Newsroom

Nova Ukraine Supplies 40 Operating Tables to Hospitals in Critical Regions

Given all the injuries incurred by this war, it is essential that Ukrainian hospitals have state-of-the-art medical equipment. Some of the operating tables Nova Ukraine has been able to supply are FAMED, Amsco, Steris, and Skytron. These operating tables are multi-functional, offering a range of patient positions. They can also be fitted with attachments that are specifically designed for orthopedic surgery. This versatility creates the kind of efficiency that allows surgeons to perform multiple procedures in a single day. Notably, these tables do not rely on electrical drives, which increases their reliability and guarantees uninterrupted use during blackouts. During the last five months, Nova Ukraine has delivered more than 40 of these operating tables to hospitals in the most critical regions.

A Critical Dam in Southern Ukraine Was Destroyed by Russian Occupiers on June 6, 2023

The Kherson region is currently experiencing widespread devastation and severe flooding. Numerous residents are evacuating from the region to flee sudden floods. Families have lost their homes, and communities are devastated. Nova Ukraine is working with the state Emergency Services of Ukraine to purchase the necessary equipment to address the consequences of this ecological catastrophe resulting from the Russian attack on Ukraine. Nova Ukraine evacuation partners have been working on the ground in the Kherson region this past year. They know the land very well and are in touch with local authorities. Their support on the ground is invaluable.

FranKolo: Children’s Journey of Growth and Inspiration

At FranKolo, children thrive in a nurturing and inclusive environment where they explore their passions and develop vital life skills, despite the looming threat of war. Since its launch in April 2022, the project has touched the lives of over 1000 children who sought refuge in the free clubs during their time in Ivano-Frankivsk. Today, we want to share with you the incredible impact FranKolo has made over the past year and Nova Ukraine’s support in their mission. A Promise of Change: For many children, especially those studying online because of the war, FranKolo provided a unique opportunity for real-time interaction with peers and a chance to indulge in their favorite activities. The clubs served as a haven, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among the participants. However, as the year progressed, the funding reached its limit, and the project would terminate by the end of January. February 1st was momentous as the FranKolo project channel announced an extension of three months, thanks to the support of Nova Ukraine. The overwhelming flood of joy and gratitude the organizers received from the Frankivsk community reaffirmed the significance of this work. On that very day, the children returned to their beloved clubs, eager to resume their journey of growth and exploration.

Interview with Andrii Rudenko

Meet Andrii Rudenko, Medical Lead in Ukraine Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? I was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1998, I graduated from Kyiv Medical Institute and worked as a doctor in a city hospital for some time. Later, I transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry and held various positions, eventually becoming the Director of Marketing & Sales for a foreign pharmaceutical company. In 2013, I completed an MBA from the International Institute of Management. On February 24, 2022, my life took a significant turn, and I started volunteering. In January 2023, I joined the Nova Ukraine medical team as a volunteer, and I have recently been selected as the head of the medical team in Ukraine. I am eager to utilize my knowledge and skills to provide faster, more efficient healthcare assistance to patients in Ukraine. How does the war affect your daily life?

Interview with Adriian Dorosh

Meet Adriian Dorosh, Warehouse Lead in Ukraine Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? I loved mountaineering, water sports, and cycling. I lived for traveling and hiking in the mountains. But I was always involved in the Ukrainian scouting organization Plast. I had the privilege of mentoring youth. Before the full-scale invasion, I dedicated several hours each day to this. Additionally, I worked in the souvenir business, producing textile products and promotional materials with a team. And I just finished my training as a software developer. How does the war affect your daily life?

Interview with Svitlana Dreval

Meet Svitlana Dreval, Project Manager in Ukraine Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? I was born and raised in Kyiv. I graduated from the Economics Faculty of the University of Technology and Design and started searching in different directions to find my true path. Over the years, I have lived and worked in various parts of Ukraine. I created the first shopping complexes in Poltava, Chernihiv, and Crimea. I implemented projects for processing sludge and slag deposits in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. I managed commercial real estate in Odesa, where I now live, having established myself as an entrepreneur in the advertising business. I considered myself a "worldly person," traveling often and spending winters in Asia. But when the war broke out, I knew I would not be able to stay on the sidelines. My family made a conscious decision to fight.

Interview with Ira Berezhnytska

Meet Ira Berezhnytska, Project Manager in Ukraine Tell us a little bit about your background. What were you doing before the war? Before the full-scale invasion, I had my own restaurant business in Lviv. I studied animation and also loved sports and travel, especially going to the mountains. As a side interest, I belonged to the scouting organization Plast, dedicating a lot of time to instructional activities and organizing various events and camps. And of course, I loved just spending time with family and friends. How does the war affect your daily life?

