Prometheus: Bringing Ukrainian Defense Innovation to Capitol Hill

Published: October 16, 2026

At Razom’s Washington, D.C., office, Ukrainian innovators and American policymakers explored the technologies reshaping modern security and the opportunities for deeper U.S.-Ukraine cooperation.

Ukraine’s experience defending itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion is transforming how the world understands modern warfare. Ukrainian engineers, trainers, and innovators are developing and adapting technologies at remarkable speed, drawing on lessons learned directly from the front lines. These innovations have implications far beyond Ukraine, offering important insights into the future of unmanned systems, emerging security threats, and international defense cooperation.

To bring that expertise directly to American decision-makers, Razom for Ukraine’s Advocacy Team convened and hosted Prometheus, an interactive defense innovation showcase at its Capitol Hill office in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

Organized in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), Liberty Ukraine, Accshellerator, Ukraine’s Boryviter Centre of Excellence, and Truth Hounds, the event welcomed more than 100 congressional staffers, executive branch officials, national security experts, and Ukrainian innovators.

“Out of necessity, Ukrainian engineers have developed inexpensive technologies that are being deployed in weeks, challenging weapons systems worth millions of dollars. Ukraine is at the forefront of this transformation, and the United States has much to learn from its experience. One of Razom’s central objectives was to build support for a formal U.S.-Ukraine working group to facilitate cooperation on unmanned systems,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Razom Advocacy.

A Hands-On Look at Ukrainian Innovation

Prometheus gave participants an opportunity to experience Ukrainian technology firsthand and speak with the people developing and using it. Guests took the controls of first-person-view (FPV) drone simulators, examined Ukrainian drone models, explored battlefield logistics software, and learned about rapidly evolving technologies designed to counter unmanned threats. The demonstrations illustrated how quickly Ukraine’s innovation ecosystem has evolved under the pressures of war.

Ukrainian engineers, entrepreneurs, and frontline professionals have developed ways to adapt relatively inexpensive technologies to challenges traditionally addressed by far more costly systems. In some cases, technologies can be modified and deployed in weeks, or even days, to meet rapidly changing needs.

For the American policymakers in attendance, the opportunity to engage directly with Ukrainian innovators brought those developments into sharper focus. The showcase created space for technical questions, practical demonstrations, and conversations about what Ukraine’s experience can teach its international partners.

What Ukraine’s Experience Means for Global Security

A fireside conversation featuring Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Shashank Joshi of The Economist explored the broader implications of Ukraine’s experience for the future of warfare and American security.

As unmanned technologies evolve, Ukraine’s experience offers insights into how quickly security challenges can change and how institutions can adapt to emerging threats. The discussion reinforced one of the event’s central themes: Ukraine’s knowledge and experience can make a meaningful contribution to its partnerships with the United States. Ukraine has become an important source of practical expertise in unmanned systems, and sustained cooperation offers both countries opportunities to learn from that experience.

From Innovation to Lasting Cooperation

Prometheus also highlighted an opportunity to translate these exchanges into more structured collaboration: H.R. 9550, the Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act, proposes strengthening U.S.-Ukraine cooperation in the development, production, and acquisition of next-generation unmanned systems. The proposal reflects the broader policy conversation surrounding the showcase: how the United States and Ukraine can build on Ukraine’s technological expertise through sustained cooperation.

For Razom’s Advocacy team, bringing Ukrainian experts into direct conversation with American policymakers is an important part of that process. The team connects decision-makers with credible information, Ukrainian perspectives, and opportunities for policy engagement.

Keeping Ukrainian Expertise at the Center

The success of Prometheus depended on the expertise and collaboration of many partners.

Razom extends special thanks to the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States and Chargé d’Affaires Denys Sienik for participating, and to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Liberty Ukraine, Accshellerator, Boryviter Centre of Excellence, and Truth Hounds for helping bring the showcase together.

