August 29th, 2024
64,240 people evacuated from danger to date
194 people evacuated from danger this week
42 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
Last Saturday Ukrainе celebrated its 33rd Independence Day. Despite the years of bloody struggle, burning cities of Donbas and immense existential risks, the people of Ukraine are steadfast in their commitment to remain an independent democracy. Ukraine continues its fight with Russia’s tyranny, heroically defending not only its own sovereignty but the right of all free people of the world to choose their government and chart their own path.
Global events are complicated. They are difficult to grasp from the tapestry of headlines. But for us, those who donate and volunteer for Ukraine TrustChain, it is clear which side is right. We see proof of Ukraine’s truth in the selfless work of our volunteers, their dedication to helping people in need, their commitment to ease the suffering caused by this war. We congratulate all of you on this holiday, and thank you for your contribution to Ukraine’s independence.
Stories
Crisis around Pokrovsk
Many of our teams are closely watching the quick advance of the enemy near the city of Pokrovsk. Several settlements we’ve supported over the last year, such as Memryk, Mykhailivka, and Novohrodivka, have been destroyed and occupied in the last week. The pain from these events is felt by the teams who have been helping the region, and others who assist the refugees in finding homes. We are amazed, however, that Ukrainians are still able to come together to find new resources for the new evacuees.
Village Offers Housing to Pokrovsk Refugees
Two weeks ago, some refugees from Pokrovsk contacted Tetiana, our volunteer based in Smila. The refugees were looking for a place to stay that would allow children and animals.
It was at this point that Tetiana remembered the village of Synove, in the Volyn Region of Ukraine, which she knows well. Her father, who serves in the Ukrainian Air Force, was stationed there for a while. Tetiana knew that Synove had many dilapidated, vacant houses, which were abandoned when their previous owners fled Ukraine at the start of the war and stayed abroad. Could these houses be put to use to help the new wave of refugees? Tetiana presented her idea to Ruslana, the village alderman, who took this matter very seriously.
The very next day, the village came together and decided to restore the abandoned houses. The local forester allocated wood for building materials, and provided access to the local sawmill, free of charge. The men of the village then got together and fixed 18 of the houses. Thanks to this effort, 43 people from Porkovsk were able to relocate to Synove.
Tetiana asked us to express her team’s gratitude for all the assistance they were able to provide to the Pokrovsk refugees, and to the villagers who came together to restore homes for them.
Cleaning out Bomb Shelter in a Kherson Village
For the second week in a row our Kherson team has traveled to the village of Naddniprianske (Kherson Region). Due to intensifying shelling of these villages, in retribution for Ukraine’s successful offensive near Kursk, the village administration has had to establish a new bomb shelter in the dingy, vermin-infested basement of a local school.
Our team first disinfected the space and removed fleas and other insects. A week later they came back to exterminate mice and rats. Here is a seemingly routine excerpt from the volunteer reports, which gives a glimpse into the daily indignities of war:
When we returned to the building, people came out and started hugging us. We were a bit surprised, but the local alderman explained that that night there was a massive shelling of the village and people spent the entire night in the bomb shelter, which usually everyone tries to avoid [because of the unsanitary conditions]. To [the people’s] amazement, after the disinfection they could…stay [in the shelter] without being bothered by fleas, and the kids didn’t get bitten. This is the stuff that inspires us…
Dodging Kamikaze Drones on the Russian Border
When Andryi V (one of Oleksandr D's network of volunteers) learned that his team would be going to the village Seredyna-Buda in the Sumy Region, "it was a terrible feeling. Everything in me resisted."
Seredyna-Buda is located a quarter mile away from the Russian border. The village comes under daily shelling or threat of shelling. But Andryi felt that God was telling him to go. "There was someone stronger [than me] who gently made it clear that people needed help." So, the team made the trip, delivering 2,500 kg of aid, including a generator.
We drove into the village. It was beautiful and sunny. You run across ruined buildings and only then remember that there's a war!
We always stop to talk to the people and somehow we lost track of time. After a certain hour [of the day] things become extremely dangerous [there]...[As we headed out] soldiers started shouting [at us]: "Hurry! Don't stop! Go faster!" [Then] a kamikaze drone landed behind us, and then another, and then another...
I thank God for life, and [I thank] those self-sacrificing people who invest a part of themselves in this work. Thank you for your prayers and financial support – you are the best!!! Together, we helped the medical staff, a group of disabled people, the village administration, and the disability help center.
