September 3rd, 2026
72,103 people evacuated from danger to date
61 people evacuated from danger this week
29 trips into deoccupied and frontline territories this week
In an attempt to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people, Russia is now conducting continuous attacks on Ukrainian cities, which last for days on end. The most recent such attack went on for six straight days, with at most a few hours between volleys. Large gliding bombs have been launched at Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and other cities, killing at least 77 people in civilian areas.
The mood among our Ukrainian volunteers ranges from annoyance to genuine alarm. As the winter approaches, our volunteer community is soberly assessing the situation. The teams are expecting major disruptions to normal civilian life in the big cities and continued assaults against the vulnerable civilians who are still surviving in the Ukrainian-held parts of the Donetsk Region, Kherson, Nikopol’ and other dangerous areas.
Stories
Leaving When the Potatoes are Ready
Dobra sprava’s evacuations from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk picked up slightly this week. This was due partly to the rapidly deteriorating conditions, but also, because, as the locals joked, “the potatoes are ready to go.” They meant this literally: some people leaving their homes wanted to collect this season’s harvest and bring their root vegetables with them.
In Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, now quiet and ghost-like, attacks on the power grid have caused electricity and water cuts lasting for up to 10 days, prompting officials to announce that they will shut down all apartment elevators next week. This infrastructure collapse turns every rescue into a race against time, especially for the low-mobility residents who make up a substantial proportion of the evacuees from these cities.
Natasha traveled to Kramatorsk once again. In the last 3 weeks the situation deteriorated drastically. First - there were no cars on Kramatorsk roads. The white minivan Natasha was using for this trip was too conspicuous for this area. They unloaded their car in the local safehouse and were on the way back soon after. It’s hard to believe only a few months back - Natasha would spend the night in Kramatorsk as a relatively safe area. Not all news though are bleak - though the situation is harrowing for the civilians and the enemy is getting closer to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, Ukrainian Armed Forces have managed to liberate a few villages in Bakhmut and Lyman directions. Koroviy Yar, Yatzkivka - villages that we thought were unreachable have opened up again, and local activists managed to deliver humanitarian aid there for the first time in many weeks.
Every week we report about fuel deliveries into Kherson red zones. It’s hard to convey the true silent heroism of this work, where volunteers put their life at risk to give Kherson residents a chance to stay connected to civilization and to survive. Here is a glimpse from a recent report:
Right now the biggest help is generators and fuel, which let people have light and stay connected. Some fuel deliveries are extremely difficult (and honestly they probably all are, because there haven't been any easy ones for a long time — drones fly all over the city, striking infrastructure, shops, and vehicles), but everyone who is in the city knows the situation well. You can't stay in the red zone for long, because your car will be burned — quite literally — within 10 minutes. So we dash into the red zone during a safe window to hand Mr. Volodymyr a canister of fuel so he can provide his family with light. We do everything quickly, and then we go in on foot to help people get rid of the mice, of which there are a great many. Every trip and every entry into the red zone is carefully prepared; going in without preparation is a very bad idea.
Team Summaries
Alina H.’s Team – Dobra sprava (Good Deeds)
9 trips evacuating 44 people.
Inna’s Team – Krok z nadiyeyu (Step with Hope)
6850 people received aid, 4300 people received bread.
15.2 tons of aid distributed.
Refueled 8 generators in Kherson red zones, and delivered 6 gas canisters for the generators powering highrise buildings there. Restored 8 spaces, disinfecting and doing pest control services there.
A team in Synelnykove delivered aid, and knit socks to elderly residents of the local shelter. The volunteers brought dough and all the ingredients to cook Varynyki (Ukrainian dumplings) with shelter residents.
The team delivered aid to 28 locations, 9 of them in high-risk zones.
Oleksandr D’s Volunteer Networks
Oleksandr S. (Boyarka): provided 6 treadmills, 6 trampolines, and an exercise bike for schools in Sumy, Bila Tserkva and Brovary. Held a meeting of the Restart club for children in Boyarka, at which the children received gifts. Distributed 950 kg of food packages to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Snovsk.
Vladyslav K. (Mykolaiv): recently, shelling of Mykolaiv has intensified. Gas stations close during air raids, which has made it harder to deliver water to the city. Nonetheless, the team delivered its usual 35 tons of drinking water to Mykolaiv.
