July 2nd, 2026
71,215 people evacuated from danger to date
122(!) people evacuated from danger this week
29 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
As we watch, with cautious hope, Ukraine's successful attacks on the Russian logistics and oil industries, we also note the deteriorating conditions on the Ukrainian side. While Ukraine still leads Russia in strategic application of drone warfare, the sheer rise in the overall number and range of drones on both sides has steadily increased the risk all across the front line.
This rising danger is affecting the experience of our Ukrainian volunteers and the people they serve. Alyona felt it in Kherson. An overwhelming tension is now felt throughout the city, with locals continuously monitoring community chats that report sightings of Russian FPV drones on different streets.
These risks, combined with the ongoing challenges of finding drivers and the rising costs of fuel, have resulted in the reduction of humanitarian aid flowing into the frontline regions. We are now seeing requests for clothing, dishes, and kitchenware — items that we thought were no longer a priority after the initial surge of humanitarian aid and transportation in 2022. We are fortunate that, thanks to your support, we have been able to sustain effective and predictable humanitarian aid delivery and remain one of the few sources of relief for people in frontline zones.
Stories
Vitalyi’s Team Participates in Large-Scale Evacuation
On 06/25/2026, Vitalyi’s team (from Oleksandr D.’s network) joined with other volunteers to carry out a large-scale evacuation from some of the most dangerous areas of the Ukrainian-held Donetsk Region. Evacuations in these risky areas are highly tactical. Evacuation requests come in to different teams, who coordinate efforts among themselves to optimize speed and safety. Traveling in a single vehicle is now extremely dangerous, due to constant drone attacks and shelling, so the volunteers often go out in two or three vans. This allows them to back each other up if one vehicle gets a flat tire, breaks down, or needs help. Multiple vehicles also enable the teams to redistribute belongings or people, if needed.
On this occasion Vitalyi and fellow volunteers received evacuation requests from 14 people and went out in three buses — an armored, vehicle, a passenger van and a cargo van. Vitalyi’s team took the passenger and cargo vans to Malotaranivka, Shabelkivka, and Sloviansk, while the armored van went to Druzhkivka.
Many residents from the somewhat less dangerous areas were able to evacuate with most of their belongings. However, the situation in Druzhkivka is now so deadly, that the armored van was able to evacuate a man with only his documents, because lingering in the area is so unsafe.
The evacuees were first pocessed in Sloviansk, then taken to Kharkiv, where they were registered as refugees and received consultation and financial assistance from the state. Two families left for the Poltava Region on the same day. Others are staying at a free shelter while they wait to move to western Ukraine, where they have relatives.
Choosing Life Over the Only Home They Know
In the Lazurnyi neighborhood of Kramatorsk, the terror of daily life has reached a breaking point. For months, an elderly couple, Ms. Svitlana and Mr. Stepan, couldn't bring themselves to leave. The thought of abandoning their hometown, their apartment, and a lifetime of personal belongings felt impossible. But as FPV drone strikes began targeting everyday civilians — hitting neighbors' cars and even people riding bicycles — the daily psychological toll became too much to bear. The couple spent their days constantly scanning the skies, rushing to hide under trees at the sound of buzzing, and huddling in the bathroom at night at the slightest noise.
Last week, the Dobra sprava team finally helped Svitlana and Stepan take the brave step of leaving. The reality of the danger was made starkly clear when an enemy drone struck and incinirated a civilian car between two high-rise residential buildings, just 330 feet meters from where the volunteers were loading the couple’s belongings. Though terrified, Svitlana and Stepan are now safe, leaving behind their past to ensure they have a future.
Russians Destroy Inna’s Humanitarian Distribution Point in Shevchenkove
Last week, Russia conducted massive strikes on Shevchenkove. The glide bombs hit the building where Inna’s volunteers worked and the kindergarten where they used two rooms to distribute aid to internally displced people (IDPs). Fortunately, the strikes occurred at night and nobody was hurt. However the fire started by these bombs has destroyed everything at the office. Luckily, due to high demand for aid, the office does not maintain a large inventory, since items are distributed as soon as they arrive, but of course the destruction of the distribution center office has affected the morale of the volunteers.
The Shevchenkove center opened a year ago. The town is located halfway between Kup’yans’k and Kharkiv and houses many IDPs, who were forced out of their homes by the relentless multi-year battle around Kup’yans’k. The Shevchenkove center is somewhat unusual because it specializes in the distribution of household aid, such as clothing, appliances, and utensils. This aid is valued by many IDPs, who had to abandon everything they had when they were forced to evacuate their homes.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
8 trips, evacuating 34 people.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
3 people and a cat were evacuated from Kherson to the Odesa Region.