We are also grateful to the Ukrainian engineers, trainers, and innovators who shared their knowledge and demonstrated technologies shaped by years of extraordinary challenges.

The event represents one part of Razom’s broader commitment to strengthening understanding of Ukraine in Washington and supporting relationships that recognize Ukraine’s experience, capabilities, and leadership.

Thanks to Razom’s supporters, we can continue bringing Ukrainian expertise to the people and institutions shaping important decisions, helping create opportunities for deeper understanding and lasting partnerships.

Razom for Ukraine: You Cannot Put America First While Buying Russian Diesel

Published: October 9, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Razom for Ukraine: You Cannot Put America First While Buying Russian Diesel

Washington, D.C., October 9, 2026 — Razom for Ukraine expresses its unequivocal opposition to President Trump’s decision to allow nearly 5 million tons of Russian diesel to enter the American and global market. “Every dollar America spends on Russian diesel is a dollar that Putin uses to kill Ukrainians in hospitals, schools, and shelters,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Advocacy at Razom.

Just three weeks ago, the President signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act to pressure other countries to end their dependence on Russian energy. Today’s decision undermines that effort, runs counter to the President’s stated goal of ending the war, and defies the bipartisan intent of that bill.

“Instead of increasing pressure on Russia’s energy sector, President Trump’s announcement is giving the Russian dictator an economic lifeline as his forces falter on the battlefield,” added Daniel Balson.

“The American people across the political spectrum support more economic pressure on Russia. According to the February 2026 Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, 66% of Americans say President Trump should impose further economic sanctions on Russia. You cannot put America first while buying Russian diesel.

Yesterday, Russia bombed two buses in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, killing 33 people. The day before, Russia bombed an apartment building in Pryluky, killing 22, including children. Russian oil money bankrolls these crimes. President Trump says he wants to save lives. The decision to buy Russian diesel undercuts that goal,” said Balson.

Razom for Ukraine calls on President Trump to rescind this decision and urges members of Congress to explore every available legislative and oversight mechanism to reverse it.

The Headlines Feel Familiar. What’s Happening in Ukraine Is Getting Worse.

Published: October 1, 2026

“Now, new jet-powered Shaheds are so fast that even the Telegram channels you rely on can’t warn you in time,” Hanna, Operations Manager for Razom’s mental health program, shares. “Before, there were a few hours of quiet. Now, non-stop exhaustion without sleep affects everything.”

Every day across Ukraine, people are still going to work, taking care of their families, running businesses, teaching children, treating patients, and helping their communities through another day of war. This is what keeps the country functioning, even as the conditions around them become increasingly difficult.

After more than four years of full-scale war, another headline about an attack on Ukraine can be easy to scroll past. Some of our colleagues have even heard people abroad ask whether the war is still going on.

The reality is the opposite of a war fading away. In the first eight months of 2026, the UN recorded more civilian casualties in Ukraine than during all of 2025.

But numbers tell only part of the story. What can look from abroad like another week of “war in Ukraine” is, in everyday life, a humanitarian crisis that reaches far beyond the front line. A destroyed business means more than a damaged building. A strike on a medical warehouse means supplies may never reach the patients waiting for them. When a school, hospital, communications network, or workplace is hit, the consequences continue long after the attack disappears from the news.

At Razom, we see those consequences through our own colleagues, grantees, and partners across Ukraine. They are treating patients, delivering aid, supporting communities, running organizations, and building for the future while navigating the same attacks as everyone around them. And over the past weeks, doing that work has become even harder.

The people behind the headlines

Kyiv has faced repeated attacks throughout September. On September 25, a Russian strike hit the Compass FM business center during the workday. Among those killed was journalist Mariia Ivzhenko, the wife of Danylo Ivzhenko, who is currently serving with Ukraine’s Third Army Corps. We know Danylo through his work with Razom on tourniquet training and other medical education initiatives in Ukraine. He is trained to save lives on the front line, yet this war reached his own family far from it. In a public post after Mariia’s death, Danylo shared that they had recently bought an apartment and were planning to start a family this winter. Our deepest condolences go to Danylo, Mariia’s family, and everyone who knew and loved her.

