“Between Minutes and Eternity”: How a Stabilization Point Functions in War

Published: July 9, 2026

Our team visited a stabilization point near the front line — less than 20 kilometers from active combat zones. This is where wounded soldiers are brought after evacuation, and where medics work in a reality where only minutes often stand between life and death. We spoke with a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and the medical team working there every day about what a stabilization point really looks like from the inside, why time remains the greatest challenge of this war, how telemedicine is saving lives under fire, and what the phrase “the golden hour” truly means on the modern battlefield.

Time That Does Not Exist: Evacuation and the Limits of Medicine

A stabilization point in war is not a hospital in the usual sense, nor simply an intermediate link between the battlefield and a hospital. It is a place where medicine functions under conditions in which time has already been lost — or nearly lost — and decisions must be made faster than normal human psychology allows. It is here that a wounded soldier who has been evacuated from the battlefield first reaches a team capable not only of stopping critical bleeding or relieving pain, but of stabilizing the patient enough to survive the next stage — transport, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation.

Anesthesiologist Dmytro, who works at a stabilization point, speaks about his work without romanticizing it. There is no pathos in his words, although the reality he describes is stronger than any pathos. What troubles him most is not the complexity of injuries or the exhaustion of the team, but the fact that sometimes wounded soldiers cannot be evacuated from the battlefield in time. “The thing that upsets me the most is the inability to evacuate a wounded person from the battlefield in time,” he explains. “We know the person is wounded, we are ready, we have the conditions necessary to provide care, but sometimes evacuation from the battlefield either takes a very long time or does not happen at all.”

Military medicine often speaks about the “golden hour” — the critical period after injury during which the chance of survival is highest. But in this war, especially on certain sections of the front line, that formula does not always work. The doctor describes it almost bitterly: “As they say — the golden hour. For us, it’s a golden week.” There were cases when wounded soldiers remained in positions for too long, while medics could support them only remotely: dropping antibiotics by drone, consulting on what medications to administer, how to dilute them, what to do until evacuation became possible.

This is where one of the key realities of modern frontline medicine becomes visible: the problem is not always the absence of specialists, medications, or skills. Very often, the problem is that between the wounded soldier and the doctor lies the battlefield itself — drones, artillery, destroyed roads, weather, the absence of safe evacuation routes, and constant danger for evacuation teams. That is why a stabilization point works not only with the wounded body, but also with the consequences of delays that medicine itself cannot control.

Under these conditions, telemedicine stops being a modern buzzword from presentations and becomes a practical survival tool. Doctors consult combat medics and soldiers remotely, sometimes effectively directing care in real time. “We called and explained what to do: how to bandage, where to apply pressure, where to pack the wound,” recalls surgeon Yevhen. In one case, according to him, remote guidance made it possible to remove tourniquets, control bleeding, and save a limb. This does not replace evacuation and does not eliminate the need for surgery, but sometimes such remote support gives a person a chance to survive until help arrives.

Working at the Edge: Stabilization, Decisions, and Responsibility

When the wounded finally arrive at the stabilization point, the team must act quickly, but not mechanically. Stabilization is not a chaotic set of actions, nor an automatic process of “stitching someone up and sending them onward.” It is a complex process in which every step depends on the patient’s condition: whether the person is in shock, hypothermic, suffering from massive blood loss, whether blood pressure is stable, whether the body can tolerate intervention. “A soldier arrives soaked, cold, without pain management. He has to be undressed, laid down, dried off, warmed up, provided with anesthesiology support, stabilized in terms of blood pressure and other indicators. Only then can the surgical team work safely,” explains surgeon Yevhen.

That is why the amount of time spent at a stabilization point cannot fit into a single chart. If the patient is relatively stable, treatment may take 15–20 minutes. If the condition is severe, doctors may work for two or three hours. To civilians, that may sound like a long time, but for frontline medicine it is sometimes the only opportunity not to lose the patient before reaching the hospital. “Medicine is not always two plus two,” says the surgeon. “Everything depends on the patient’s condition, the extent of the injury, the amount of care required, and the stabilization measures needed.”

A particularly difficult topic is amputations and severe limb injuries. According to the doctor, stabilization points are not places for “planned” amputations in the hospital sense. If a limb is nonviable, the team does not attempt to make a final decision in conditions where not all capabilities are available. Their task is to stabilize the patient, avoid worsening the condition, preserve whatever may matter for future surgical work and prosthetics, and transfer the patient to the next level of care. “The hospital shapes the residual limb in a way that is more adapted for prosthetics,” explains Yevhen. “If we see that the limb is nonviable, we do not remove the tourniquet, we perform surgical debridement, stabilize the patient, and prepare them for transport.”

This is important to understand: a stabilization point is not a place of “final treatment.” It is a place where a wounded person must be moved from a state of catastrophe into a condition in which transport becomes possible. The patient’s story is not completed there — they are given a chance for it to continue. In this sense, the anesthesiologist’s role is one of the central ones: not simply “administering anesthesia,” but guiding the patient through the most dangerous interval — between uncontrolled post-traumatic condition and the possibility of surgical intervention.

War constantly destroys any sterile image of medicine. Patients may arrive on ATVs, improvised stretchers, covered in mud, soaked, freezing, after prolonged periods in frontline positions. The doctor recalls cases when a wounded soldier essentially “flew into” the stabilization point in a condition where only the eyes were visible, while everything else — mud, clothing, blood, exhaustion — blended together. The team cuts away clothing, pulls the person out, evaluates the condition, and starts working. This is the daily reality in which stabilization points exist: not under ideal protocols, but under the conditions of war, where every case brings a different scenario.

Impact and Systemic Change: From Experience to Standards

Despite this, medics speak not only about survival, but also about development. One of the recurring requests in these conversations is for more opportunities for training, professional exchange, conferences, workshops, and courses. This is not a “bonus” or abstract self-education. For people who work every day with the harshest consequences of war, development means better decisions, fewer mistakes, faster responses, and a greater chance of survival for patients. The conversation directly mentions the need for funding conferences, courses, visiting workshops, and exchanges with specialists.

Already in Ukraine, several educational initiatives are being launched or discussed: the ASET course, the future implementation of ATLS, work related to infection control, and educational initiatives connected to Razom Health. It is separately emphasized that infections in hospitals have become such a serious problem that they require an entire direction of work on their own. This is another indication that frontline medicine does not end at stabilization. A wounded person moves through a long chain, and the quality of every stage affects the outcome: from first aid at the position to evacuation, stabilization points, hospitals, infection control, rehabilitation, and return to life.

