MAY 2023 UPDATE
Friends of Ukraine,
How are you doing? Hope all is well with you and your families!
The war has set extraordinary challenges for every Ukrainian and for many people all over the world who care and continue their support.
The army continues its fight despite the fact the soldiers are tired. No breaks, no weekends, every day. It is very hard work. It’s the 449th day of the hot war. The general length of the frontline is about 3700km. Still, the soldiers are motivated to go on and the spirit is high because it’s fight for freedom, families, and Ukraine. We are in touch; we can feel it when we talk to many.
Have a look at the photo of this tulip that I have received from one of them recently. It was signed “Life will still win”
The coming counteroffensive brings more hope but we know that it’ll also bring numerous casualties and many more relatives, friends, and countrymen will give their lives.
You may recall one of our recent videos made at the Ternopil Medical University. The city has been targeted by missiles just recently. Luckily, the university was not hit.
I see that a lot of civilians are tired as well. We do our best to generate energy and use it to help others. Most have used up their means to donate to support the military while the challenges and needs remain the same. Many lost their homes and relatives. However, we keep working and supporting the army as much as we can.
We are very grateful for your care. CSUF and DHT would not be able to keep providing support in both humanitarian and military spheres without your continued help. Every bit makes the chances of survival of the particular soldier higher and the life of a person in need a little more comfortable.
We must keep going. It’s a marathon. The finish line for us in Ukraine is simple. It has to do with survival – either the Russians are defeated or they will kill our soldiers, repress the civil population and Ukraine will cease to exist. It is very motivating to understand it. It is also very motivating to remember about the incredible daily efforts of the soldiers, heroism, blood, suffering, and many lives that are lost to fight for the future of Ukraine every day. It is very motivating to understand that we are not alone.
I have got two videos for you today. It feels like there are so many different dimensions of reality in Ukraine at this crucial time. However, I think that these videos will give you some idea on what’s happening and who the Ukrainians are today: common citizens, students, children, soldiers, as well as those who make crucial decisions about this war and the further fate of the country.
You know, it’s the time when we have started asking many questions to ourselves. Our friends from Lviv which is in the west of Ukraine and from Mykolaiv which is in the South have recorded short videos to answer some of these questions. Please, watch it before you continue reading the update.
We would also like to share an interview with General Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an “Iron General” as many name him. It’s the 1st video interview recorded with him since the hot war started and it reveals some incredible and unexpected features and facts. It’s a way to get a different view of current events. You will find much information in his words, eyes, emotions and gestures. We are honored to have him as a Commander-in-Chief.
The video is part of the Year Project by Svit Navyvorit. The English subtitles that go with the video are pretty good, make sure you have them on.
We are honored to bring you up to date on what has been achieved recently. Together with the volunteer groups from Ivano-Frankivsk and Mykolaiv, we have bought a 4-wheel drive vehicle, thermal image cameras, range meters, and other important equipment for one of the units at the front.
A big THANK YOU:
Just yesterday, I received news that the unit was shelled. Thank God, no one was killed. The vehicle was hit but it’s still running and it can be used:
We have kept supporting soldiers with such equipment as radiophones, electric generator units, tourniquets, night vision cameras, range meters, tablets for operating drones, tires, Starlink units, vests, protective headphones and other important things.
Here are the other photos to say thank you to YOU:
I would also like to introduce you to Nazar.
His family comes from Sloviansk in Donetsk province. We have already met some displaced people from Sloviask in one of the previous updates. Nazar and his sister are adopted children. Nazar and his family lost their home and most of their belongings and they live in Volodymyr in the west of Ukraine today.
The old wheelchair that the parents managed to get for Nazar was too big and too wide. Nazar kept slipping out of it and falling onto the ground. That is why has not been spending time outside since the family escaped the war and came to live in our town. It’s been almost a year. We have purchased a modern efficient wheelchair of the proper size that will let them take Nazar outside more often. We have bought some other equipment for him as well.
We plan to keep supporting Nazar with medications that will help him to cease convulsions. We keep helping the elderly bedridden people to cover some basic needs that they cannot afford.
All of this would not be possible without your support. We must keep going.
Slava Ukraini!
Andriy