Three days later, on September 28, Russian attacks hit two more places at the center of civilian life in Kyiv. A Russian drone struck the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, killing people while they were at work inside. Later that day, another strike hit a Dobrobut medical center, damaging the clinic and injuring patients and staff.

A scientific institution. A medical center. A business. Homes, schools, warehouses, and communications infrastructure. These are not places on a distant front line. They are the places where Ukrainians work, learn, receive care, and try to live their lives.

For our colleagues in Kyiv, these are not distant news stories. They are people they know, streets they travel, workplaces they pass, and neighborhoods where their families and friends live.

The growing pressure on Ukrainian businesses

There is another part of this story that receives less attention: the growing pressure on the businesses and infrastructure that keep Ukraine functioning.

In August, the UN documented 32 attacks against facilities belonging to six major Ukrainian food, retail, and logistics companies, nearly three times the number recorded in July. Warehouses and distribution centers have been damaged, disrupting the systems Ukrainians depend on for food, deliveries, jobs, and everyday services.

For Razom, we see another consequence through our partners on the ground.

Ukrainian businesses have been important donors to civil society organizations providing essential relief and recovery services in their communities. Our partners are telling us that as businesses are hit and lose revenue, some of that support is disappearing too, putting funding for critical programs under pressure.

A damaged business affects its employees and their families, the local economy, the organizations it supports, and ultimately the people who depend on those organizations.

The same is true for humanitarian and medical infrastructure. In only three months this summer, airstrikes destroyed three warehouses used by the World Health Organization, including a Dnipro facility where half of the medical supplies and equipment intended to support approximately 225,000 people in frontline and hard-to-reach communities were lost. At least 20 attacks have affected warehouses storing humanitarian supplies in Ukraine so far this year.

This is what a humanitarian crisis looks like beyond the immediate moment of an attack: the systems designed to help people survive and recover are themselves placed under enormous pressure.

Oleshky: Hell on Earth Under Russian Occupation

The pressure on civilian life is not limited to the cities and infrastructure being hit by Russian attacks. In Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, the same humanitarian crisis has reached an extreme.

Civilians, including children, are trapped without sufficient food, medicine, medical care, running water, or electricity. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that residents face a high risk of death and called for humanitarian access and safe evacuation.

With conventional humanitarian access severely restricted, Ukrainian defenders are still trying to reach those trapped there. In one recent operation, Ukrainian forces used drones to deliver around four tons of food and medicine to 100 locations across Oleshky.

Oleshky shows the humanitarian catastrophe Russia’s war and occupation have created in its most extreme form: people cut off from the basic conditions they need to survive. And it is happening right now, alongside the attacks on homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, and infrastructure across Ukraine.

This is what gets lost when all of it becomes simply “the war in Ukraine.”

Ukrainians are still doing the work

And still, life continues. Doctors go to work after sleepless nights. Businesses reopen after attacks. Teachers keep classrooms running, volunteers keep aid moving, and communities continue taking care of one another. But Ukrainians should not be expected to endlessly adapt to destruction. Resilience is not protection, and it cannot replace the support people need to keep going.

For Razom, that is why responding to the immediate crisis and investing in Ukraine’s future have always been connected. We help provide urgent humanitarian and medical support while strengthening the people, organizations, and communities that will carry Ukraine forward.

The international community has tools to act. The recently enacted Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act gives the United States additional authorities to increase economic pressure on Russia and those helping finance its war. These tools must be used to their fullest extent. Contact your representatives in Congress and urge them to call on the White House to increase pressure on Russia and ensure continued support for Ukraine.

Ukrainians are already doing the work: saving lives, keeping businesses open, caring for their communities, and building a future in Ukraine. What they need now is not for the world to admire their resilience, but to stand behind it.