Interview with Zoya Aleksandrova

Meet Zoya Aleksandrova, Back Office Lead in Ukraine Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? For many years, I worked in the publishing industry, contributing (both literally and figuratively) to the creation of hundreds of books of various genres. How does the war affect your daily life?

Neonatal Support From Nova Ukraine

Childbirth is difficult and emotional even in the safest hospitals, and there are myriad complications that can suddenly arise and force mothers and doctors to make difficult decisions. After birth, an infant needs care and stability. In many hospitals throughout Ukraine, however, even basic items and equipment for childbirth are in short supply. Many hospitals still maintain Soviet-era equipment, and of course, with Russia bombing critical infrastructure, some hospitals have had to operate in conditions of energy scarcity. And then there are those mothers who are forced to give birth without any professional care and few if any, medical options in basements and bunkers. Far from the peace and security that newborns deserve, they experience the beginnings of their lives within the range of artillery shells. Nova Ukraine and our partners, including ZDOROVI distributing agency, have worked hard to put donations to use, supplying hospitals around Ukraine with essential modern medical equipment. Neonatal support had gone out to more than 34 hospitals in 16 regions as of March 2023, and we have continued our efforts since, recently reaching more than 50 clinics in need of neonatal care supplies.

Nova Ukraine’s Prosthetics Projects and Successes

In times of great crisis and dislocation, few efforts speak to the essence of humanitarian aid quite like medical projects, and due to the cost, expertise, and material demands of delivering medical care, this mission is especially difficult. Nova Ukraine’s deep commitment to the medical community is finding incredible success through the hard work of its team of volunteers organizing and conducting the purchase, delivery, and implementation of medical supplies and operations. Now that Ukraine is at war, increased attention needs to be given to those men, women, and children who lost limbs from Russian artillery and missile attacks. Soldiers, who serve on the front defending their country from invasion, often suffer horrible injuries. Since October 2022, Nova Ukraine has run a joint initiative with @ProsthetiKa and @Protez Hub – a Ukrainian prosthetics manufacturer and rehabilitation provider. The goal of this project is to provide Ukrainians who have suffered the loss of an arm with high-quality prosthetic replacements. These prosthetic arms are technically complex, highly functional pieces, built with quality elbow joints, electric hooks and bionic brushes. As opposed to simple, non-mechanical prosthetics, patients receiving arms constructed by Protez Hub can develop a wide range of movement. Using myoelectric sensing technology, these arms provide wounded soldiers and civilians with opportunities that people with similar injuries in the past could not have dreamed of. A couple of success stories include that of Ivan, who received enhanced prosthetic components through our joint project and was able to quickly master his prosthetic’s operation. Andriy, who lost his arm near Bakhmut, now has improved elbow control and a receiving case that strengthens the myoelectric signals he sends to his new arm. He underwent rehabilitation to learn how to optimize the functionality of the arm; myoelectric apparatuses are complex and require training to use effectively.

Medical Beds Urgently Needed

Getting urgently needed medical supplies to Ukraine’s most devastated cities and regions is a race against time. Rehab facilities desperately need specialized, state-of-the-art beds for soldiers with devastating injuries. Nova Ukraine has so far delivered 150 Hill-Rom Evolution beds to rehab facilities in cities and regions such as Ternopil', Lutsk, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Bila Tserkva, Lviv, and Khmenytskij. These deliveries have made a critical difference in treating these patients. Why? The beds come already equipped with lifting poles and handrails. These features provide additional support and enable wounded soldiers with external fixation devices or craniocerebral injuries to adjust their seating positions on their own. For patients with amputations, the beds’ advanced functions help them regain some independent ambulation, reducing bedsores and restoring a sense of personal dignity. Last but not least, the independent movement gained by patients takes some of the burden off the shoulders of over-worked healthcare staff. In addition to supplying Hill-Rom beds, Nova Ukraine has provided more than 20 Hill-Rom and Ario mattresses, both considered best in class. At the Thermal Trauma and Plastic Surgery Clinical Center at Vinnytsia Regional Pirogov Clinical Hospital, the delivery of these mattresses has made an almost miraculous difference in patient comfort and care. Because of their wound healing capabilities and even weight distribution, long term burn patients and patients with multiple injuries experience less pain moving in bed and are able to adjust the settings without the aid of staff. This little bit of incremental relief and independence makes a world of difference in the body and spirit of these soldiers.

