Mykola, our partner in Kyiv, raised funds through his own channels to purchase and deliver battery-powered demolition hammers to a brigade positioned on particularly stubborn ground in a location we cannot disclose. Aware that the troops have seen hard fighting and too little R&R, he started thinking about what kind of pick-me-up to deliver along with their supplies. He soon hit on the idea of delivering American-style burgers to every stop. He raised more funds, assembled a team that includes a chef, borrowed a grill, and set off.
Note: He wrote this just before Ukraine’s wildly successful northeastern counteroffensive.
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Every time I come back from one of the supply runs I always struggle to put everything I feel and see out there into a post. Time and events are a lot more condensed the closer you get to the frontlines, the air sweeter and the grass sways in the breeze with a certain intangible dignity. Everything just makes sense there.
Last week, [his wonderful channels] funded a feast for about 160 Ukrainian soldiers. We had two chefs, me and my friend work on the burgers in field conditions, by the checkpoints and inside one of Kharkiv industrial zones.
We cooked for men manning the checkpoints around Kharkiv,
and resting after combat at [a] bombed out gas station.
Wherever we went we were greeted with smiles and laughter and genuine surprise to see burgers on the frontlines.
We also made some exciting new friends along the way. The Foundation of Kindness and Love (FB: https://www.facebook.com/fonddobratalyubovi IG: https://www.instagram.com/fond_dobra_ta_lyubovi/) generously supported us with equipment and personnel and hopefully, we will continue to spread Kindness and Love together in the future.
Another meeting was with the 72nd Mechanized brigade,
whom we have helped extensively in the past, including purchasing a vehicle for them back in April.
I quickly learn that [that] vehicle is in dire need of engine repairs and needs to be towed, and there are also two puppies living in the camp, who will surely not survive the winter. So we also need to organize an operation to save the vehicle and the puppies next visit.
However even before I leave the area, I get a message from the mortar crew from the same brigade. They are also in a dire need of battery powered jackhammers and an auger for quickly digging mortar pits.
Most importantly, though, I gotta tell you about how cold it gets in the night already. It gets [expletive deletedly] cold.
When you talk to soldiers on positions about what they need – they tend to joke about it and say they don’t need anything, and than they go online and spend their salaries on their own gear. That’s why it’s virtually impossible to purchase a military sleeping bag, backpack or winter uniform in Kyiv without paying premium.
Not everyone has the luxury to leave positions or scour online stores though.
I know it feels like Ukraine has almost won and [you donors] certainly [have] made a big contribution to that. Everyone who donated has a reason to be proud! However, when I open Telegram I see a message from Sumy hospital, where 17 new wounded soldiers have arrived and there is a huge list of medicine that the soldiers need. Sumy border is getting shelled and mortared every day, they need tacmed and their supplies are not in priority for the military as the region is not getting invaded again, just constantly harassed.
And so, once again, I struggle to put everything I feel and see out there into a post. I feel immense pride in what we’ve accomplished as a community.
But also so, so much responsibility.
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These are our current highest fundraising priorities.
- A vehicle for the 72nd to use as medical and evacuation transport; something like a Volkswagen Transporter
- Enough tacmed supplies to stock the vehicle
- Winter clothing and footwear, preferably US military surplus
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