June 18th, 2026
71,028 people evacuated from danger to date
82 people evacuated from danger this week
33 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
Russia has continued its senseless intensified bombardment of Ukrainian cities. What stood out last week was its focus on destroying monuments of cultural heritage. In a massive overnight barrage of 70 missiles and 611 drones on June 15, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra — a thousand-year-old monastery complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site — was hit, setting the roof of the Dormition Cathedral ablaze. Nearby, the Mystetskyi Arsenal, one of Kyiv's most important art and cultural centers, was also engulfed in flames. The strike on the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio destroyed its legendary costume workshop, wiping out approximately 100,000 costumes and three million articles of clothing collected over decades — the largest and oldest such collection in Ukraine. Among the irreplaceable losses were costumes from some of the most iconic films in Ukrainian cinema, including Sergei Parajanov's Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.
This increased brutality has also manifested itself in frontline areas, as the stories below make clear. Yet the resilience and experience of our volunteers has helped them navigate the danger and continue their work.
Stories
Dasha’s Harrowing Escape
Since 2022, we have supported Dasha (Darya)— a fearless, heavily tattooed bartender turned evacuation volunteer, who regularly drives into the most dangerous parts of the Kharkiv Region, near the Kup’yans’k battlefield, to rescue civilians. Last week was especially traumatic for Dasha, which says a great deal, given everything she has already endured.
Dasha’s team was evacuating a mother with her two young children, when their drone detectors picked up signals which made the volunteers aware that approaching enemy drones were hunting them down. What followed were nine harrowing hours. Trapped in a forested area, the volunteers kept their vehicle constantly moving — driving back and forth across rugged terrain, hiding, and tracking signals from seven drones circling overhead, which were apparently searching for them. A car full of terrified civilians, hunted by machines.
Miraculously, the team and evacuees made it out alive. The moment the vehicle crossed out of the danger zone, the children began to cry uncontrollably. Then, within minutes, all the children fell asleep. As the team drove through what was, by comparison, a relatively safe area, they passed recently burned-out vehicles along the road.
Dasha, overwhelmed with anger and grief at the senseless brutality of it all, recorded a voice message full of raw pain. A couple of hours later, the volunteers were back in Kharkiv and already planning to go out on another mission.
Dasha and her team thanked us profusely for the funds we provide to support their missions. We want to pass their gratitude on to you, our donors, because it is your generosity that makes these missions possible.
Evacuation Stories from Children of the New Generation
The following are two short anectdoes from the latest evacuation mission by Children of the New Generation, another volunteer team we have recently begun supporting through the Pomahaem Foundation.
Tetiana and Yurii (village of Vasyl’kivka)
This couple lived together for 44 years. They had spent their entire lives in Vasyl’kivka. Then their home and everything around it was completely destroyed by missiles. With nowhere left to take shelter, the couple spent the night in their car at the village cemetery — too afraid to hide inside any building because of the heavy missile strikes throughout the night. Three years ago, their son was killed in the war from combat wounds. Their daughters have now found their parents housing in a safe location.
Yaryna (village of Chaplyne)
This woman from Chaplyne had already evacuated once on her own. But she had been unable to take her goats with her. Unable to sleep for several nights, she went back for her animals, but it was too late. The goats had already perished. Yaryna recalled them through tears, deeply regretting that she hadn't been able to evacuate the animals. This time, she built a cage with her own hands to bring along a rabbit that had given birth to babies just the day before. Yaryna will need a great deal of time and support to overcome her panic attacks and heal from the trauma of everything she has endured — the constant explosions, the ever-present fear that at any moment a KAB missle could strike and end her life. But now she is heading to a safe place, where she will receive psychological help.
Mykolaivka Becomes Inaccessible
When people decide to evacuate and it is already almost too late, there is a group called Bili yanholy (White Angels) — a specialized, volunteer police evacuation unit that uses armored vehicles to go into places where regular vehicles are no longer safe. Dobra sprava collaborates with Bili yanholy by picking up the evacuees they bring out and driving them to a larger metropolitan area.
Recently, the Dobra sprava team concluded that the risk of going into Mykolaivka has become too great for the volunteers. Instead, Bili yanholy have been evacuating Mykolaivka residents and the volunteers were meeting them in Sloviansk. However, this week, the road from Mykolaivka was cut off. The Russian troops blew up two bridges over the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal, and mined the road. The only way out of Mykolaivka now is a four-hour walk by foot.