Help in Occupied Territories
Seven people evacuated from the Russian-occupied left bank and 70 people in occupied territories received aid.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
20 trips to evacuate 182 people from Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions, as well as Selydove, Myrnohrad, Hrodivka, and Kostyantynivka.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
21.6 tons of aid delivered to 8,100 people.
9,500 people received bread.
Kherson operations:
Provided aid to the village of Naddniprianske, equipping a bomb shelter.
Performed rat exterminations in a local hospital.
Disinfected 27 buildings.
Performed 14 equipment maintenance tasks.
Delivered aid to Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Slaviansk, and Nikopol.
Conducted a workshop for parents with teenagers in villages near Kharkiv.
Angelia Charitable Fund
Delivered groceries, power bars, antiseptics, and 4 boxes of rubber gloves and bandages to a camp for internally displaced (IDP) children in Tymkiv (Khmelnytskyi Region).
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): organized a 10-day support and rehabilitation project in Irpin (Kyiv Region) for children from families with deceased parents. 20 children received help with transportation to the project every day. 55-60 children participated in the project daily. Oleksandr’s volunteer Andriy V and his team delivered 2,500 kg of food, medicine, hygiene products, camouflage nets, and a generator to the village of Seredyna-Buda (Sumy Region).
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons of water to Kherson.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): delivered 5 tons of food kits, clothes, medicines and animal feed to the frontline town of Malotaranivka (Donetsk Region) near Chasiv Yar. Met with locals and suggested evacuation to Kharkiv. Delivered 2 tons of aid near Pokrovsk (also Donetsk Region).
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): Oleksandr’s volunteer Vadym T brought 1,300 kg of aid from Germany. The aid is intended for Zaporizhzhia, but hasn’t yet been unloaded. The trip was very difficult, including a road accident and two breakdowns on the way back to Ukraine.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions for IDP children and adults, children with disabilities, children from large families and from military families.
Offered art therapy to 71 children (total of 2 art therapy sessions held).
Organized a camp for 12 children with a trip to the Carpathians.
Took 47 IDP families to a museum.
Held a birthday celebration for a disabled IDP girl from Nova Kakhovka.
Provided 75 physical therapy and wellness sessions for recent refugees from the Donetsk Region.
Helped 250 IDP children with bread and other food.
Sent socks and other knitted items to 60 people in frontline cities.
Kseniia’s Team — Livyj bereh (Left Bank)
Svitlana, based in Kherson, delivered 120 packages to Posad-Pokrovsk and 12 packages to disabled people in Kherson.
Roofing materials were delivered to Zaporizzhia with roof work beginning this week.
Odesa team, helped 20 wounded in Odesa hospital.
No new roof repairs are being initiated in the Kharkiv Region, but homes that had received roofing materials earlier are still being completed. 2 more homes were reported completed last week.
Karina’s Team — My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
111 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team — Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Distributed 215 aid packages and cleaning supplies in the village of Synove, Volyn Region. The village welcomed 45 refugees from Pokrovsk, Donetsk Region.
Timur’s Team — Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Delivered aid to 170 people in Kivsharivka, which the Russian army is trying to encircle.
Distributed 8 packages to 259 people in Saltivka, Kharkiv Region.
The team evacuated 5 people and two dogs from Kyrilovka in near Kupiansk.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams — Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
1579 people received help in the Mykolaiv office.
Distributed aid to 145 people in Myrne and Shevchenkove.
3 tons of water delivered to Novohryhorivka and Novopavlivske.
40 children with disabilities received help.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
21 tons of water delivered to Nikopol.
Delivered aid to 850 families in the Mykolaiv Region (Vysuns’k,
Bereznehuvats'ke, and Snihurivka).
Marina’s Team — Daruy dobro Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed in Piatyhatky to internally displaced families and elderly individuals.
Dina’s Team — Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
599 packages distributed in Dnipro, Kanev, Krasnokutsk, Kremenchuk, and Poltava.
100 packages mailed out to people in small towns.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
42 families received food and hygiene kits in Zhytomyr.
256 mothers with small kids received diapers.
Kids from the club for children with disabilities went to a cafe to celebrate the end of summer.
Alena’s Team — Diva (Virgo)
Purchased 80 fire extinguishers for the residents of Antonivka.
How to Help
Donate — The money goes directly to teams providing aid on the ground, who respond dynamically to the most urgent needs.
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