Nova Ukraine’s Impact Report, March 2023

Message from the Board: Learnings from the 2022 & Priorities for 2023 We’re marking one year and one month since Russia’s brutal full-scale attack on Ukraine. Looking back to where we were one year ago with Nova Ukraine: our operations have grown exponentially over the course of weeks, if not days. Our primary goal was to help as many people in Ukraine as possible, as quickly as possible, knowing that we were saving lives. We had hundreds of volunteers willing to help, but we knew that sheer will was not enough. Achieving our goals required strong organization and operational discipline. With Nova Ukraine’s roots being in Silicon Valley, we turned to technology to help organize our work. Our IT volunteers quickly onboarded us on a modern tech stack, including Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Confluence and a number of other tools.Read the full report here. We made a decision to invest time in adopting Salesforce for our grant processing and donor operations. This investment paid off many times and was one of the key factors for us to sustain through the massive growth. We became much more professional in our operations, established budgets and policies, and turned from being purely reactive to planning ahead.To ensure our finances were spotless, we hired a professional finance team and switched to effective and well-controlled financial instruments. We also hired a Global General Manager and General Manager in Ukraine to run our global and Ukrainian operations. We built a strong organizational structure and solidonboarding process, with background checks for new team members, ensuring the safety and security of our team and operations.None of this happened overnight, and we had to build out our processes while trying to deliver aid to Ukrainians in the critical conditions of war. We made mistakes. We fixed them. We moved on to becomestronger and more mature. I am proud to see the impact the Nova Ukraine team already had, and I want to thank every volunteer, employee, contractor, donor, and supporter for walking this path with us and having trust in us.As we move forward, we remain optimistic about the future ahead. We are committed to helping Ukraine win and supporting Ukraine to become a strong, flourishing nation with an empowered civil society. We believe that our efforts will have a significant impact, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.

Animal Welfare Monthly Summary – March

Continuous support and compassion from our donors has provided help for 1,416 animals, including 1,063 evacuated animals and 302 medical interventions, during the month of March. This brings our animal welfare spending to $833,027, which has reached 89,661 animals since the beginning of the war. Behind every dollar is a muzzle, a wet nose, a tail or a hoof. Here are some highlights from this month: Hatul Madan Animal Shelter Hatul Madan Shelter was born out of necessity following animal evacuations from the de-occupied Kyiv Regions in the spring of 2022. Irpen and Bucha were full of pets and strays that were left behind in the chaos of the evacuations. Together with other groups of volunteers, Hatum Madan ventured into devastated areas, rescuing emaciated and injured animals from locked apartments, yards, and those wandering the streets. Some were lost, others abandoned, but all of them were waiting for someone to rescue them.

Interview with Rodion Bronnikov

Meet Rodion Bronnikov, Regional Coordinator at Nova Ukraine, Kharkiv Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? I’ve always been involved with creative pursuits. I love theater, poetry, literature, music. And film. The family business was organizing youth film festivals and competitions. I led a film club and was a film critic at Planeta Kino, a modern film theater. I also love to travel, I ran my own travel agency for years before working in film. How does the war affect your daily life?

Interview with Iryna Roik

Meet Iryna Roik, PR and Marketing Manager in Ukraine Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war? I was working at an advertising agency. Life was good. I hung out with friends, read books, went to the movies, and dreamed of travels, new experiences, and what was ahead. But after February 24, life as I knew it was gone, and nothing has been the same since. How does the war affect your daily life?

Join Ukrainian Marathon for Freedom!

Ukraine has been running its marathon for freedom and democracy for more than a year.We run as a Nova Ukraine team to help Ukrainians on their way.On Sunday, May 21th, our team of 16 runners will start the Bay to Breakers run in the Embarcadero neighborhood by the San Francisco Bay, and run through nine of the city’s most notable neighborhoods - all the way to the Great Highway, where the breakers crash into Ocean Beach. We want to turn every step into helping to restore destroyed schools in Ukrainian cities and villages. We are running to raise funds for the savED project. Our goal is to collect $16,000.savED is an international charitable foundation that restores access to education in Ukrainian communities which suffered from the war. What they do: Why restore schools now?

Recovery During the War

Recovery During the War - is a program for Ukrainian women and their children who are severely affected by Russian aggression and require psychological rehabilitation. The Vaad of Ukraine, with the financial support of the NOVA UKRAINE Foundation (California, USA), created this program, the first of its kind in Ukraine, in April 2022. During the course of 2022, over 1,140 Ukrainian women and children attended the Recovery During the War program and received psychological support. Currently, more than 6,000 people are waiting to participate in the program. The participants of the project are primarily internally displaced families — those who were forced to leave their homes and evacuate to other regions of Ukraine. These are mostly mothers with children whose husbands died or were seriously injured as a result of hostilities, are in captivity, missing or serving in the Armed Forces in the hostilities area. Program participants stay in a safe mountain area at a tourist boarding house in Prykarpattya for at least three weeks. Qualified therapists work with the participants of the project, who experienced trauma, providing the necessary assistance and supporting them in tragic and difficult circumstances with the help of group, individual, and family therapy. Both adults and children receive appropriate psychological support. The program includes art therapy, yoga, nature hikes, and local trips.

