April 17th, 2025
67,636 people evacuated from danger to date
61 people evacuated from danger this week
35 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
At the crossroads of inspiration and desperation, last week three members of the UTC US volunteer team traveled to the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington DC, organized by the American Coalition for Ukraine. As a 501c3 non-profit focused on Ukraine we do not engage in any political lobbying, or spend any donations on this effort. However, as individuals, we have strong ties to and care deeply about Ukraine. We see what happens there on the ground every day. No matter where the Russian rockets land, we know someone who lives, works, or has delivered aid to that area.
These close and active connections give us a unique perspective on the situation in Ukraine, which we bring to our meetings with representatives and senators. We remind them of the importance of helping Ukraine and the consequences of failing to do so. At these summits we also have a chance to meet with hundreds of other people who are working to help Ukraine, whether through advocacy, humanitarian aid, or military assistance. Many of the closest partners in our work have come from these organizations.
In a way these meetings in DC are like a family reunion. You meet people you’ve seen a lot, and others whom you’ve never met before, but all of them are connected to you. At the same time we’re aware that the largest portion of the “family” is unable to come to these gatherings. We’re not just talking about American volunteers. The largest portion of the “family” is in fact the millions of Ukrainians who remain in danger in their home country. In the end, our work and advocacy is all about helping them.
Stories
Agricultural Project Update
Our agricultural project is in full swing, with seed distributions to more than 2,000 households, occurring in 15 locations from the Kherson to Kharkiv regions. One of these locations is Kostyantynivka. Despite a murderous offensive directed at this city, 10-20% of its residents have decided to stay put, no matter what. Though this decision is almost suicidal, these people still need help and are grateful to receive it. Remarkably, even here, Ukrainians continue to plant their gardens. One of our volunteers writes:
Kostyantynivka: the front is slowly but surely approaching. Risking our lives, we delivered seeds and bread to this town. One local family approached us with these words: “Last year we survived thanks to your seeds and seedlings.”
Last year, when the weather grew warmer, this family had sowed seeds and planted seedlings. Then, unexpectedly, frost hit. Everything froze. Galina Petrovna and her husband were in despair. How to survive this? Both are pensioners with a low income. But then the Agro-project came to the rescue.
This year the family’s house was also damaged by shelling. They have nowhere to go and no means to leave. They are very grateful for the help of seeds and bread.
Lyman Support
Natasha has undertaken her eighth trip to Lyman this year, each more dangerous than the last. Lyman is one of the three most likely targets for the upcoming Russian offensive, as Russia regroups the troops it used to push Ukrainians out of the Kursk Region. Natasha felt the rising tension first hand, when one of the locations where she was expected to distribute aid was shelled an hour before her arrival, killing an elderly man on the spot. We should note that this man was not waiting for aid distribution, as experienced local activists never gather people ahead of time. Still, Natasha had to change the location.
Fortunately, the aid distribution itself happened without a hitch. Natasha delivered 264 packages of hygenic products. The people remaining in Lyman have food, but shampoos, soap, and toilet paper are hard to find. The exhausted locals always extend exorbitant gratitude for such luxuries.
Donbas Impressions
Information about our Ukrainian teams comes to us from many sources. Inna’s dispatches are assembled from the individual reports of volunteer leaders responsible for activities in different cities. Over time, we’ve learned to identify each of them by their distinct writing style.
Ruslan has been responsible for the Donetsk direction, going weekly to Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka. He has seen it all and seems to be more annoyed by deteriorating roads than by the explosion of Russian shells he hears daily. His ability to focus on everyday details and people around him even in the most hellish circumstances is Ruslan’s special superpower. Here is an excerpt from this week’s report:
People are anxious; people are worried. They worry about their future. They worry about what's happening around them. What we do here — these distributions of seeds, bread, and other food — is for them a reminder that someone cares about them, that they are needed, that they are not abandoned.
Some people just come to our meetings because they say: “We just like it here — we want to be here. Here it’s quiet, it’s peaceful. Here we find tranquility.” They say that even when there are explosions nearby. There was such a moment last week. The shelling got very intense. But, we had more than 100 people at the meeting, and they had inner peace. They left with this inner peace. That’s why we are here. We talk to them, we support them, and we give them strength.
“We Are Them”
Last week Vitalyi from Oleksandr D's network of teams went to Sloviansk to deliver aid to refugees there. He writes:
For a long time now, Sloviansk has been the last stop before hell. People from Lyman, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and Sivers'k have fled here. They are escaping the war, but not abandoning their towns. They are just looking for a place where it's still possible to live, to wait things out. But each of them is dreaming about returning home, even if their houses are ruined, even to houses with no windows, no roof, no lights. Home isn't a building, it's the earth under your feet.
The war continues; negotiations have stalled. The rockets are still exploding. The refugees receive a small stipend or pension. This is all they have. It's very hard to survive in a strange city without your home, without support. That's why we come bringing aid. When you see their eyes, the momentary peace on their faces, you understand that it's all worth it. We are not benefactors; we are their own, we are them, only with a car and a little spare energy.