In this context, the Razom Heroes program plays a key role, working not with isolated cases but with the system as a whole. This includes the training of combat medics and instructors, equipping units, developing educational programs, and creating conditions in which frontline experience does not remain at the level of isolated stories, but is transformed into standards. It is through programs like these that a connection is formed between the reality of stabilization points and long-term systemic change: implementation of training courses, development of telemedicine, support for instructor programs, systematization of knowledge, and transfer of that knowledge to other units.

A stabilization point is a place where medicine looks least like a beautiful story and most like a struggle against time. Not everyone can always be saved there. It is not always possible to do what the doctor knows and is capable of doing, because sometimes the patient simply cannot arrive in time. Here, the “golden hour” can turn into days of waiting, while telemedicine becomes a temporary bridge between the battlefield and the physician. But it is here that the most important thing becomes visible: Ukrainian military medicine is not simply reacting to war — it is learning, adapting, creating new practices, and trying to turn the experience of every injury into knowledge that will help save the next patient.

And perhaps the most accurate way to describe the work of a stabilization point is not through heroic language, but in very practical terms: it is a place where people are given a chance to reach the next opportunity. To the hospital. To surgery. To a prosthetic. To rehabilitation. To life after injury.

That is why the main question for this system is not only how many medics work at stabilization points or what equipment they have. The main question is how to ensure that wounded soldiers reach them sooner, how to give doctors more time, how to make telemedicine systematic, how to make training continuous, and how to ensure that frontline experience is not lost in isolated stories, but transformed into standards.

Because in war, medicine often begins not when the patient reaches the operating table. It begins much earlier — at the moment when someone manages to bring them out alive.

When Culture, Medicine, and Daily Life Come Under Fire

Published: July 2, 2026

In Ukraine, war does not only come through the front line. It shows in the stairwells blackened by fire, children carried to shelters at night, medics saving neighbors even when their own emergency stations are damaged, artists returning to homes that no longer exist.

On the night of July 2, Kyiv once again woke up to explosions. People rushed into metro stations, basements, and hallways. They hid their children, called loved ones, and waited for news from neighborhoods where buildings were burning and rescuers were already at work.

It was one of the largest combined attacks on the capital: missiles and drones struck the city in waves. Nearly 20 people were killed and dozens were injured. Among those hurt were children, residents of apartment buildings, and emergency medical workers. Homes, cars, medical infrastructure, historic buildings, and places connected to Ukrainian culture were damaged.

In Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, the apartment of cultural manager Iryna Plekhova, director of the Lira cinema, and filmmaker and screenwriter Oleh Chornyi burned down. Their building is historic, long connected to workers of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio and their families. Two sections of the building burned completely. During the evacuation, Iryna and Oleh helped two elderly neighbors get out.

The home of filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk was damaged for the sixth time. The courtyard of Vadym Miskyi, program director at Detector Media, was also hit. These were not only damaged walls. They were places where people lived, created, preserved memories, and built Ukraine’s cultural life.

On this same day, the attack destroyed the central storage facility of the BookChef publishing house that held nearly 800 thousand books.

Civilian emergency medicine also came under attack. In Kyiv, an emergency medical station was damaged. Ambulance workers — medics and drivers — were injured, and ambulances were damaged. The people who are first to rush toward danger to save others became victims of the attack themselves.

Kyiv was not alone. Communities in the Zaporizhzhia region endured hundreds of strikes in a single day, including FPV drone attacks. In Kharkiv and the surrounding region, civilians were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, and dozens of people were injured. In the Dnipro region, drones damaged homes, cars, gas stations, and other civilian infrastructure.

On nights like this, the work of those who arrive first becomes especially visible: the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, police, medics, volunteer teams, and rapid response groups.

That night, Matviy Suslov, Razom’s Tactical Medicine Project Manager, worked in Kyiv alongside these response teams. They helped move people rescued from the rubble to safer areas and provided first aid to civilians.

“The shelling was so dense and massive that we had to move in small leaps, hide in underpasses, or quickly leave dangerous areas by car,” Matviy said. Near Lukianivka, after one of the explosions, the car doors jammed. “We were lucky the door issue was resolved quickly”.

What stayed with him most was a couple who approached and asked what had happened to their home. Their building was burning. In their eyes, he saw confusion, grief, and the disbelief of people trying to understand how life could change in a single moment.

Matvii also emphasized the work of the State Emergency Service and the police at the strike sites. For the Razom team, it was another reminder of why it is so important to strengthen the institutions that are first to stand beside people after an attack: through prehospital care training, essential medical supplies, and the ability to respond in the first critical minutes.

In moments like these, this work is not abstract. It is about real skills, real people, and real lives — Ukrainians and visitors to the country — that can be saved when help arrives in time.

Russia continues to strike civilians, children, medics, cultural workers, and families in their own homes. Ukraine continues to endure because people keep showing up for one another, even after the darkest nights.

Ukraine’s Future Is Growing Up During War

Published: June 17, 2026

“Ukrainian kids are creative and talented.
They’re camping out down in the metro, drawing, playing
and believing in a happy, peaceful life. So we have to provide them with that life.”
— Serhiy Zhadan

“Freedom is generational work. For children to grow up free,
the necessary institutions and policies must already be in place.”
— Timothy Snyder

Ukraine’s future is not waiting for the war to end.

It is growing up right now – in classrooms interrupted by air raid sirens, in frontline towns where schools are closed, in summer camps where children can laugh with friends again, in STEM labs where students are building robots, and in youth programs where young people are learning how to lead, work, create, and stay connected to their communities.

For children and young people in Ukraine, the war has taken too much: safety, routine, school years, friendships, homes, and plans for the future.

But it has not taken away their curiosity. Their talent. Their courage. Their need for joy. Or their right to imagine a life in Ukraine.

This summer, when you support Razom, you support work that helps Ukrainian children and young people keep learning, building skills, finding community, and experiencing moments of childhood even during war.

Make a gift today to help Ukraine’s next generation grow, lead, and thrive.

A Summer That Gives More Than a Break

For a child in Ukraine, summer camp can mean more than games, songs, and time outside.

It can mean sleeping in a safe place for a few days. It can mean laughing without feeling guilty.

It can mean meeting other kids who understand. It can mean remembering that they are more than what war has taken from them.

For teenagers, summer can be a chance to try something new, build confidence, discover a career path, join a team, or take part in a project that helps their own community.

These moments matter. Because Ukraine does not only need its young people to survive the war. Ukraine needs them to see a future worth staying for.

Why This Matters

Across Ukraine, young people are growing up under extraordinary pressure. Schools have been damaged or forced online. Families have been displaced. Parents are serving, working, grieving, or rebuilding. Many young Ukrainians are asking themselves whether they can build a life at home at all.

That question matters for Ukraine’s future.

