February 29, 2024
59,713 people evacuated from danger to date
172 people evacuated from danger this week
45 trips into the deoccupied and frontline territories this week
Last weekend our US volunteers joined thousands of other Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine at the numerous rallies across the world marking the two-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion. We also joined forces to demand that congress finally vote (at least!) on bill H.R. 815 that could unlock the aid to Ukraine – so vital in holding back Russia’s invasion.
Our UTC team feels a particular urgency to this because of the painful signals that keep coming from our teams as their selfless work becomes increasingly dangerous. Natliya near Lyman and Anastasia in Donbass were nearly turned around at checkpoints due to increasing risks of attacks. Both managed to pass though, thanks to their contacts with local communities. Cities such as Chasiv Yar and Kramatorsk have become targets for enemy artillery, whereas they were previously only attacked with cruise missiles.
Stories
Deliveries to Beryslav District
Bringing supplies here is very difficult. This week, our volunteers managed to deliver firewood to communities along the front-line right bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. The village of Novi Kairy was assisted. A trip to Novi Kairy and Beryslav was planned, but the second vehicle, destined for Beryslav, broke down on the way and was delayed. The driver was out of reach. It was decided to escort this vehicle to Beryslav next week, as the opportunity for safe delivery had been missed.
About 100 households are in Novi Kairy. The situation there will remain difficult, until the left bank is liberated. People live without water, electricity or gas. Water and heating are supplied externally. Sometimes, people are afraid to light fires because enemy drones target the smoke. These drones come close to homes, almost peering into windows, deciding whether to strike or not. Drones also use chimneys for target practice to terrorize people. There is no military in these areas, but all local vehicles are battered or damaged.
However, the situation in comparison with Beryslav is somewhat better, as part of the village is behind a hill, and not all drone models can descend to the lowlands without the risk of falling. Thus, the geographical features of the area offer some protection. People are very grateful for the firewood assistance, as they do not know how they will survive until the end of the heating season.
People behind the Bullet Points: Family Evacuated from Beryslav
Inna’s team writes:
“This week, another family was evacuated from the disappearing town of Beryslav.
This family endured the occupation and constant bombardments, but continued serving their community and neighbors. However, the 24/7 peril, lack of electricity, and other basic necessities for two years finally forced them to move to an unfamiliar place they had only seen in photos online. It was a difficult decision. They could only take a few of the possessions they had accumulated over years of work. The last straw for them was when several drones hit their garage a week ago, destroying a wall and hitting their old car. The family consists of four women: two grandmothers over 80 years old, a man with a sick wife, and a 34-year-old daughter with severe disabilities, whose life completely depends on her unemployed, health-stricken parents of pre-retirement age in an unfamiliar region. A murky uncertainty lies ahead for them. The helpless women depend on one man, who has grown extremely exhausted both physically and emotionally over the last two years. All we could do for them is to repair their van and help them reach their new home.”
Operations in Occupied Zones
320 people in occupied territories received aid packages, and 6 people were evacuated. We also have a sad story from one of the volunteers. Not all evacuations end happily.
Olena (not her real name), a woman in her early 50s with many serious health problems evacuated in mid-December and required a full month of medical care and rehabilitation in a hospital, plus special equipment and arrangements to continue the journey. Once underway Olena laughed with the volunteers, ate ice cream and dreamed of hugging her baby grandson. However, the crossing into Estonia proved exceptionally stressful with documentation problems and intensive questioning by police on both sides of the border. It was too much for Olena in her weakened state. A day after arriving in the West, Olena's heart gave out and she died.
Anastasia’s Trip to Chasiv Yar
Last weekend, Anastasia, the founder of the “LoveUA” team in Dnipro, was asked to share her experience at a public event in support of the military. Caught by surprise, she did not share a lot: “We went to Chasiv Yar and that’s about it.” The audience laughed uneasily, as everyone knew the true weight of these words. SInce the fall of Avdiivka, Chasiv Yar has become the next city at the very edge of Ukrainian resistance, suffering the same ruthless bombardments as Bakhmut and Avdiivka before it.
Going to Chasiv Yar requires incredible courage and composure. On the last trip, the team spent several hours at a checkpoint before being allowed to proceed, escorted by the locals. Typically on these trips, the team parks their 3 vehicles far from one another for safety reasons, so that if one of the vehicles is hit the others can escape. This time the team was unable to do that. They had to unload as quickly as possible and hurry out. The residents who remained stubbornly 7-8 km from the frontline were grateful for the food, hygiene products, and LED lamps.
Drilling a Well under Fire
Oleksandr D's teams have started delivering fuel briquettes and other aid to Siversk, a small city in the Donetsk region which suffers from constant, heavy attacks from enemy drones. Most residents live underground. It quickly became apparent that handing out aid will require special logistical arrangements in these conditions. The team spent three days digging a well which will provide filtered drinking water to the neighborhood. In that time, two of their civilian cars and two volunteer mini-buses were hit. Two volunteers were also injured and required hospitalization.
Children's Camp in Mykolaiv Region
Many of our volunteers hold special events for children who have suffered disproportionately during the war. Last week Vilis N's team organized two children's camps in the Mykolaiv Region. The counselors played sports and games with the kids. Children also received coloring books, board games, packages with treats and other age-appropriate gifts. Later the team got this sweet message from a girl who lives in an orphanage (slightly edited for clarity and length here):
"I have never had friends older than me by 8-10 years. But you are more than our friends! At camp, you were like second parents to us. You took care of the video and games for the day. All the mentors made sure that we got up and went to play. I can't even describe you all in words! If I were given 1,000 words to describe you, or even 1,000,000 words, it wouldn't be enough. Why are bad people near me, and people like you far away? I don't understand it!"