Join us. Support Ukraine.

Razom Applauds Final Passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia & Iran Act

Published: September 17, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Razom Applauds Final Passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia & Iran Act

Washington, D.C., September 16, 2026 — Razom is grateful to every member of Congress who supported the bipartisan Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, an important step toward strengthening Ukraine and increasing pressure on Moscow.

“The bipartisan passage of this bill is nothing short of momentous,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine. “This is the first piece of stand-alone, pro-Ukraine legislation to make it through Congress in two years. It comes as Russian officials move towards full-scale mobilization and intensify their bombing campaign against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. This bill sends an unmistakable message: for so long as Putin continues to inflict suffering on Ukraine, Congress will continue to impose consequences on Putin.”

“The measures contained in this bill will hit Putin where it hurts most. They will strike at the heart of his war machine, weaken his economy, and target those who continue to bankroll the Kremlin by importing Russian energy,” added Balson. “Countries around the world have a choice: they can finance Putin’s war or they can enjoy access to the U.S. market but not both.”

The House passage followed an overwhelming 86–11 vote in the Senate. Together, these bipartisan votes reflect a broad demand from Americans across the political spectrum for stronger U.S. sanctions and greater pressure on Putin’s murderous regime.

“The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act provides the administration with a powerful set of tools to save lives in Ukraine,” said Daniel Balson. “We encourage President Trump to swiftly sign this bill into law and move quickly to make full use of the new tools at his disposal.”

###

Razom for Ukraine Applauds Senate Passage of Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Calls on House to Act Without Delay

Published: August 7, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Razom for Ukraine Applauds Senate Passage of Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Calls on House to Act Without Delay

Washington, D.C., August 7, 2026 —Today, a bipartisan supermajority of Senators passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which targets Russia’s financial sector and puts a substantial pressure on Moscow and its enablers to end the brutal war against Ukraine. We are grateful to every Senator who supported this critical legislation.

“This marks the second piece of pro-Ukraine legislation to pass a chamber of Congress in just over two months,” said Daniel Balson, Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine. “Ukraine’s battlefield successes have injected new urgency into Congress, while Putin’s relentless attacks on civilians have hardened its resolve. The House must now meet the moment by passing this bill and sending it to President Trump’s desk for signature.”

“The strong bipartisan support for this bill is a fitting tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who devoted years to supporting Ukraine as it bravely resisted Putin’s war machine. We are glad to see senators from both parties ready to take up the torch in the fight for freedom and democracy.”

Americans across the political spectrum have consistently supported stronger sanctions on Russia. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act answers that bipartisan demand by providing a comprehensive set of tools to weaken Russia’s economy while extending sanctions on Iran — a key military partner of the Kremlin that has also attacked U.S. troops in the Middle East.

“Putin should be under no illusion: the longer he continues his illegal war, the higher the cost he will face. We thank President Trump for publicly backing this legislation. Ukraine’s many supporters across the country now expect Congress to finish the job and make this bill law,” said Daniel Balson.

###

Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org

Patriot Production License for Ukraine Will Save Lives and Help End the War

Published: July 8, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Razom for Ukraine: Patriot Production License for Ukraine Will Save Lives and Help End the War

Washington, D.C., July 8, 2026 — Today, President Trump announced that the United States will authorize licensed production of Patriot interceptors in Ukraine—a landmark decision that will save lives, strengthen U.S. interests, and help bring Russia’s war to an end.

“President Trump stands on the right side of history. He stands with the winners. And this is a win-win for both Ukraine and the United States,” said Melinda Haring, Senior Advisor at Razom for Ukraine. “Licensed production will allow Ukraine to better defend its people without drawing down existing U.S. stockpiles.”

“Russia is losing on the battlefield and sustaining increasingly humiliating deep strikes against the oil infrastructure that fuels its war machine. Putin’s remaining tool is terror: ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities designed to kill civilians and break the country’s will.”

