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.
Our next shipments arrived in April and May, delivering 99.2 tons of lifesaving equipment to southern and eastern Ukraine — food supplies, trauma kits, body armor, ballistic helmets, individual first aid kits, headlamps, radios, and 1,074 pairs of combat boots donated by Rocky Boots. In May we also delivered nine 50-passenger buses to transport soldiers and supplies to and from the front lines, thanks to funding support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Since February 2022, Spirit of America has delivered over $55 million in nonlethal aid — over 1,000 tons — to Ukrainians on the front lines.
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.
As the landscape of Russia’s war on Ukraine has shifted in the last two years, so has our assistance in order to continue providing aid with the most impact.
In 2023, our frontline support shifted to nonlethal assistance in the form of 4×4 pickup trucks, surveillance drones, night vision goggles, and training and development courses for the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF).
We also provided health and well-being services such as medical equipment and 12 combat showers. The combat showers were specifically designed by the TDF to address critically needed hygiene services on the front lines for up to 50-100 soldiers a day, moving to where they’re needed most. Additionally, these units are used in vulnerable villages and communities, where civilians who haven’t had access to electricity or running water will also be able to use them.
In 2024, our nonlethal frontline assistance is focused on enabling Ukrainian soldiers to move, hide, and medicate — as well as humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian youth affected by the war. Click here to learn more about our current efforts in Ukraine.
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.