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra Sprava (“Good Cause”)
17 trips to evacuate 167 people from Kostyantynivka, Selydove, Pokrovsk, Novohrodivka, Kurakhove, Hrodivka, Myrnohrad, Lyman, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, Kherson areas.
Inna’s Team – Krok z Nadiyeyu (“Step with Hope”)
Transported 22 tons of aid to 8200 people.
9500 loaves of bread distributed
160 tons of firewood was delivered to Zolochiv, Fesky, and Dovzhik near Kharkiv
20 tons of firewood were brought to villages near Beryslav.
Work in Kherson:
Performed exterminations in 7 buildings and dehumidified 1.
Performed 24 equipment repair and maintenance tasks.
Delivered 1 ton of aid to Beryslav evacuated 5 people.
Aid was delivered to Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Selidovo in Donbas, and Nikopol - all high-risk areas.
After Russia partially destroyed another Dnipro highrise, the team set up a mobile station to help 30 families who were forced outside.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S (Boyarka): delivered 1,300 kg of food aid to the Sumy Region villages of Mykhailivs'ke, Mykhailivka and Lisne.
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv and 7 tons of water to Kherson.
Sandra S (Odesa): kitchen fed more than 1,700 people.
Maksym B (Bila Tserkva): delivered 600 aid packages to Zaporizhzhia and surrounding villages.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): sent 600 kg of grains in packages through the mail to low income families. Took a woman to a medical examination.
Oleksandr D (Lutsk): delivered 88 tons of fuel briquettes to 294 households in the Toretsk community and 88 more tons to Kramatorsk for distribution in Siversk. Also drilled a well for drinking water supply in Siversk and delivered 300 packages with clothes and medications. Delivered 86 tons of briquettes to 354 households in the Mykolaiv Region villages of Halahanivka, Yelyzavetivka and Novokondakove.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): held 3 art therapy sessions for 54 children with disabilities, internally displaced children (IDPs), children from large families and from military families. An additional 179 children were helped with glasses, clothes, food, and a visit to the museum in honor of the Day of Remembrance of the Heavenly Hundred celebration.
Vilis N (Chernivtsi): held 2 camps in the Mykloaiv Region locations of Yuzhnoukrainsk and Berizky for 240 children, including children from orphanages. Handed out gifts and food packages, played games.
Kseniia’s Team - NGO Livyj Bereh (“Left Bank”)
2 buildings completed last week in Slatyne near Kharkiv.
Karina’s Team - My ryatuyemo Ukrainu Dnipro (“We Save Ukraine Dnipro”)
52 people in the shelter.
Helped the Kupyansk hospital with medicine for 200 people.
Sent aid to 3 families in Nikopol whose houses were damaged by shelling.
Helped a childrens’ hospital in Dnipro with medicine for 100 children.
Provided humanitarian aid to 12 families in Dnipro whose apartment building was partially destroyed by drones.
Tetiana’s Team - Dopomoha Poruch (“Help is Near”)
Distributed 250 aid packages in villages of Ivanivka, Chervona Polyana, Vysoke near Kupiansk, Kharkiv region.
Timur’s Team – Timur i ego komanda (“Timur and Team”)
Borrowing a vehicle, the team made a special delivery to Dvorichna which is in the Kupiansk region. The village is shelled regularly and is only a few miles from the Russian lines and less than 10 miles from the border.
Delivered 200 aid packages to Cherkasski Tishki where they have been going for nearly two years.
Distributed 350 packages in Saltivka, Kharkiv including 20 for babies and 30 for disabled elderly.
Delivered 67 packages to Dvorichna in the gray zone.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams - (“Touch of Heart” and “Dawn of Hope”)
1758 people received help at the Mykolaiv office.
1.5 tons of water delivered to Luch.
Delivered clothes to the village of Kvitneve.
350 packages brought to Afanasiivka and Kysylivka.
Kirill, Marina, Andriy - BF Pomahaem (“We Help”)
The team completed rebuilding 12 homes in the Chernihiv region. This project was done in collaboration with “Dobrobat” a well known team working on rebuilding.
241 packages delivered to Shevchenkove in the Kupyansk region.
123 packages were delivered to Vozdvyzhivka near Zaporizhzhia.
2 tons of water delivered to Marhanets.
Natalia - Vyshnia Volunteer Center
Natalia delivered 260 packages to Zarichne, a village within 3 miles from the Eastern frontline.
Anastasia’s Team - LoveUA
Delivered 236 packages of humanitarian aid, along with diapers, pet food, hygiene products to two towns near the frontline of Chasiv Yar.
Marina’s Team – Good Give Ukraine
150 families got food packages in Piatykhatky.
26 packages with aid sent to all parts of Ukraine.
Monthly "Game for Unity" quiz event held by Marina's team in February aimed to offer psychological relief and patriotic education for internally displaced people. The event featured engaging tasks and questions centered around Ukrainian history, culture, and achievements.
Dina’s Team -- Vilni Liudy – Vilna Krayina (“Free People - Free Country”)
Distributed 380 packages of aid and mailed 100.
Sergey T delivered 400 packages to Zavody, Spivakivka, Virnopillya, and Dovhen’ke in the Donetsk region.
Alena’s Team - Diva (“Virgo”)
Delivered 20 generators, 300 LED lamps, and 150 packages of hygiene products and household cleaning supplies to two towns whose names we cannot mention for security reasons, near Beryslav.
Bogdan’s Team - Vse robymo sami (“Doing everything ourselves”)
Aid provided to 42 families in Zhytomyr.
Children with disabilities participated in art classes and emotional support sessions.
In the children's center "House of Joy" volunteers worked on the kitchen interior. It will function as a soup kitchen for displaced people and people in need once construction is fully complete.
How to Help
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