier, is now serving with the Ukrainian military. During a mission, Delport was seriously wounded and almost died due to delays in evacuation caused by a lack of vehicles.

Motivated to make a difference, Gobert decided to take action by launching a charity bike ride from Lviv to Brussels. Over 25 days, he cycled through five countries, covering 2,000 kilometers, and raised 320,000 hryvnias to purchase a pickup truck for Delport’s unit.

Gobert plans to return to Ukraine soon. He is available for online conversations or in-person meetings in Lviv after his arrival.

• volunteers
• Lviv

Mykhailo Puryshev is an entrepreneur from Mariupol. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Mykhailo delivered humanitarian aid to blockaded Mariupol and evacuated Mariupol residents from the city blockaded by the russians. After the de-occupation of the Kharkiv oblast, Mykhailo was one of the first volunteers to bring humanitarian aid to Izium, Kupiansk and Kivsharivka.

After months of providing assistance in the hot spots, Mykhailo and his team decided that the support should be comprehensive: people living under constant shelling, in dark basements, without communication, medical care and shops, without electricity and water, need a place where they can get all the essentials. During the big war, Mykhailo’s team managed to create many Points of Invincibility from Bakhmut and Kupiansk to Kherson. The first three points were set up in Bakhmut, before the city was razed to the ground and occupied by the russians. Points were then established in Orikhiv, Huliaipole, Kherson, Avdiivka and Vuhledar. Later, additional points were established in Kurakhove, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk. At these Points of Invincibility, civilians and soldiers can see electric light for the first time in months, eat a hot meal, receive humanitarian and medical aid, wash their clothes and take a shower. They can also watch Ukrainian television instead of russian radio in the basements. Thanks to Starlink, they can connect to the Internet and call their families. For the military, seamstresses are also on hand to help soldiers keep their uniforms in good condition. In some places, the volunteer team has even drilled wells to provide access to water for local residents.

The team plans to set up these laundry stations along the entire front line so that defenders don’t have to worry about finding a place to wash their clothes and can rest while volunteers take care of them.

Journalists are welcome to speak with Mykhailo and his Invincible team, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• volunteers

Olha Hrabovska combines her work as a strategic communications manager for an international organization with volunteering. When Olha learned about the urgent need for drones on the front lines, she decided that she should try to make at least one. Olha even involved her family – her father and sister – in assembling the “kakanchyky drones”, as she affectionately calls them because they remind her of cockatoo birds.

Olha raised money for the parts online, ordered the components, and picked up a soldering iron. She built her first drone following a video tutorial and under the close supervision of her father, who eventually took over most of the soldering. Since then, Olha and her family have managed to send 80 drones, or five “flocks” as she calls them, to the front lines.

Olha Hrabovska is based in Kyiv. She is available to speak with journalists both online and offline by prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

Iryna and Viktor, from Kryvyi Rih, met at paramedic courses after the start of the full-scale invasion. The couple has not been apart since.

Together, Viktor and Iryna began evacuating wounded soldiers and civilians from the front lines. For two years, the volunteers traveled from one hotspot to another. Viktor proposed to Iryna during shelling in Avdiivka, when the city was still under Ukrainian control.

Last year, the Mironovs founded the Ukrainian Brotherhood NGO, which raises money for vehicles, drones, and electronic warfare systems for the military. When the couple is in Kryvyi Rih, they assist rescuers at the sites of enemy attacks, helping to clear debris and pull people from the ruins. They say their real day off will come after victory.

Iryna and Viktor Mironov are in Kryvyi Rih. The volunteers are ready to talk to journalists, both online and offline.

• casualties
• volunteers
• evacuation

For three months, the OZON monitoring group of the Center for Civil Liberties together with UAnimals inspected shelters in various Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. And now they are ready to present the results. To do this, they are organizing an event called “Accessible Shelter — Life Safety!”

On October 2 in Kyiv, attendees will see not only the presentation of the shelter inspection results, but also a performance that will vividly demonstrate how simple actions — like opening a door or marking the way to a shelter — can save lives.

Prior accreditation is required.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

Social Drone UA is a community of volunteers assembling FPV drones for the military. Anyone can join the Social Drone initiative to build drones. All you have to do is buy the parts yourself and follow the instructions on the website to assemble them properly. Currently, the initiative unites 1617 participants who have assembled at least 1 drone, 70 members of the test team, and many others.

Each assembled drone undergoes a thorough flight test. This helps identify factory defects in components, assembly errors, soldering issues, and more. Up to 2,500 drones are tested each month, and since the initiative began, volunteers have delivered 14,732 drones to the military.

Journalists have an opportunity to cover the initiative in Kyiv.

• volunteers
• Kyiv

The Murashky charity organization officially launched in Kyiv in September 2022, but its story began much earlier. A group of dedicated volunteers came together to support the Armed Forces immediately after russia’s full-scale invasion. Just two weeks later, the newly formed team, dubbed “Murashky” (Little Ants), delivered its first batch of biscuits and dried meat to the front lines. By spring, they had acquired the necessary equipment and established their first production facility.

Today, the team produces and delivers over 30,000 servings of food each month to Ukrainian soldiers. Since its inception, Murashky has produced over 4,000 liters of anti-cold mixtures, more than 230,000 servings of biscuits, and over 360,000 servings of dry meals.

The organization’s workforce consists of 15 to 25 volunteers who dedicate their time daily, often joined by international supporters who pitch in to help the cause.

• food
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On September 22, a new shift of the construction camp organized by the NGO “Building Ukraine Together” began. Volunteers are creating a youth space in the Ladan settlement hromada, Chernihiv oblast.  Many foreigners joined this new shift.

For example, Ayami came to Ukraine from Japan because she believes that Ukrainians have a very strong spirit. Mykola came from Kazakhstan to volunteer. He used to work in IT, but decided to join the camp because he wanted to do something with his own hands, not just donate.

Also volunteering in the Chernihiv oblast are Maurizio, who came from Italy, and Duarte from Portugal.

For reference: The volunteer construction camp is carried out with the support of Razom.

“Building Ukraine Together” is a non-governmental organization that promotes trust and responsibility among Ukrainian youth and encourages their participation in the development of a democratic Ukraine.

• volunteers
• Chernihiv

On September 26, Lviv residents are invited to take part in the 19th Red Brunch Donor Day, an initiative led by the Yanina Sokolova Foundation to gather blood donations for Ukrainian military personnel. 

The event aims to save lives while promoting a culture of responsible donation across the country. 

For reference: Since 2019, the Foundation has been breaking down stereotypes surrounding blood donation by hosting Red Brunches at major offices, hotels, and hubs. These events feature refreshments, networking opportunities, and incentive gifts for participants. To date, 2,887 donors have contributed, helping to save over 9,156 lives.

• volunteers
• Lviv

At the age of 17, Ivan lost the ability to walk due to an accident. However, he did not lose his desire to live a full life. He learned to ride a bicycle, drive a car and started doing charity work in his home village in the Ternopil region. Among other things, he helped renovate the local stadium and put up tourist signs.

When the full-scale invasion began, Ivan focused his efforts on supporting the Ukrainian military. Together with other villagers, Ivan managed to raise about 10 million hryvnia for the needs of the defense forces. The volunteer purchased drones, anti-drone guns, charging stations, vehicles, and many other things needed by the soldiers. Today, Ivan continues his volunteer work, raising funds for FPV drones and a relay station.

• volunteers
• Ternopil