The Kherson team continued its efforts to disinfect apartments to help remaining residents. 2 apartments were disinfected after the death of residents, and pest control was performed in 3 large spaces.
The Kherson team delivered fuel to the red zones to power generators for multiple buildings still housing residents.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Vladyslav K. (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv.
Andryi P. (Mykolaiv): delivered aid to Snihurivka, on the border with the Kherson Region.
Yuri P. (Boryslav): traveled to Poland for baby food, which will be distributed in Ukraine.
Alla A (Kremenets’): held 2 events, helping 148 people, including 50 people from large families and orphans, who received food kits and gifts; 18 people, who received clothing; 45 internally displaced (IDP) children, who received food kits, gifts, and psychological support; 35 people with disabilities, who received assistance and psychological support.
Vitaliy Z. (Kharkiv): delivered 4 tons of humanitarian kits, clothes, medicine, and animal feed to Kramatorsk and discussed evacuation with the locals. Distributed over 500 loaves of “Victory” bread in Sloviansk and, once again, discussed evacuation. Together with other charitable organizations, evacuated 14 people from the most dangerous areas of the Ukrainian-held Donetsk Region, particularly from Malotaranivka and Shabelkivka, but also one person from Druzhkivka.
Oksana K. (Lutsk): brought 840 kg worth of baby boxes for newborn babies from Pruszków, Poland.These boxes contain diapers, detergent, hygiene products, baby clothes, toys, feeding bottles, and pacifiers. 2 of the baby boxes have been distributed so far. On the return trip from Poland, close to the Ukrainian border, a deer jumped in front of the van, smashing the front and damaging the radiator. The van had to be towed across the border for repairs.
Oleksandr Z. (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to IDPs, children and adults with disabilities, children from military families and from large families, veterans and their families, orphans, elderly people, and amputees in the Lutsk territorial community. 1031 children and adults received help, including a visit to the museum, art therapy, music therapy, zootherapy, sports activities, help with bread and other food, help with glasses, dental, medical, and preventive procedures, psychological support, and help with the manufacture of wheelchairs for children and prostheses and rehabilitation for adults.
Darya’s Team
Evacuated 33 people over 6 trips in the last 2 weeks from Obukhivka, Mykilske, Kutkivka, Prylyutove, Lozova Persha, Monachynivka, Rohozyanka, and Stetskivka.
Delivered 229 packages to the villages of Kutkivka, Kasyanivka, Vasylkivka, Stetskivka, and Rohozyanka.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
109 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Distributed 120 aid packages in Bohatyrivka, Zaporizhzhia Region, 120 aid packages to recent IDPs in Smila and 30 aid packages to old and disabled people in Smila, via the Department of Social Services.
Delivered 100 aid packages, cleaning products and powerbanks to Kramatorsk.
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Delivered 287 aid packages to seniors in Saltivka, Kharkiv.
Special deliveries to 26 families with infants and 31 disabled elderly.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
375 families received aid in the villages of Kobzartsi and Kyselivka, in the Mykolaiv Region.
Organized a trip to a puppet theater for children of IDPs.
Organized an art therapy class for adults in Mykolaiv.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
The flow of evacuees continues to grow. 333 people arrived at the Volos’ke transit center last week, with 50+ people staying at the center daily.
Alina’s Team — Dity novoho pokolinnya (Children of the New Generation)
Evacuated 38 people, including 14 elderly people and 11 children, from Shakhtarske, Dnipropetrovsk Region.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobro Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to IDPs in Piatykhatky.
Dina’s Team – Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
Distributed 254 packages in Kaniv, Kremenchuk, and Poltava.
Served 1,550 meals in the soup kitchen in Kharkiv.
Delivered 250 packages to Valky, outside of Kharkiv.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
42 food and hygiene kits were distributed to families in Zhytomyr.
At the Club for Children with Disabilities, children attended psychology relief and culinary classes.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Delivered 300 packages of food and 142 packages of hygiene products to Kherson.
Distributed bread to 348 families in Odesa.
How to Help
Donate — The money goes directly to teams providing aid on the ground, who respond dynamically to the most urgent needs.
Fundraise — Organize fundraisers at your school, work, place of worship, with friends and family, etc.
Spread the word — Share our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Bluesky Social with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering with us, and we’ll let you know when opportunities come up.
Download and print our flyer. Ask your local coffee shop if you can add it to the bulletin, or use it as part of your fundraiser.