While producing Patriots would give Ukraine a strong shield for tomorrow, it also needs ammunition for tonight. A sustained, uninterrupted flow of interceptors through existing programs is crucial to fulfill an urgent need for air defense to protect civilians in Ukraine as Russia attacks their homes on a daily basis.

“Ukrainians are winners. They have repeatedly demonstrated their ingenuity and ability to rapidly master advanced technologies under wartime conditions. We urge President Trump and his administration to immediately implement the licensing agreement, and maintain the flow of existing Patriot interceptors to Ukraine while domestic production ramps up,” said Melinda Haring.

###

Razom for Ukraine Launches Inaugural I’mmortal / Безсмертні Fellowship

Published: July 1, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2026
Razom for Ukraine Launches Inaugural I’mmortal / Безсмертні Fellowship
Five Transatlantic Arts-in-Health Partnerships to Gather at Wesleyan University This Fall

New York, NY – Today Razom for Ukraine announced the inaugural cohort of the I’mmortal / Безсмертні Fellowship, Razom’s first Arts-in-Health program, developed in partnership with Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts. Drawing from 35 applications submitted by NGOs, cultural collectives, artists, clinicians, and institutional partners across Ukraine and the United States, a selection committee of field experts chose five cross-border partnerships to co-develop projects using creative practice to transform mental health, physical rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Each partnership receives an implementation grant of up to $10,000 and full residency support for a week-long in-person gathering at Wesleyan University, November 2–7, 2026, culminating in a public Capstone Showcase on November 7th in Middletown, Connecticut.

The fellowship is built on a foundational recognition: Ukraine is currently a vital frontier for innovations in trauma recovery. The I’mmortal program matches artists and healers with institutional partners, including hospitals, universities, veterans’ centers, and NGOs, to develop collaborative projects that neither partner could conceive or execute alone. The long-term goal is that projects piloted in 2026 will move into full implementation in Ukraine in 2027.

“Art has always been how people make meaning and take care of communities in the hardest moments,” said Theodora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine. “The I’mmortal Fellowship exists to put that idea into practice, across borders, and at the highest level of attention.”

“Where science maps the trauma, the arts map our humanity, providing the truth and wisdom needed to heal,” said Katja Kolcio, Chair of the Dance Department and Professor of Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University. “By bringing these extraordinary Ukrainian and American partners to Wesleyan, we are moving creative practice from the margins of healthcare straight to the center, proving that cultural expression is a critical, rigorous pillar of health, community resilience, and our collective capacity to build a better world.”

THE 2026 COHORT

GATHERING AROUND THE FIRE: ARTS, HEALING, AND RESILIENCE

Jessica Hecht / Alexandra Zaslav / The Campfire Project (New York, NY) x Mariana Ivanovych / Marcin Piotrowski / Folkowisko Ukraine (Nahachiv, Lviv region)

Therapeutic arts programming for children and youth in Western Ukraine, bringing together local and displaced populations to process war trauma, build resilience, and strengthen community through daily creative practice in dance, visual art, theater, and music, delivered through a trauma-informed, culturally adaptive framework. A parallel practitioner training strand, drawing on resources from the WHO and Jameel Arts and Health Lab, equips local educators and aid workers with tools they can sustain independently.

ARTSCAPES OF CARE: COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS & TOOLKIT

Nathalie Robelot-Timtchenko / Oleksandra Kliushnova / Joanna Wroblewska / First Aid of the Soul (Kyiv / Washington, D.C.) x Kerry Kincy (Middletown, CT) x Dr. Midori Samson (Lawrence, KS)

Trauma-informed, arts-based workshops for artists, community healers, educators, and mental health practitioners in the Lviv region, integrating soundscapes and deep listening, movement, visual storytelling, and embodied creative practice. The project will produce a replicable toolkit for Ukrainian organizations to continue and adapt the work independently.