Razom’s youth work is built around a simple belief: young Ukrainians need real opportunities now — not someday after victory, not someday after recovery, but now.

They need safe places to gather. They need hands-on learning. They need mentors. They need practical skills. They need joy, friendship, and a break. They need to know that their country still has room for their dreams.

Your gift helps make that possible.

What Your Gift Makes Possible

1. Help young Ukrainians keep learning

War has disrupted education across Ukraine, especially in frontline and underserved communities. Many students have limited access to hands-on learning, equipment, or safe spaces where they can gather with peers.

Razom supports STEM labs, mobile learning hubs, teacher training, advanced academic camps, robotics programs, and opportunities for Ukrainian students to compete and excel at olympiads internationally.

In 2025, Razom-supported STEM initiatives reached approximately 9,500 students across over 25 local learning centers, helping young people explore robotics, engineering, physics, astronomy, and applied science.

Your gift helps students keep learning in a country where education itself has become an act of resilience.

War should not determine a child’s potential.

Razom supports programs that help students continue learning, developing new skills, and pursuing their interests despite disruptions caused by war.

In 2025 alone:

9,500 students participated in STEM education programs
760 students attended advanced mathematics and physics camps
25+ STEM clubs and learning spaces received support
250+ teachers received training

Today, students supported through these programs are competing in international Olympiads, participating in robotics competitions, and preparing for careers that will help shape Ukraine’s future.

2. Help children experience joy, safety, and belonging

For children living through war, joy is not extra. It is part of recovery.

A summer camp, a youth center, a sports field, a creative workshop, or a weekend with peers can give children something they badly need: a chance to breathe.

Razom supports programs that create spaces where children and teenagers can gather safely, build friendships, discover new interests, explore who they are, and feel connected to others.

These programs do not erase the war. But they give young people moments of normalcy, confidence, and care.

Your gift helps Ukrainian children experience childhood, even when war is trying to steal it.

3. Help young people lead in their own communities

Young Ukrainians are not only recipients of help. They are already rebuilding.

Razom supports youth leadership programs that help young people organize local projects, volunteer, restore community spaces, participate in school governance, and take active roles in civic life.

Through one Razom-supported partnership with Building Ukraine Together (BUR), young leaders helped mobilize hundreds of volunteers and restore community spaces in frontline and high-need regions, including youth centers and rehabilitation spaces.

Your gift helps young Ukrainians become the people their communities can count on.

This work helps young Ukrainians build confidence, direction, and a reason to stay connected to their country’s future.

Your gift helps young people turn possibility into a plan.

This is the future Ukraine is fighting for. Help protect it.

4. Help young Ukrainians build a future at home

One of the biggest threats to Ukraine’s future is that young people may feel they have no future there.

That is why Razom supports programs that connect young people to mentorship, career exploration, entrepreneurship, internships, and practical skills they can use in real life.

Through Razom-supported programs, thousands of young people have accessed career training, mentorship, business development, and professional networks. In one program, young people from small towns and frontline areas developed career and business ideas, received mentorship, and presented youth-led startups for seed funding.

We Also Fight for the Children Russia Tried to Erase

As Razom helps young Ukrainians learn, lead, and grow, we also continue to advocate for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

More than 20,000 cases have been officially documented, with many more children still at risk. Razom has worked to keep this issue visible in U.S. policy conversations, public advocacy, media, and community action — including through the Bring Kids Back campaign and the teddy bear installation on the National Mall.

Because every Ukrainian child deserves to come home.
And every Ukrainian child deserves a future.

Russia’s war has also targeted Ukraine’s children directly. While the world often hears the figure of 20,000 documented deported children, the reality is much broader. Millions of Ukrainian children remain under Russian occupation, where they face forced assimilation, militarization, and efforts to erase their Ukrainian identity.

Razom continues to advocate for Ukraine’s children, support efforts to bring them home, and keep this issue at the center of public and policy conversations.

Every Ukrainian child deserves the right to grow up with their family, in their community, and in a free Ukraine.

Here is How You Can Help

50 USD

enables a child from the frontline community to take part in a national science competition

125 USD

covers the cost of one volunteer’s participation in a BUR camp, where they help rebuild communities in Ukraine

250 USD

provides training in entrepreneurship in a 5 month program for one teenager from a small Ukrainian community

Stand with Ukraine’s next generation.

Together, we can help ensure that Ukraine’s future has every opportunity to succeed.

Investing in Ukraine’s Future: How Math Olympiads Help Children Learn, Dream, and Stay Connected

Published: June 17, 2026

Despite the war, air raid sirens, and constant challenges, Ukrainian children continue to learn, explore the world, and achieve remarkable success. That is why Razom has long supported educational initiatives that help students develop their talents and discover new opportunities for growth and learning.

Over the past several months, Razom has supported several mathematics-focused projects for children across Ukraine, including the “Cyfryata” Olympiad, the Yulia Zdanovska All-Ukrainian Mathematics Olympiad for Grades 5–7, and the family competition “Mathematical Nest.” These events brought together hundreds of participants from different regions of the country, giving children the opportunity not only to demonstrate their knowledge but also to feel part of a larger community of like-minded peers.

First Steps into the World of Mathematics

For many students, the “Cyfryata” Olympiad is their first introduction to the world of mathematical competitions. It helps children discover that mathematics is not only about formulas learned in school, but also about creativity, logic, and finding innovative solutions.

Such initiatives are especially important during wartime, when many children study remotely and have fewer opportunities for in-person interaction and extracurricular activities.

An Olympiad That Continues Yulia Zdanovska’s Legacy

Among the projects supported by Razom, a special place belongs to the Yulia Zdanovska All-Ukrainian Mathematics Olympiad, named in honor of the talented Ukrainian mathematician and volunteer whose life was tragically taken by a Russian missile strike in 2022.

Today, her name inspires a new generation of Ukrainian children to learn, set ambitious goals, and believe in their own potential. This year, the Olympiad brought together 93 young mathematicians from across Ukraine.

Among them was Karolina Petrushova from Kramatorsk, the only participant representing Donetsk Oblast. For children from frontline regions, where education often takes place remotely, such a trip means much more than simply participating in a competition.

“Before traveling to Kyiv, I was very nervous, but at the same time excited about the opportunity to attend such an Olympiad. What I remember most was the atmosphere, because children from different cities across Ukraine gathered there, all sharing a love for mathematics. It was exciting to talk with them and solve problems together,” Karolina recalls.

Like many children in Kramatorsk, Karolina studies remotely. Her trip to Kyiv gave her not only the chance to participate in the Olympiad, but also to visit the capital, explore the Museum of Mathematics, and meet peers who share her passion.

