Only five days after Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine, members of the Spirit of America team were on the ground in Europe working with US military and diplomatic partners to assess the most urgent needs of Ukrainians on the front lines. On March 18, a Boeing 777 loaded with over 60,000 pounds of Spirit of America-provided assistance landed in Europe; the very next day a portion of that aid was already in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilian volunteers on the ground. By March 31st, all 31.9 tons of aid, which included items like helmets, ready-to-eat meals, and first aid kits, had been delivered to the front lines.

Our second chartered plane, packed with 33.5 tons of aid, arrived on March 30th. Within 24 hours, one-third of that shipment made it into Ukraine and was in the hands of the end-users. This round of assistance primarily consisted of helmets, kevlar vests, and individual first aid kits.

The third shipment of lifesaving assistance made it to the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine around April 27th. The 49.2 tons of supplies included items such as food supplies, individual first aid kits, headlamps, bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets, and 1,074 pairs of combat boots donated by Rocky Boots.

Our last shipment of aid arrived in the region on May 18th and consisted of 50 tons of lifesaving equipment such as trauma kits, body armor, ballistic helmets, individual first aid kits, and radios. The supplies were in the hands of Ukrainians on the front lines within 36 hours. This 4th shipment was accompanied by a donation of nine 50-passenger buses to transport soldiers and supplies to and from the front lines, secured with funding support from the Howard G. Buffet Foundation.

Most recently, Spirit of America purchased 10 Mitsubishi trucks to help transport supplies and soldiers to the front lines and evacuate civilians and wounded. Our partners have identified a critical need for 300 more vehicles. To date, Spirit of America has delivered a total of 165 tons of aid to Ukraine’s brave defenders.

Because of the relationships we have built with networks on the ground, we are able to send the aid exactly where it is needed most; our deliveries are based on real-time operations. Once the fight started shifting to the east, we outfitted Ukrainian men and women in the Donbas with bulletproof vests and tactical helmets. Our trusted partners and logistics networks allow us to act swiftly in response to shifts on the battlefield, and deliver exactly what is needed to the most kinetic conflict zones.

Help us continue to send lifesaving assistance to the brave Ukrainian defenders on the front lines. Donate today to defend freedom and save lives in Ukraine. And please share this with your networks so that we can all do our part to stand with Ukraine.

Tune in here for regular Spirit of America updates on Ukraine.