Monthly Summary – February

Continuous support and compassion of our donors has provided help for 4,462 animals, which includes 706 evacuations and 1,125 surgeries during the month of February. This brings our animal welfare spending to $737,837, which has reached 87,224 animals since the beginning of the war. We continue to support preventative veterinary care and shelter improvements to provide more resources to a controlled animal population. This helps avoid needless suffering, prolongs animals’ lives, and creates a healthier animal population overall. Behind every dollar is a muzzle, a wet nose, a tail or a hoof. Here are some highlights from this month: Avelen Animal Center - Odesa:

Nova Ukraine Delivers Monthly Record for Generators to Ukraine

Nova Ukraine Delivers Monthly Record for Generators to Ukraine

This past January 2023, Nova Ukraine and partner Razom for Ukraine delivered 1263 generators to Ukraine, a world record in generator deliveries for Ukraine. Nova Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine began fundraising for critical equipment, such as generators, immediately after the start of the systematic bombardment and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure. The team's biggest challenge was coordinating and executing the delivery of the equipment. On December 20, 2022, in Lviv, Nova Ukraine, and Razom for Ukraine set a goal of delivering 1001 generators to Ukraine within 30 days, including purchase, procurement, and shipment. The total delivered surpasses the target by more than 250 generators. In the absence of reliable electricity after months of shelling, generators are essential items for many hospitals, schools, and other community centers, where refugees and other civilians go for aid. Nova Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine would like to thank their fundraisers, donors, and the thousands of people whose contributions in funding and logistics made this accomplishment possible. Donate. Impact. Change.

Monthly Summary – January

With the continuous support and compassion of our donors, we have been able to evacuate 546 animals, perform 158 surgeries, and help 3,408 animals overall in the first month of 2023. This brings our animal welfare spending to $639,068, which has reached 83,496 animals since the beginning of the war. Behind every dollar is a muzzle, a wet nose, a tail or a hoof. Here are some highlights from this month: ZooHouse - Chernighiv Region

For donors, wartime Ukraine aid creates blurry ethical line

“We’ve had these discussions countless times,” said Igor Markov, a director of the nonprofit Nova Ukraine, about where to draw the line between what aid is humanitarian versus that which supports the active defense — the fighting — in his home country. His Stanford, California-based organization, which delivered some $59 million in aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded a year ago, decided ultimately not to support volunteer fighters. “We realized there’s a significant amount of money that would be ruled out,” he said, pointing to platforms that facilitate matching employee donations, like Benevity, and some companies, like Google, that require nonprofits to promise their aid does not support active fighting as a condition of receiving contributions.

2022 – Withstanding the War. Impact Report.

After Russia's attack on Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians volunteered to help their Motherland. The Nova Ukraine nonprofit stood up to efficiently channel help where needed most by mobilizing Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians worldwide. Over 180,000 people contributed donations totaling over $55M for NU projects. Read full report here. We established a robust network of partners in Ukraine comprising more than 3000 volunteers, distinguished by a spotless reputation and deep connections in Ukrainian cities and villages. Within days, this network started coordinating evacuation efforts and delivering aid to the civilian population in need. Thanks to the support of donors and partners, we were able to assist more than 3 million people in Ukraine by providing them with basic necessities such as food and hygiene products, evacuating them to safety, or providing medical assistance.We kept our operational overhead low by building efficient processes and employing hundreds of highly motivated volunteers. As a result, over 98% of donations went to fund aid, with operational expenses under 2%.Sadly, as we enter 2023, the attacks on civilian buildings and infrastructure continue, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries and affecting millions. We remain committed to our efforts to save lives and provide humanitarian relief. At the same time, we aim to support the Ukrainian people striving toward a prosperous, democratic nation with a strong and flourishing civil society. Our goal is to empower them to realize their aspirations, and work alongside them to create a brighter future for all. Donate. Impact. Change. We greatly value your support, and it is indeed crucial. Please consider donating monthly. Your consistent contributions are vital to sustaining our efforts and driving meaningful change over time. Your commitment will make a lasting difference, and we sincerely appreciate your consideration. Donate now or learn how you can help.

World-First Interactive Website Documents the True Destruction of Ukraine | LBBOnline