“I enjoyed both the Olympiad and Kyiv. I came home with many new impressions and even more motivation to continue studying mathematics. I sincerely thank the organizers, partners, and everyone who supports talented children in Ukraine and creates opportunities like these for us,” Karolina wrote after returning home.

Another participant was Bohdan Zavhorodskyi from Kherson. For children living in a city that endures daily Russian attacks, even the journey to Kyiv can be challenging.

Yet Bohdan remembers the trip with the resilience and optimism that characterize so many Ukrainian children:

“We got there just fine. The Shahed drones didn’t stop us.”

For him, the most valuable part of the experience was meeting children from different parts of Ukraine and feeling connected to a broader mathematical community. He already plans to participate again next year.

His mother also emphasized that events like these are important not only for education but also for building connections among children from different regions of the country.

“We are deeply grateful to all the donors and supporters who contributed to this wonderful Olympiad and made it possible for children from across Ukraine to come together. We learned so much, gained valuable experience, and are returning home with a large circle of new friends.”

When Mathematics Becomes a Family Affair

Another project supported by Razom was the “Mathematical Nest” competition. For more than ten years, it has brought together children, parents, and entire families through a shared love of mathematics.

Unlike traditional Olympiads, “Mathematical Nest” is built around collaboration and collective problem-solving. This format helps foster a culture of learning not only among children but also within families and local communities.

Education as an Investment in Ukraine’s Recovery

Each of these initiatives serves a different audience and follows a unique format, but they all share a common goal: helping children realize their potential regardless of where they live or the challenges they face.

For participants, these experiences provide new friendships, inspiration, confidence, and the understanding that even during wartime, knowledge, talent, and perseverance remain powerful assets.

By investing in education today, we are investing in the future scientists, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and leaders who will rebuild Ukraine tomorrow.

Russia Is Not Only Attacking People. It Is Attacking Ukraine’s Memory, Culture, and Identity.

Published: June 16, 2026

On the night of June 15, Russia launched one of its largest attacks in recent months.

More than 70 missiles and 611 Russian-Iranian drones were fired across Ukraine, with over 60 missiles targeting Kyiv.

The attack once again claimed civilian lives and caused extensive damage to residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure. But its consequences extend far beyond physical destruction.

An Attack on the Heart of Ukraine’s Faith, Culture, and History

That same night, Russia struck something that cannot be quickly rebuilt or replaced.

Ukraine’s cultural heritage came under attack.

One of the most painful symbols of this assault was the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Founded in 1051, the Lavra is one of Europe’s oldest monastic complexes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For nearly a thousand years, it has remained a spiritual, historical, and cultural center of Ukraine.

For millions of Ukrainians, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is far more than an architectural landmark. Generations have come here to pray, seek comfort, celebrate life’s milestones, and preserve a connection to their history. The site houses sacred relics, manuscripts, religious artworks, and centuries of cultural memory.

As a result of Russia’s attack, parts of the Lavra complex were damaged, and a fire broke out in the Dormition Cathedral.

“Once again, we see these barbaric acts committed by Russians, for whom nothing is sacred. It is horrifying that while calling themselves Christians, they strike at the very heart of our people. Once again, this reveals exactly who we are dealing with,” said the Vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra following the attack.

The damage to the Lavra serves as another reminder that this war is not only directed against Ukrainian cities and communities.

It is directed against Ukrainian identity itself.

Culture Under Fire

During the same attack, Russia damaged Mystetskyi Arsenal, one of Ukraine’s most important cultural institutions. The Arsenal hosts international exhibitions, educational programs, major artistic initiatives, and the country’s largest annual book festival.

Reflecting on the attack, Mystetskyi Arsenal Director General Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta drew a striking historical parallel:

“It is remarkable that the Russian drone struck the exact same location that was hit by a Nazi bomb during World War II. It is some kind of mystical coincidence — perhaps the souls of aggressors united?”

Russian strikes also damaged the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, the birthplace of Ukrainian cinema.

According to the studio’s officials, its primary costume archive was destroyed. Approximately 100,000 costumes and priceless archival materials documenting decades of Ukrainian film history were lost.

“Costumes from such iconic films as Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, The Lost Letter, and Bohdan Khmelnytsky were stored here. Now this building has been completely destroyed — there is practically nothing left,” said studio director Andriy Donchyk.

Other cultural institutions damaged during the attack include the Kharkiv Art Museum and the House of Organ and Chamber Music in Dnipro.

And all of this happened in a single night.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s cultural heritage. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, as of May 2026, 1,783 cultural heritage sites and 2,540 cultural infrastructure facilities have been damaged or destroyed across the country.

UNESCO has independently verified damage to at least 534 cultural sites, including museums, libraries, historic landmarks, archaeological sites, and more than 150 religious buildings.

These figures reveal a disturbing reality: Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine’s cities and communities, but also against its historical memory, culture, and identity.

They Came to the Rescue

That same night, Russia once again demonstrated its complete disregard for human life.

In Kharkiv, five emergency responders from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) were killed.

After an initial strike on a civilian industrial facility, emergency crews arrived to assist victims and assess the damage.

They were doing what they have done every day since the start of the full-scale invasion: searching for survivors, helping the wounded, extinguishing fires, and protecting communities.

After receiving warnings of a possible second strike, the rescuers left the facility and moved to another location, following safety protocols.

Moments later, a second missile struck near where they had gathered.

Five emergency responders were killed instantly.

Several others were injured.

“One of the missiles struck approximately 30 meters from the rescuers, who had managed to leave the facility and were standing in a wooded area near the fence. Unfortunately, the missile struck directly at those who save lives,” said Bohdan Hladkykh, Director of Kharkiv’s Department of Emergency Situations.

These men were not soldiers. They were not engaged in combat. They had come to save civilian lives.

Russia’s double-tap strikes have become one of the most dangerous and deliberate tactics of this war. After an initial attack, emergency responders, medics, and rescue crews arrive at the scene. A second strike then follows.

The targets are the people helping others.

Since the first day of the full-scale invasion, Razom has supported emergency responders, firefighters, medics, and rescue teams across Ukraine. They are often the first to arrive after an attack and the last to leave once the rescue operation is complete.

Their service is a service to life itself.

That is why the deaths of these five rescuers in Kharkiv represent a tragedy not only for their families and colleagues, but for all of Ukraine.

The Goal Is Not Only Destruction

When emergency responders are killed while trying to save others, it is an attack on humaneness.

When the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is damaged, it is an attack on spiritual heritage.

When film archives are destroyed and museums are struck, it is an attack on cultural memory.

All of these acts are part of a larger pattern.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has damaged or destroyed hundreds of religious and cultural sites across Ukraine. Churches, museums, theaters, libraries, archives, and historic landmarks have all come under attack.