RHYTHM AS REGULATION

Yekaterina Chizayeva (New Orleans, LA) x Kateryna Taranova (Kyiv/Lviv/Slavsko)

A transnational methodology exchange investigating how rhythm, through music, dance, voice, and body-based practice, can support nervous system regulation, reduce anxiety symptoms, and aid recovery from sensory disorientation caused by war-related sonic exposure. Two intensive methodology labs, one in Slavsko, Ukraine and one in New Orleans, bring together U.S. and Ukrainian artists to develop and prototype shared, cross-cultural protocols.

“ME – THE OTHER”: INCLUSIVE THEATRE & NARRATIVE RESTORATION INITIATIVE

Deb Gottesman / The Theatre Lab – Life Stories Institute (Washington, D.C.) x Yuliia Vintoniv / Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv)

An inclusive theatre initiative bringing together people with congenital and acquired disabilities, including those with war-related injuries, alongside students and community members to create original dramatic work from lived experience. The Theatre Lab’s over twenty years of autobiographical theatre practice meets Yuliia Vintoniv’s expertise in disability-inclusive education at Ukrainian Catholic University, with a pilot university course launching in 2027.

MOVING, IMAGINING, AND UNBROKEN

Román Baca / Exit12 Dance Company (New York, NY) x Alina Spas / Dr. Brendan Bo O’Connor / Imagination Lab (Albany, NY) x Dr. Yuliia Rozmyrska / Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University (Lutsk)

A co-authored dance and movement program designed specifically for Ukrainian combat veterans, wounded and non-wounded alike, that integrates Exit12’s proven trauma-informed methodology with surrealism-based visual arts practice. The program is not an export of an American model but a genuine co-authorship, adapted entirely for Ukraine’s cultural moment and the realities of its combatants. Pilot workshops will be conducted in the New York area before full implementation in Ukraine in 2027.

ABOUT RAZOM FOR UKRAINE

Razom for Ukraine (which means “together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S.-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that works to build a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. The organization operates across program areas including humanitarian aid, health, advocacy, and cultural initiatives, addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery. Through Razom Connect, Razom positions culture as a vital part of its mission alongside humanitarian aid and advocacy, demonstrating that cultural visibility is essential to global understanding and solidarity.

ABOUT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts integrates world-class venues with a dedicated team of curators, producers, and technicians to advance creative practice as foundational to a liberal arts education. By bringing global artists into a dynamic relationship with the campus, the Center for the Arts supports critical research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and experimentation. At Wesleyan, the arts serve as an essential form of inquiry, teaching, and public engagement, cultivating bold thinkers who value embodied experience and community connection.

PRESS CONTACT

Rachel Shuey

rachel.shuey@razomforukraine.org

706-399-3333

razomforukraine.org

Razom, Esper Bionics, and Ukrainian clinical partners launch a new initiative to expand access to advanced prosthetic care in Ukraine

Published: May 27, 2026

Razom, Esper Bionics, and Ukrainian clinical partners
launch a new initiative to expand access to advanced prosthetic care in Ukraine

Razom for Ukraine, Esper Bionics, and Ukrainian clinical partners are launching a new initiative to expand access to advanced prosthetic care for people living with limb loss in Ukraine.

This project is about helping people regain independence, dignity, confidence, and a path back to daily life — while also strengthening Ukraine’s prosthetics ecosystem for the future.

At the center of the initiative are the patients themselves: Ukrainians whose lives have been changed by injury and who are rebuilding their futures as they return to work, family life, and community participation. “The program is designed to support people through a full pathway of care, from assessment and fitting to adaptation and follow-up, so that the prosthesis becomes part of long-term recovery rather than a one-time intervention.” said Dmytro Gazda, CEO of Esper Bionics.

The initiative also reflects the strength and ingenuity already present in Ukraine. Esper Bionics, a Ukrainian company developing advanced bionic prosthetics, brings technical innovation to the project. Ukrainian clinical partners bring the medical expertise and rehabilitation support needed to help patients integrate these devices into everyday life.