Andriy P. (Mykolaiv): brought 4 vehicles from abroad: a Ford Transit ambulance, sent in the Kharkiv direction; a Christler 7-seater minivan, sent in the Zaporizhzhia direction; a camper for chaplain psychologists, sent in the Pavlohrad direction; and a Skoda Octavia, sent in the Kherson direction. Also brought 3 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, furniture, bedding, towels, dishes, orthopedic beds, folding beds, microwaves, kettles, carpets, and mattresses, all sent to IDPs in Mykolaiv.
Sandra S. (Odesa): continual bombing raids have created shortages in certain food products in Odesa. The team has had to be more careful in planning and budgeting its food acquisitions. Despite this new complication, the kitchen has continued serving freshly prepared meals at the train station without interruptions.
Vitaliy Z. (Kharkiv): delivered 4 tons of humanitarian kits, clothes, medicine, and animal feed to Sloviansk. Distributed more than 500 loaves of “Victory” bread in Kramatorsk. In 2 separate trips, evacuated 2 adults, 1 child, and 2 dogs from Sloviansk.
Yuri P. (Boryslav): delivered a total of 4 tons of new clothes and shoes to Tal’ne, Kam’yanka, Cherkasy, Blahodatne, Kaniv, Ukrainka, and Kamin'-Kashyrs'kyi.
Hryhoriy M. (Tal’ne): held a 4-day camp in Tal’ne for 100 children from large families, orphans, children of fallen soldiers, and children in other difficult circumstances. Children participated in enrichment activities and received gifts. Transportation was provided for children from the surrounding villages.
Oksana K. (Lutsk): distributed 200 kg of adult diapers and urological pads to 40 people. Recipients also had a chance to pick out clothes and shoes for themselves and their families. Distributed baby boxes to families with newborns.
Oleksandr D. (Lutsk): provided transportation to blind people attending a charity event for people with disabilities, organized by a church in Dovhe, Rivne Region.
Oleksandr Z. (Lutsk): provided therapeutic interventions and aid to IDPs, children and adults with disabilities, military veterans, orphans, elderly people, and amputees in Lutsk and the surrounding villages. 1,352 children and adults received help, including art therapy and music therapy, camp and sports activities, a visit to the museum and to the theater, 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.
Karina’s Team – My ryatuyemo Ukrayinu (We Save Ukraine)
93 people in the shelter.
Tetiana’s Team – Dopomoha poruch (Help Is Near)
Distributed 160 aid packages to internally displaced refugees in Smila.
Distributed 120 aid packages in Kherson.
Distributed 100 aid packages in Bohatyrivka, Zaporiozhzhya region.
Natasha’s Team – Volontersʹkyy tsentr Vyshnya (Cherry Volunteer Center)
Despite significant risks, Natasha delivered 230 packages to Kramatorsk for Lyman IDPs still surviving there.
Timur’s Team – Komanda Teymura Alyeva (Timur Alyev’s Team)
The team distributed 293 aid packages to seniors in Saltivka Kharkiv.
Special deliveries to 18 disabled elderly and 31 families with infants.
Pavel and Olena’s Teams – Dotyk sertsya (Touch of Heart) & Svitanok mriy (Dawn of Dreams)
350 families received help in Zasillya, Posad Pokrovske, and Novomykolaivka.
Pomahaem Foundation (We Help Foundation)
120 new people arrived in Voloske transit shelter.
Alina S.’s Team – Dity novoho pokolinnya (Children of the New Generation)
The team completed 6 trips evacuating 45 people.
People evacuated were: 16 elderly, 13 children, and 16 adults. These include 3 people with disabilities
23 were evacuated out of Donetsk region and 22 out of Dnipropertrovsk region.
Marina’s Team – Daruy dobrо Ukrayina (Give Good Ukraine)
150 food and hygiene packages were distributed to internally displaced people in Pyatikhatki.
Dina’s Team – Vilʹni lyudy, vilʹna krayina (Free People, Free Country)
Distributed 270 packages of aid in Kaniv, Kremenchuk, and Poltava.
Served 1,650 meals in the soup kitchen in Kharkiv.
Delivered 350 packages of aid to the town of Myrne for recently displaced families who settled there.
Bohdan’s Team — Vse robymo sami (We Do Everything Ourselves)
Bohdan's organization celebrated the first birthday of the inclusive children’s center “House of Joy” by hosting a charity art picnic for kids and their families.
Food and hygiene kits were distributed to 42 families in Zhytomyr.
At the club for children with disabilities, the children participated in cooking and art classes.
Alena’s Team – Diva (Virgo)
Distributed donated yogurt and 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.
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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.