These are not accidental losses.

They are not unavoidable consequences of war.

They are systematic attacks on the foundations of Ukrainian identity and resilience.

When humaneness, culture and faith are targeted, the goal is not simply destruction.

The goal is erasure.

Why This Matters to All of Us

Cultural heritage does not belong to one nation alone.

When a UNESCO World Heritage Site is damaged, when museum collections are destroyed, or when irreplaceable archives are lost, humanity loses a part of its shared history.

That is why protecting Ukrainian culture is not solely a Ukrainian issue.

It is a matter of preserving memory, history, and values that transcend borders.

At Razom, we work every day to ensure that Ukrainian stories continue to be seen, heard, and understood around the world. We document attacks on Ukrainian culture, amplify the voices of those defending their communities, and ensure that the world does not look away from efforts to erase an entire nation’s heritage.

Today, we honor the memory of the five DSNS rescuers who lost their lives while serving others.

We also remind the world of the churches, museums, archives, and cultural institutions that Russia continues to attack.

Ukraine continues to resist.
And as long as there are people saving lives, preserving culture, and telling the truth, Ukraine can never be erased.

Razom for Ukraine Joined Ukraine’s Premier Annual Emergency Medicine Championship

Published: June 11, 2026

The Razom Health team participated in the 12th Ukrainian Emergency Medical Care Championship, Vinnytsia Medical Rally 2026 — the largest competition for emergency medical professionals.

This year, 29 teams from across Ukraine, along with international participants from Poland and Lithuania, took part in the championship. Over the course of two days, medics worked through more than 50 simulation scenarios in highly realistic conditions, ranging from mass casualty incidents to cardiopulmonary resuscitation in smoke-filled environments.

For the Razom Health team, the championship provided an opportunity to engage directly with emergency medical leaders and practitioners from seven frontline regions of Ukraine. A key focus of these conversations was the urgent need for alternative communication systems for emergency medical teams operating under the constant threat of losing connectivity. The next step will be the signing of cooperation memorandums to support these efforts.

The team also had the opportunity to assess the impact of Razom’s POCUS initiative, which trains healthcare providers to use portable ultrasound devices in pre-hospital settings. Razom representatives spoke with medics, instructors, and service leadership about how the program is being implemented in practice.

“We sincerely thank Razom for providing equipment that enables ultrasound examinations in ambulances. Our teams use it regularly, and it greatly helps us determine the most effective treatment strategy for patients. These tools save lives. The training organized by Razom has been incredibly valuable, and we continue to pass this knowledge on to our colleagues,” said Eduard Kika, Medical Director of the Odesa Regional Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine.

During the opening ceremony, representatives of Razom for Ukraine welcomed participants and recognized the critical role of emergency medical professionals across the country.

“It is incredibly important for Razom for Ukraine to stand alongside you — the people who make life-saving decisions every day. We are here not only as partners, but also to better understand the realities you face and the support you need. We wish every team success, but above all, we hope this championship strengthens collaboration, creates opportunities for learning, and reinforces the pride we all share in Ukraine’s emergency medical service,” said Olena Teryaieva, Program Manager at Razom Health.

Event participation helped us better understand how emergency medical service teams operate in wartime conditions. We had our first conversation with the medical director of the relocated Emergency Medical Care Center of Luhansk region and learned from his experience in evacuating injured civilians. We also discussed the issue of retaining medical staff with the head of the HR department at the Zaporizhzhia Emergency Medical Care Center.

The championship winners were the Emergency Medical Care Centers of Odesa Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, and Vinnytsia Oblast. The national team of the Republic of Poland was recognized as the best international team. The total prize fund exceeded €350,000, and the winners received certificates granting them participation in the international Rallye Rejviz championship in the Czech Republic in 2027.

“Everyone can do something”: restoring faces — and lives — during war in Ukraine

Published: April 20, 2026

This spring, Lviv hosted the sixth Face to Face mission — a surgical program of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), implemented by Razom as part of the Co-Pilot project.

Over the course of seven days, a team of seven surgeons — Parag Gandhi, Grigoriy Mashkevich, Augustine Moscatello, John Frodel, Ryan Daniel Winters, Ivanna Nebor, Boris Chernobilsky — alongside ten nurses, including Susan Ketigian, Viktoriya Ygreen, Yurij Tsuvanyk, Jamie Harold Orange, Emmett Joseph Harty Jr, Maribel Caraballo, Andrew Kostyaniuk and Tashina Morgenstern, worked at the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region together with their Ukrainian colleagues. They operated on patients with some of the most complex facial injuries caused by the war.

The work began with consultations: in just one day, doctors examined 55 patients and selected 40 for surgery. Starting the next morning, operating rooms ran at full capacity from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For four consecutive days, the team carried out reconstructive procedures across three specialties — ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and maxillofacial surgery. These injuries affect not only physical function but also how patients see themselves — their identity, confidence, and place in the world.

Among the patients were both military personnel and civilians affected by the war. For many, this was not the first stage of treatment, but part of a long recovery process that can last months or even years.

One of the defining features of this mission was the integration of surgical care with on-site prosthetics. Two anaplastologists — Eduardo Arias and Benjamin Rosenberg, specialists in ocular and facial prosthetics — joined the team. Together, they set up a temporary laboratory to create custom ocular prostheses for patients undergoing surgery.

This approach fundamentally changed the care pathway: patients were able to receive their prosthesis immediately after surgery, without waiting for a separate stage of treatment. In cases of eye loss, this has not only medical but also profound psychological significance — allowing individuals to return more quickly to a familiar appearance and to social life.

Alongside surgical care, the team also addressed other dimensions of recovery. Pain management specialist Timothy Canty, who works with PTSD, joined the mission. He delivered lectures at the Superhumans Center, Lviv Psychiatric Hospital, and St. Panteleimon Hospital, as well as practical trainings for anesthesiologists, psychologists, and pain management specialists at the Lviv Military Hospital. This work is aimed not only at supporting patients but also at strengthening the capacity of Ukrainian medical teams to address the long-term consequences of trauma.

Knowledge transfer was another key component of the mission. Ukrainian doctors who had previously participated in missions, surgical trainings, conferences, and observerships in U.S. hospitals organized by Razom — as well as specialists from other Lviv hospitals — joined the procedures. They worked side by side with the international team in operating rooms, observing, assisting, and gaining experience they will continue to apply in their practice.

Dr. Parag Gandhi, an oculofacial plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience and a third-time participant in the mission, emphasized the importance of this collaboration:

“It is a great honor for me to work alongside Ukrainian colleagues, helping injured soldiers and civilians who have sacrificed so much for their families and their country. I truly believe that while one person cannot do everything, everyone can do something. And it is through knowledge exchange and collaboration that we make that contribution.”