Razom’s role, as public health implementation expert, is to connect donor resources, clinical providers, and patients into coherent projects that work inside Ukraine’s public health system. We standardize how partners coordinate, stay compliant with national health regulations, and report results, ensuring each project strengthens the system rather than running parallel to it.

“This project is about helping people get back to their lives, while also showing that Ukraine is building modern recovery pathways under extraordinary conditions,” said Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom. “It is a bridge between the US and Ukraine, connecting resources, expertise, and legitimacy with Ukrainian innovation, talent, and resilience.”

The project is also being built with sustainability in mind. Razom is working to ensure that the initiative complements, not replaces, Ukraine’s existing government support system, with careful attention to patient eligibility, continuity of care, and long-term access to state assistance.

Through this partnership, the initiative aims to show what is possible when patient needs, public health implementation expertise, and Ukrainian innovation come together. It is a story of recovery, systems-building, and partnership — and a reminder that what is being created in Ukraine today can help shape recovery and rehabilitation far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

About Razom

Razom is a leading U.S.-based nonprofit organization working to build a secure, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine. Founded in 2014, Razom (“together” in Ukrainian) supports urgent needs in Ukraine while investing in long-term solutions across health, civil society, advocacy, and culture. As Ukraine’s future has global implications, Razom strengthens trauma care systems, supports local leaders and communities, and connects Ukraine to the world.

About Esper Bionics

Esper Bionics is a Ukrainian company developing advanced bionic prosthetic solutions designed to restore function, independence, and quality of life for people living with limb loss.

About the clinical partners

Ukrainian clinical partners are helping make this initiative possible by providing the medical expertise, rehabilitation support, and patient care needed for successful prosthetic fitting and adaptation.

Press Contact:Iryna Gudyma
iryna.gudyma@razom.org

“Bring Kids Back”: 20,000 Teddy Bears Installed on National Mall to Highlight Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children

Published: April 24, 2026

“Bring Kids Back”: 20,000 Teddy Bears Installed on National Mall to Highlight Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children

Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, April 23, Razom for Ukraine installed a 230-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall fence on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., covered with 20,000 teddy bears. Each plush toy represents a Ukrainian child abducted by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The installation, titled “Bring Kids Back,” was created over five days (Friday through Tuesday) by more than 50 volunteers, with over 120 volunteers involved in total. The display featured white, brown, maroon, and red teddy bears. Maroon and red bears formed a message reading: “Putin abducted 20,000 Ukrainian children. Bring Kids Back.”

In addition to organizers Razom for Ukraine and its partner American Coalition for Ukraine, the installation was attended by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2), and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

Because the return of abducted children is a sensitive issue and publicizing details may endanger ongoing rescue efforts, organizers used a symbolic approach to tell their stories.

“Because the return of stolen children is such a sensitive matter, and because publicizing details about children who remain missing can endanger rescue efforts, we searched for a symbolic way to tell their stories. That’s why we chose a teddy bear, a universal symbol of childhood. Each teddy bear represents one child abducted by Russia, and there are 20,000 of them behind me. These are the children that we know were stolen. But how many others are there? The real number of abducted children could be as high as 200,000 kids. And in that case, the installation would span from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument,”
— Katya Pavlevych, Advisor on Children’s Issues, Razom for Ukraine

“Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has already returned more than 2,000 kids. These 2,000 are living witnesses who say they were forced to forget their identity, their names, where they come from, and that they had families. They were forced to build a new identity. But I am absolutely confident that all Ukrainian children will come back.”
— Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S.