Help in Occupied Territories
Five occupied towns received help last week.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
14 trips, evacuating 74 people.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
22.4 tons of aid distributed to 8,250 people.
Bread distributed to 6600 people.
Reached 4 locations in the Donetsk region, 2 deoccupied towns in Kharkiv region, Kherson, Nikopol, and Marhanets’ - 9 high-risk area trips total.
Kherson help: exterminations in 7 buildings. Equipment maintenance for 19 locations (mostly refueling generators). Held an event for kids still living in Kherson.
1,130 families received seeds and seedlings in Zaporizhzhia, Viln’yans’k, Samar, and Kramatorsk.
Conducted 5 events for children in Kharkiv.
Angelia Charitable Fund
Delivered 1 ton of snacks, clothing, walkers, and other aid to Kryvyi Rih.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Vladyslav K (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv.
Sandra S (Odesa): the kitchen fed more than 700 people.
Yuri S (Vinnytsia): twice delivered food to the Safe Space shelter in Vinnytsia, and also to a family of disabled people. Delivered 100 kg of clothes and toys to Children's Services in Vinnytsia.
Maksym B (Brovary): delivered 6,500 kg of humanitarian aid from Bad Bergzabern (Germany) to a school in Brovary, which is still under construction, and to an aid center for displaced people. Aid included: tables, desks, chairs, diapers, menstrual pads, medicines, medical systems for hospitals, and 2 dental chairs.
Oleksandr M (Dnipro): helped 50 internally displaced people (IDPs), pensioners, and military families with food assistance, massage, and hairdresser/barber services.
Vitaliy Z (Kharkiv): finished drilling a well in the village of Vasylivs'ka Pustosh in the Kramatorsk community. This frontline village had been without water for 10 years. Brought 3.5 tons of “Victory” bread and other food, medicine, clothes, and animal feed to Sloviansk, where there are many refugees from the nearby Lyman, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and Sivers’k. Provided special clothing to workers in the village of Bilen’ke, near Kramatorsk. These waterproof, tear-resistant, and flame-resistant uniforms are necessary for workers in a frontline city who must clear rubble after shelling, clean up burning streets, and repair damaged electricity and water facilities.
Oksana K (Lutsk): delivered medical supplies to the Boholyubsʹka regional hospital in the village of Tarasove (Volyn Region). 12 visitors came to the team’s aid distribution center in Lutsk. These were IDPs, military families, large families and women who were about to give birth. Each received 35 kg of hygiene products and 40 kg of clothes, shoes, blankets, and bedspreads. 2 women also each received a baby box.
Oleksandr Z (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to IDP children and adults, children with disabilities, orphans, and military veterans – held 2 art therapy sessions for a total of 55 children. Took 56 children with disabilities and orphans to McDonalds. Visited the theater and museum with 97 veterans, and IDP families. Distributed bread and other food to 380 people living in IDP assistance centers, with special attention paid to 70 orphaned students from the Sumy and Kherson regions. Provided glasses for 12 adults and children. Conducted 77 medical procedures to improve the health of IDP children with disabilities from the Kherson Region. Helped 26 children with prophylactic health procedures, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and gym classes.
Kseniia’s Team – Livyy bereh (Left Bank)
Darya evacuated 8 people from Vasyl’tsivka, Stets’kivka, and Kindrashivka
98 packages delivered to frontline villages near Kup’yans’k.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
110 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Distributed 225 aid packages in Verkhn'ozoryans'ke, Kharkiv Region.
Distributed 270 aid packages in Shevchenkove, Kharkiv Region.
Natasha’s Team – Volontersʹkyy tsentr Vyshnya (Cherry Volunteer Center)
264 packages delivered to Lyman. (See story above).
Tetiana from Kryvyi Rih traveled to Myrolyubivka and Bratolybivka, distributing 195 packages, seeds for the planting season, and 75 children’s packages. (The names of the villages translate to “Peace-loving” and “Brother-loving”.)
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Delivered aid packages to 135 elderly, who were involved in the cleanup of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in 1986.
Delivered aid to 140 seniors, 18 families with infants and 18 disabled elderly.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
Distributed 177 aid packages in Liubomyrivka, and Novohryhorivka.
22 packages delivered to Ivano-Frankivsk.
Conducted large scale project for children, distributing backpacks and using this event as an opportunity to talk about safety.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
24 tons of water delivered to Nikopool.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobrо Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to internally displaced people in Zhovti Vody.
Dina’s Team — Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
Distributed 762 packages of aid in Kremenchuk, Poltava, Kanev, and Dnipro. Mailed 100 packages from Dnipro to small towns.
The soup kitchen in Kharkiv served 1,698 meals.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
42 families in Zhytomyr received food and hygiene kits.
This week, at the club for children with disabilities, kids had culinary classes where they made salad. They also played psychological relief games and visited a play at the local theater.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Liza and Katya continue to help hospital wards, currently caring for 12 wounded.
Distributed 850 loaves of bread in Odesa.
Anastasia’s Team – LoveUA
Traveled to Oleksijevo-Druzhkivka delivering 265 packages of food and 265 packages of hygiene products to people over 60, as well as 202 Easter cakes to children.
How to Help
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