The mission was made possible through the partnership between Razom for Ukraine and the AAFPRS Face to Face program, as well as collaboration with the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region, the INgenius platform, and Healing the Children North East.

These missions are gradually reshaping the approach to treating complex facial injuries in Ukraine. It is not only about individual surgeries, but about building a comprehensive model in which surgery, prosthetics, pain management, and physician training are integrated into a single, continuous process of recovery.

The mission was made possible by the support of Razom for Ukraine’s donors, whose contributions enable the deployment of international medical teams, procurement of critical equipment, and on-the-ground coordination. This support makes it possible not only to carry out complex surgeries, but also to facilitate the exchange of expertise between Ukrainian and international physicians and expand access to advanced approaches in treating war-related injuries.

The Missing Puzzle Piece: Svitlana Blinova and the Power of Local Leadership

Published: February 20, 2026

It feels almost surreal to sit across from Svitlana Blinova in the basement of Lviv City Hall. Down here, in a concrete shelter, we are waiting out news of a possible missile strike. It is the safest place to conduct an interview today. Svitlana smiles softly as she speaks – composed, thoughtful, almost delicate in appearance. And yet, as she begins to tell her story, it becomes clear that she is exactly the kind of leader Ukraine has produced in wartime: steady, determined, and quietly transformative.

Razom first met Svitlana not at a conference or on a panel – but through partnership. Through the inaugural Impact UA internship program, developed by Razom and Brave Generation, Svitlana’s organization Cities4Cities hosted Aidan Stretch, a recent Yale graduate focused on history and journalism. From the start, Svitlana stood out.

She did not simply assign tasks. She took Aidan under her wing. She brought him into the real work of building international municipal partnerships. And later she went further, bringing him to her grandparents’ village outside Lviv so he could experience rural Ukrainian life firsthand. Her grandmother cooked potatoes grown on their own land. Her grandfather, who does not speak English, offered a simple “hello.” It was not staged hospitality. It was trust.

That experience shaped Aidan’s reporting and the work he now continues as a freelance journalist based in Kyiv, contributing to outlets such as The Kyiv Independent and CBS. Through his writing, American audiences encounter Ukrainian municipalities not as abstractions, but as communities rebuilding, partnering, and leading.

Svitlana’s commitment impressed us. And we kept watching her work. Born in 1991 – the year Ukraine regained independence – Svitlana’s life has unfolded alongside the country’s own search for voice and agency. She studied journalism and law, but her real education began during a summer internship at Lviv City Council. Officially, it was four hours a day. In practice, she stayed fourteen.

Before the full-scale invasion, she worked on municipal development strategies. On February 24, 2022, she packed a shelter bag for her family and went straight to City Hall asking one thing: How can I help? Within days, she helped coordinate international journalists. Soon after, she redirected humanitarian aid from Lviv to harder-hit communities. From that emergency response grew something more lasting.

Together with the City of Lviv, SALAR International (part of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions), and the German city of Sindelfingen, Svitlana helped launch Cities4Cities, which is now a robust platform connecting Ukrainian municipalities with European and American partners. Today, the network spans nearly 100 municipalities across seven EU countries and the United States. For Svitlana, sister-city agreements are not paperwork. They are relationships. “International cooperation is not magic,” she says. “It’s soft skills.”

Through the Cities4Cities Academy, her six-person team trains municipalities across Ukraine to identify their priorities, seek aligned partners, and build sustainable, win-win cooperation. There are over 1,400 municipalities in Ukraine. The scale of the task is immense.

And then came a moment that could change everything. Last year, Svitlana received an invitation to speak at the International City/County Managers Association conference in Florida, one of the most influential gatherings of municipal leaders in the United States. The registration fee was waived. She secured a visa just two days before the event. But she did not have the money for a last-minute plane ticket – nearly $1,000. For many civic leaders in Ukraine, that is where opportunities end. There is no simple travel grant to apply for on short notice. No rapid-response fund for moments like this. Conferences move on. Connections are lost.

Because we had already worked with Svitlana through Impact UA – because we had seen her leadership up close – Razom stepped in through our Razom Sylnishi program, which strengthens Ukrainian civil society leaders. Within days, the ticket was secured. “That ticket was the missing puzzle piece,” Svitlana says.

The impact was immediate. Standing before American city managers – in a country she had never spoken publicly in, in a language she only began studying after the invasion – Svitlana presented the case for partnering with Ukrainian municipalities. When she finished, there was a line of leaders waiting to speak with her. Today, she carries a stack of business cards from U.S. municipal officials eager to build sister-city partnerships. Those conversations are already translating into new connections – opening doors for Ukrainian communities seeking expertise, collaboration, and long-term integration with American counterparts. A $1,000 plane ticket did not just fund travel. It unlocked access. It accelerated U.S. engagement. It shifted the trajectory of Cities4Cities’ expansion into America. This is what catalytic support looks like. And Svitlana’s leadership does not stop there.

After burning out in a previous political communications role, she once spent a summer living in a tent in her grandparents’ village. Seeing its decline, she helped mobilize residents to rebuild it through securing grants, improving roads, creating a youth coworking and cultural space, and launching a regional tourism brand marking forest routes across multiple municipalities.

She and her husband built a small guesthouse in the village. When the war began, he became a defender. She finished the house herself. Today, it ranks in the top 10% of Airbnb listings worldwide. She personally communicates with guests and even offers “voluntourism” stays in exchange for beautifying the community. “This house is from my heart” – she says.

At the start of the invasion, Svitlana briefly relocated to Poland – only to return. “I didn’t feel that I was with my people,” she says. She later chose to have a second child during wartime. “We will rebuild Ukraine also with kids.”

In the quiet of the shelter beneath Lviv City Hall, it becomes clear that leadership like Svitlana’s does not seek attention. It builds systems. It strengthens communities. It studies English at night so Ukraine can speak to the world.

Razom did not create Svitlana Blinova. Ukraine did. But sometimes, what makes the difference between a missed opportunity and a transformative one is the ability to act quickly – to remove one obstacle at exactly the right time.

One plane ticket. One missing puzzle piece. And the ripple effect continues.

And when leaders like Svitlana are met with trust, flexibility, and timely support, their impact multiplies far beyond a single conference, a single partnership, or a single moment. It ripples outward – connecting cities, strengthening communities, and weaving Ukraine more tightly into a global network of solidarity that will help shape its recovery for years to come.

If you believe in leaders like Svitlana – pragmatic, courageous, and deeply rooted in their communities – we invite you to stand with them. Your support allows Razom to continue providing the flexible, rapid-response backing that turns pivotal moments into lasting impact for Ukraine.