Team Summaries
Alina’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
35 people evacuated over 9 trips to Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kramatorsk.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
20.3 tons of aid delivered to 8,050 people.
4,400 people received bread.
Teams reached 33 locations, 11 of them in high-risk zones.
The Kherson team disinfected and cleaned 14 large basements and continued to refuel 9 generators in Kherson red zones.
Evacuated 2 women from Kramatorsk.
Angelia Charitable Fund
Distributed aid in the village of Kalynivske, Kherson Region.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Vladyslav K. (Mykolaiv): delivered 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv.
Andriy P. (Mykolaiv): acquired several vehicles abroad and brought them to Ukraine, filled with humanitarian aid. The vehicles included an ambulance, a Volkswagen Transporter van, a Nissan X-Trail, and a Volkswagen minibus. These carried 3 tons of aid, including washing machines, diapers, bedding, furniture, medicine, clothes, and shoes.
Sandra S. (Odesa): the kitchen prepared and distributed 1,100 freshly cooked meals.
Vitaliy Z. (Kharkiv): delivered 4 tons of humanitarian kits, clothes, medicine, and animal feed to the village of Shabelkivka, in the Kramatorsk community. Distributed over 500 loaves of “Victory” bread in Krasnotorka, also in the Kramatorsk community. Distributed 1 ton of animal food, anti-flea medication, and anthelmintic (deworming) drugs to locations in the Kramatorsk and Sloviansk districts to support homeless, abandoned animals and people who have been taking care of them. Some locals, despite their own severe difficulties, take care of 10, 20, or more abandoned dogs and cats. Distributed wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, bedside commodes, and rehabilitation equipment to elderly and disabled people in several locations throughout the Kharkiv Region.
Alla A. (Kremenets’): held a program for 45 children from internally displaced (IDP) families.The program included singing, movement, active games, and master classes. Provided psychological support and aid to 35 people with disabilities.
Hryhoriy M. (Tal’ne): held a 5-day event for 500 children and their parents, which included field trips, psychological support, classes, singing, games, and dessert. The attending children included those from large families, orphans, and children of fallen military members. Transportation was provided for children from the surrounding villages and towns, who couldn’t get to the event on their own.
Oleksandr Z. (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to IDPs, children and adults with disabilities, children from military families, families of fallen soldiers, wounded military personnel, orphans, elderly people, and amputees in Lutsk and Ostrozhets' and surrounding villages of the Rivne Region. 1074 children and adults received help, including visits to the theater, art therapy, music therapy, zootherapy, sports activities, help with bread and other food, meals served at a social cafe, 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
Darya made three trips to Husynka, Kurochkyne, Rohozyanka, Shypuvate, and Kutkivka.
She managed to evacuate 17 people.
Delivered 164 packages containing food, hygienic products and medicine.
Delivered 2 generators and fuel.
Performed a harrowing evacuation. See story.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
97 people in shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Delivered 90 aid packages, hygiene products, and animal food to the village of Krutoyarivka on the border between Dnipropetrovsk and Dotesk regions.
Natasha’s Team – Volontersʹkyy tsentr Vyshnya (Cherry Volunteer Center)
Tetiana, from Kryvyi Rih traveled to the eastern part of the Kherson Region, to the villages of Knyazivka and Novohryhorivka. She delivered 207 packages for families and 68 packages for children.
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
Distributed aid packages to 235 families in Saltivka, Kharkiv.
Special deliveries to 18 disabled elderly and 33 families with infants.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
Delivered packages to 252 families in Partyzanske, Kvitneve and Novohryhorivka.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
123 people arrived at the Volos’ke center - an increase from last week.
The team is working with frontline communities where the government is expected to announce mandatory evacuations. They provided information about the transit shelter, encouraging people not to wait until the last moment to evacuate. The team is hopeful to see more people evacuate soon.
CNG (Children of the New Generation) evacuated 27 people in over 7 trips to frontline territories, including 5 children. They also evacuated 3 people from the Kramatorsk District, and 24 people from 11 villages near Synel’nykove.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobro Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to internally displaced people in Zhovti Vody.
Marina suffered a microstroke. She is okay and recovering, but will take some long overdue time off.
Dina’s Team – Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
Distributed 262 packages in Kaniv, Kremenchuk, and Poltava.
Served 1,450 meals in the soup kitchen in Kharkiv.
Delivered sweet treats to 150 children in Kachalivka, Zlatopil, and Kolomak.
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 participated in culinary classes.
As a part of summer camp activities, the children traveled to Kyiv.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Distributed bread to 341 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.