“I met four teenagers who had been in captivity, taken from battlefields and towns that had been destroyed—kids who lost both parents. Somehow, they were able to get cell phones and call their grandmothers from inside Russia. People would cross enemy lines to bring those kids back. I will always go back to President Zelensky’s words on the first day of the invasion: ‘We are here.’ With this installation of 20,000 teddy bears, we say again: we are here.”
— Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

“What Putin is doing to tens of thousands of children—more than 20,000—is a war crime. That is why I am working on a bipartisan bill in Congress to declare Vladimir Putin a war criminal if he does not return those children. I will take this teddy bear with me when I return to Ukraine in May for my 11th trip.

We need sanctions. We need military aid. We need economic assistance. America must do its part. And I call on the president: do your job. Stand for democracy. Stand with Ukraine.”
— Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

“As a father of five, I cannot imagine my children being subjected to this kind of evil. This is why I introduced a resolution calling for any ceasefire agreement to include the return of abducted children. I also introduced bipartisan legislation calling for targeted sanctions on anyone dealing in Russian oil. We must make Russia pay for its crimes.”

“Putin’s plan goes far beyond Ukraine. They are preparing children for a war with NATO itself.”
— Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10)

“To kidnap children in the middle of a military conflict is a blatant violation of human rights law and international humanitarian law. It is a war crime, and if done intentionally to destroy a people, it is evidence of genocide. We are calling on everyone of conscience across America and in the administration to take action today to bring Ukraine’s children home.”
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8)

“The kidnapping of Ukrainian children by war criminal Putin is the same as the kidnapping of Polish children by Hitler. We must all work together to put an end to it.”
— Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2)

“This is not a side effect of war. It is a deliberate strategy of cultural annihilation. The International Criminal Court has recognized it, the world has recognized it, and yet these children are still not home. Their return is non-negotiable.”
— Marianna Tretiak, Chair, American Coalition for Ukraine

The installation is intended to travel to other U.S. cities and events, with additional requests already received from partner organizations.

Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and serving as a leading advocate for continued U.S. support for Ukraine. For additional information, please contact our media advisors: Kateryna Lisunova at kateryna.lisunova@razomforukraine.org or +1 (347) 421-1755, or Ostap Yarysh at ostap.yarysh@razom.org or +1 (202) 560-2282.

Pro-Ukraine Organization Puts Up Billboard in Brownsville Calling Out Rep. Gonzalez for Meeting with Russian War Criminals

Published: April 13, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2026

Pro-Ukraine Organization Puts Up Billboard in Brownsville Calling Out Rep. Gonzalez for Meeting with Russian War Criminals

Washington, D.C. — Razom for Ukraine, a U.S. non-profit organization that advocates for greater U.S. support for Ukraine, placed a Spanish-language billboard on the intersection of International Blvd and Van Buren Street in Brownsville, TX to call on Rep. Vicente Gonzalez to publicly explain his decision to meet Russian legislators on March 26. As the only member of the Democratic party present, he gave the illusion of bipartisan legitimacy to a meeting with members of Russia’s parliament who have championed the Kremlin’s war of aggression and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

“We expect this from fringe radicals,” said Mykola Murskyj, Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine, “but Representative Gonzalez’s presence did severe damage to Democratic solidarity for Ukraine and could be seen to legitimize a regime that has helped Iran kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Fellow Democrats should be demanding answers from his office about his decision to shake hands with these war criminals.” With 77% of Americans supporting stronger sanctions on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, not détente, Rep. Gonzalez and the other representatives present have proven themselves to be out of step with U.S. public opinion.

“Anyone who says that it’s always appropriate to have a conversation with an adversary doesn’t understand Russia’s propaganda machine,” continued Murskyj. “This decision handed Russian operatives a propaganda victory by lending a veneer of bipartisanship to a meeting with officials tied to the war. The Russian legislators came to advance the Kremlin’s aims, including gathering intelligence. They did not come to engage in dialogue or pursue peace. Russia uses meetings like this to divide allies, weaken sanctions, and advance its war effort.”

Tens of millions of Americans who support Ukraine will continue to use all resources available to demand answers from Rep. Gonzalez and any other U.S. officials who legitimize Russia’s campaign of violence against Ukraine.

###