A Letter from our CEO

Published: January 21, 2026

A Letter from Our CEO

As this new year begins, Ukraine is facing its most severe winter since the start of the full-scale invasion.

In recent days, temperatures in Kyiv have fallen to –20°C (-4°F) as Ukraine’s electrical grid continues to be systematically degraded by years of Russian missile and drone attacks. Millions of Ukrainians in cities across the country are living through freezing temperatures with unstable access to heat, electricity, and water. The result is a humanitarian crisis unlike any Ukraine has faced during the war so far.

Parents plan their days around scheduled power outages, with utility companies publishing blackout times by neighborhood – often as long as 16 consecutive hours. Hospitals ration whatever power the city can spare. Heated tents are appearing in courtyards between apartment buildings scarred by drone fragments. First responders answer calls knowing that Russian “double-tap” strikes increasingly target those who arrive to help.

This is not an emergency that passes in a single news cycle. It is the daily reality of a nation still under full-scale assault after nearly four years.

Much of this no longer makes the front page.

What is less visible – but no less real – is the cumulative effect of these conditions. When electricity fails, hospitals strain. When heat is unreliable, chronic illness becomes acute. When first responders are killed, entire communities lose lifelines. And when political wavering pressures Ukraine to reach premature compromises with its aggressor, it is Ukrainian civilians – and future generations – who absorb the cost. This winter is forcing millions of Ukrainians back into survival mode, while testing whether the United States and its allies will substantiate their commitments.

This is the context in which Razom enters 2026.

Our work has never been about reacting to headlines alone. It is about ensuring that Ukrainians have the support, systems, and global partnerships needed not just to endure war—but to emerge from it with agency, dignity, and strength. This year, Razom will continue investing across five core areas: supporting first responders and medics on the front lines; strengthening Ukraine’s healthcare system; backing grassroots organizations serving the most vulnerable; advancing strong, principled Ukraine policy in Washington, D.C.; and connecting Ukrainian voices, culture, and innovation to the global mainstream.

Taken together, these efforts serve a single purpose: a secure, livable, and connected Ukraine capable of surviving this war, leading its own recovery, and standing as a model of democratic resilience and security for the world.

Global support for Ukraine cannot depend solely on moments of crisis. It must be built and sustained through strategy, partnership, and long-term commitment. That is the work ahead of us. And it is only possible because of you.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine, especially when the story feels harder to follow, and the outcome less certain. Your continued engagement matters more than ever.

With gratitude and resolve,

Dora Chomiak
Chief Executive Officer
Razom for Ukraine

What Razom Is Doing Right Now

That commitment is not theoretical. It is operational. Since November 2025 alone, Razom has delivered 118 generators and 175 mobile charging stations to frontline medics, emergency crews, and community organizations – keeping critical services running during prolonged blackouts. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 200 generators have been placed in community hubs serving displaced families, older adults, and people with disabilities.

In Kryvyi Rih, where repeated missile and drone attacks force emergency responders to work under constant threat, Razom is supporting the State Emergency Service of Ukraine with mobile heated emergency tents and infrastructure. These allow responders to establish temporary rescue points during attacks – safely, visibly, and in freezing conditions.

In Poltava, local partners report having electricity for only one to two hours per day. A youth organization supported by Razom now relies on charging stations to stay operational at all – briefly entering cold buildings once or twice a week just to charge equipment, submit reports, and coordinate volunteer work.

At a social-cultural center supported by Razom, a single generator now powers heating pumps, lights, and programming for children, women, and older adults. “If not for your support, most of these activities would have been postponed until spring or not happened at all,” the team wrote.

For families, the impact is even more direct.

At a family-type children’s home caring for 13 children, including displaced children and children with disabilities, the generator Razom provided runs up to 12 hours a day, powering heating, water pumps, lights, and laptops. “If not for you, it would have been much harder to survive last winter,” the mother wrote. “About this one – there would be no way at all.”

At a residential care facility housing 50 elderly and chronically ill residents, a charging station provided by Razom now keeps the heating system running during blackouts. “This is not just technical support,” the director wrote. “It is protection of health and life.”

Why Support Razom – Especially Now

Razom’s strength is not scale alone. It is trust, proximity, and precision. Razom works directly with local partners who know where systems are breaking – and where relatively small interventions can prevent catastrophe. We don’t duplicate services. We fill gaps others can’t reach, often under conditions where speed, flexibility, and local relationships make the difference.

As Dora writes, Razom’s work is about more than endurance. It is about ensuring Ukrainians retain agency, dignity, and the ability to hold the line – even in the dark. This winter is testing more than infrastructure. It is testing whether support for Ukraine holds when the crisis becomes chronic instead of dramatic.

Let’s be clear: Ukraine is being pushed into the cold on purpose. People are surviving because generators are running, heated shelters are standing, first responders are equipped, and communities are refusing to collapse. Razom is there – in the dark, in the cold, in action.

But this work does not continue without you. If you are waiting for the right moment to help, this is it.

Donate now. Your support funds life-saving winter response on the ground.
Share this reality. Silence benefits the aggressor.
Engage. Policy decisions made now determine survival later.

Ukraine will endure. The question is how much suffering we allow before we act.

Stand with Ukraine.
Stand with Razom.

Kharkiv: On the Frontier of Resilience

Published: January 9, 2026

Few cities embody the word frontier as powerfully as Kharkiv. It sits just 25 kilometers from the Russian border, close enough that aircraft can reach the city in minutes. It has lived under constant aerial threat since the first days of the full-scale invasion, yet it continues to function exceptionally well. Those brave enough to visit are immediately struck by the spotless streets, flowers and decorations set up to beautify areas previously scarred by missiles and drones, and punctual public transportation that was made free of charge for all residents immediately after the start of the invasion. If not for the plywood covering many windows and defensive barricades at the city’s entrance – one might think they are in a safe city in Western Europe. Much of this ability to withstand the daily attacks and offer a sense of order to the residents comes from systems the city has created in wartime – systems that allow Kharkiv to detect danger quickly, warn people in time, and respond in a coordinated way.

At the center of this effort is the Kharkiv Situational Center (KSC), the only civilian defense hub of its kind outside Kyiv. Here, a team of young civil protection workers monitors live feeds, tracks incidents on an integrated city map, and coordinates everything from utility repairs to emergency rescue.

The Heartbeat of Kharkiv

“The Situational Center is the heart of Kharkiv,” says Bohdan Gladkyh, the city’s Director for Civil Protection and head of the KSC. “It sees everything that happens in the city and directs every response – from fire brigades to medics. It’s the pulse that keeps Kharkiv alive.”

