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From January to June 2026, Nova Ukraine provided new tools and training for the rescue workers who save lives in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine. In partnership with Ukrainian Firefighters, a charity providing funding, training, and expertise to Ukraine first responders, Nova Ukraine provided rescue teams with a new course in all-terrain driving, preparing them to reach and help victims of Russian attacks with maximum success. Nova Ukraine also donated 400 state-of-the-art firehoses to fire departments across the country, equipping teams to address the destruction caused by Russian attacks and develop effective rescue strategies that will serve the people of Ukraine for years to come. All-Terrain Training for Rapid Response Teams Rescuers from the State Emergency Service came together for hands-on training in the all-terrain and hazardous driving skills necessary to safely protect, rescue, and care for victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Attendees included teams from the Main Mobile Rescue Center of Rapid Response, as well as Mobile Rescue Centers in Sumy, Odesa, and Donetsk-Luhansk.

How our Children’s Cars program is making train travel more comfortable for Ukraine’s youngest passengers. Picture a train car late at night: windows blacked out, lights off, engines hushed, amid relentless shelling in the distance. In the dark, a child grips a parent's hand, trying to make sense of a trip no kid should have to take. It's meant to be a journey toward safety. But for Ukraine's littlest riders, it doesn’t always feel that way. The truth is, it's only gotten harder to feel safe. According to US News & World Report, attacks on Ukraine's railway climbed sharply in 2025, more than doubling to two or three strikes a week (and by some official counts, closer to ten), as Russia's drones have grown more precise and harder to evade. Yet with skies closed to passenger flights since 2022, trains remain a lifeline for families. Whether evacuating, reuniting with a dad on leave, or just taking a family trip, every journey carries a little more uncertainty than it used to.Now Nova Ukraine is making those train rides less stressful for kids and their parents. Meet Children’s Cars

How We’re Helping Communities Get First Aid Training This Fall September means something different depending on where you live. In the US, it’s all about back-to-school shopping and back-to-work energy, a shared reset after summer. But in Ukraine, where the same seasonal shift is underway, preparation goes far beyond backpacks and planners. As colder weather sets in (winter temps as low as Chicago’s), families are bracing for more shelling of civilian areas, attacks that cause power outages, food shortages, and devastating civilian casualties. Four years into this war, those casualties are still climbing. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the first half of 2026 alone brought 1,396 civilian deaths and 7,978 injuries—a 37% increase over the same period last year. Homes, playgrounds, and businesses have all been hit, often before medical teams can reach the scene. In those first critical minutes, it’s whoever’s already there—a kid, neighbor, coworker, or parent—who can make the difference. In these moments, first aid knowledge saves lives. We’re helping to make sure everyone has the first aid skills they need.

“Nova Ukraine's new Vector of Resilience joint pilot project helps Ukraine's veteran support specialists address burnout and secondary traumatic stress.” The program's first residential trainings, launched by Nova Ukraine and its partners, were recently held in Ukraine's Volyn Oblast. Mariia, a support specialist, almost didn't attend. Leaving the veterans and families she supported for three days filled her with guilt she couldn't shake. She worried about how they would manage without her. But when she found herself among psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals, and community specialists who shared the same responsibilities, something changed.

A photo of a memory board created by Zmistovno students in Odesa, July 2026 Thirty-five years ago, on August 24, Ukraine restored its independence. Today, Ukrainians defend and strengthen it every single day. The United States and Ukraine are separated by geography and history, but united by the belief that people have the right to live freely and determine their own future. In July, Ambassador Erin E. McKee traveled to Odesa and Mykolaiv to meet the people and organizations living that belief: Ukrainians leading recovery in their own communities, supported by partnerships that last.

Author Matt Salter Nova Ukraine is dedicating funds to a vital and often underserved medical necessity in conflict areas: acoustic trauma. In partnership with Pivnyk Charitable Foundation, this new program will train Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctors in Ukraine to treat hearing loss and ear injuries. Why Hearing Restoration Is Critical An estimated 60% of people injured in combat zones suffer acoustic trauma, hearing loss, or both. Ukrainian troops and civilians throughout the country suffer acoustic injuries. Without proper treatment, the pain and sensory loss of such injuries can last a lifetime.