Built in just three months through a partnership of the city, local businesses, volunteers, and international donors, the KSC was a feat of wartime engineering. Not only was it considered nearly impossible to complete such a facility in this timeframe, but bringing so many services under one command to cooperate is not an easy feat in any circumstances – much less while each individual system is stressed to the maximum. But the city was able to work out a structure where the State Emergency Services, EMS, police, firefighters, and even utilities work together and coordinate seamlessly for the safety of Kharkiv residents.

Its digital map tracks every hydrant, road, and danger zone; its cameras monitor hundreds of live feeds; its analysts coordinate all emergency and utility services in real time. When an emergency situation arises – whether a complex attack on the city or a simple household fire – the staff at KSC can evaluate the situation through the live camera feeds, pull up complete information about the affected infrastructure, and dispatch necessary services (fire, medics, utilities) to the site depending on the real needs on the ground.

When war turned Kharkiv into a constant target, this “heart of the city” became its shield. But even the most sophisticated coordination system is only as strong as its communications. And in Kharkiv, when power and cell towers fall, silence can be deadly.

When the Signal Means Survival

During blackouts or heavy bombardments, mobile networks collapse within minutes. Towers fall, base stations burn out, and with them the ability to direct responders.

To close that gap, Razom provided radio repeater equipment – the backbone of a secure digital network now linking city hall, emergency services, and municipal companies. The system keeps the signal alive even when everything else fails.

“At first, our rescuers had no stable signal,” Bohdan says. “During blackouts, we were blind. Once the repeaters were installed, communication never failed again – not once.”

He remembers the night that proved just how essential that link is.

“Two months ago, during a double-tap attack, our teams were already working the site of an initial strike when a dispatcher called out on the radio: ‘Rocket incoming!’
Twenty-eight seconds later, the second missile hit. Everyone had time to get into the shelter. Every single person survived.”

A “double-tap” strike is a tactic where a second missile is launched at the same location shortly after the first, often targeting the rescuers who arrive to help. During the first impact, the explosion destroyed a nearby cell tower. As soon as the tower failed, mobile phones in the area lost service completely – even Bohdan’s two SIM cards showed no signal.

“Both of my SIM cards were dead,” Bohdan said. “The cell tower was gone. The only thing that worked was the radio network you helped us build.”

What he meant was that the only functioning communications line was the city’s digital radio network. While emergency crews were already on the ground, a dispatcher monitoring air activity saw that a second missile had been launched toward the same site. Because radios don’t rely on cell towers or commercial networks, the dispatcher was able to relay the message and every responder received it instantly. They had 28 seconds to get into a shelter. The second missile landed about 20 meters from where more than a hundred people had been standing. More than a hundred responders – utility workers, firefighters, and medics – were saved because the repeater network carried that single warning.

Today, that system covers the entire city. The mayor, department heads, and all critical service units carry connected radios. It ties directly into the automatic air-raid alert system that interrupts local radio stations to warn drivers on the road. The network is powered by generators and designed with redundancy: if one repeater goes down, another instantly takes over.

“I don’t see any alternative to digital radio communication,” Bohdan says firmly. “Without it, there is no coordination, no timely warning – and no chance to save lives.”

His conclusion is simple and urgent: every major city in Ukraine needs this system.

Innovation Beneath the Ground

That life-saving network reaches far beyond the Situational Center’s walls into Kharkiv’s schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods.

During one of our visits to the city this fall, several guided aerial bombs struck different districts just as we toured one of Kharkiv’s newly built underground schools. Sirens blared, and messages from Bohdan’s radio crackled through the thick concrete walls. Even while offsite, he was able to coordinate real-time responses across multiple impact zones – dispatching rescue crews, rerouting traffic, confirming that nearby shelters had opened to civilians.

It was a living demonstration of how vital communication is and how the city’s commitment to protection now extends below the surface of the earth.

Kharkiv’s underground schools are a direct answer to life on the front line: fully functional learning spaces that double as certified bomb shelters. Each can host 700-800 students for classes and up to 2,000 people during air raids. They are equipped with filtration systems, independent power, and water reserves. Ten are already operational, with more under construction.

One of these schools was hit directly by a missile in 2023 – and held firm.

“That was our test in real conditions,” Bohdan says. “Everything worked: the blast doors, the filters, the ventilation. The building took the hit, and everyone inside was safe.”

During each air-raid alert, hallways open to residents from nearby buildings, turning the school into a community refuge. Thanks to the same citywide communication system,

alerts arrive in time for people to reach shelter, and teachers can continue lessons safely underground. In addition to the standalone underground schools, learning spaces have also been creatively integrated into the metro stations – one of which was depicted in Kateryna Gornostai’s documentary “Timestamp”. Kharkiv’s engineers are now expanding the model even further – planning not only new schools but even the country’s first underground kindergarten. It’s education as civil defense, learning as resistance.

A City That Refuses to Break

Kharkiv’s population has shrunk by nearly half since the full-scale invasion, yet those who remain embody an unshakable resolve. Streets are cleared, utilities restored, children return to class – acts of quiet defiance performed every day under fire.

“I have made my choice,” Bohdan says simply. “I am staying.”

He has worked for the city for a decade, first in digital transformation, now in civil protection. In Ukraine, “civil protection” or “civil defense” is a function that is not administered by a single agency. It is a coordinated system that includes emergency dispatchers, firefighters, medics, utility crews, and shelter managers – the people who keep a city functioning during missile strikes, blackouts, and other crises. Essentially, it is everyone who defends the civilian population but is not in the armed forces – a role that is as important as it is demanding during a full-scale invasion. And so like many on his young team, Bohdan sleeps little, works fourteen-hour days, and endures the constant stress of alarms and loss. The hardest moments, he admits, are when children die.

“We are a frontier city – not only of defense, but of solutions,” he says. “When something breaks, Kharkiv finds a way to make it work again.”

The Situational Center’s average employee is twenty-nine years old. Together they’ve rebuilt a modern civil defense system once considered impossible. Their early-warning network has ensured that not once in the past year did a missile land in Kharkiv without a prior alert. Other municipalities now look to them as a model for resilience.

Together on the Frontier

Kharkiv stands as both shield and blueprint – proving that, even under siege, a city can innovate, organize, and care for its people. Razom is proud to have supported this frontier of resilience – to equip those who refuse to give up, who keep communication alive in blackout conditions, and who demonstrate that information, when shared swiftly and securely, saves lives.

The work that began in Kharkiv must now expand across Ukraine. The technology exists, the expertise is proven, and the will is unstoppable. What is needed is partnership – the same spirit of razom, “together,” that built the Kharkiv Situational Center in record time.