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Banding Together Unprecedented Act Of Charity For Ukraine

Aksenia Krupenko, a Ukrainian expat, based in Washington, constructed a humanitarian assistance funnel. Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, 13 aircrafts carrying 150 tons of humanitarian goods have traveled from the U.S. to Ukraine. David Kezerashvili, Georgia’s previous Defense Minister, donated the first jet, and since then, plane after plane has been sent to Ukraine. Here is the amazing story behind one woman’s determination to help her people.

An Important Project’s First Steps

Thanks to Aksenia Krupenko’s unwavering commitment, the supplies first started going out to Poland by way of a red-eye flight departing from JFK Cargo Terminal, and then they were sent to Ukraine via ground transport. She managed to pack an Airbus A330 with donated products including clothes, medical supplies, equipment for outdoor activities, and supplies for personal hygiene.

Krupenko ran non-military goods from the US freely in the war’s early stages. She co-founded the Revival Foundation with her diaspora community in order to reach out for aid. Her D.C. flat rapidly filled with donated items. A well-wisher donated warehouse space near D.C. in Maryland which volunteers used to sort and store donations. Once that quickly overflowed, another free warehouse in the Tri-state region was given as a donation. The aid of a wide range of people and organizations came from all around the world.

Transporting commodities to Ukraine was difficult though, as all major US freight airlines informed Aksenia that it would take weeks to get a jet, and it would cost $1 million to charter one. Sea shipping would be even slower.

Krupenko sought out other Ukrainians for information on Eastern European airlines that might be willing to help, she met with Ukrposhta CEO Igor Smelyansky. Smelyansky told her that owing to the shutdown of Ukrainian airspace, freight planes were taking off from Poland. Ukrposhta teamed up with Ukrainian charter airline Windrose for global flights. Ukrposhta loaded Ukrainian mail and exported commodities onboard Windrose charters to the US. CEO Volodymyr Kamenchuk agreed to have the return flight filled with humanitarian aid. Most importantly, he told Aksenia that he would do it at cost – for $250,000 – a quarter of the original price she had been quoted! Now Aksenia had to find the money.

Georgia Stepped Up to The Plate

Krupenko phoned everyone she knew to support this flight, including Revival Foundation co-founder Temuri Yakobashvili. They knew Ukrainians needed relief quickly. Yakobashvili (former Georgian VP and ambassador) linked Krupenko with donor David Kezerashvili. Kezerashvili, former Georgian defense minister, and now a successful entrepreneur, generously paid the $250,000 needed for the first aircraft.

Ukraine and Georgia have had close ties for a long time. Both nations were invaded by Russia, with Georgia’s invasion beginning in 2008. In addition to external pressures, both countries have worked mightily to withstand the internal pressures, corruption, and force that Russia has used against their democracys.

In this fight, the two countries have often assisted one another. During the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, which occurred while Kezerashvili was serving as Georgia’s defense minister, Ukraine supplied Georgia with weaponry and assisted with its defense. There is a sizable Georgian military force serving for some time now on the front lines of the current Ukrainian conflict against Russia. The same discreet cooperation continues in other parts of the world. All of this is done on an unofficial basis. This is due to the fact that Georgia’s current government, elected in 2013 and remained in power since, has maintained a passive, if not occasionally friendly, stance toward Moscow. There have been frequent prosecutions in absentia of former Georgian politicians who are/were hostile toward Russian interests.

The Strategy Remains Steadfast

With Windrose’s aid, Ukrposta kept Ukraine’s commerce alive, particularly for smaller and medium sized enterprises that lack access to mass-industrial logistics. It was a calculated act of defiance against Moscow’s economic shutdown plan. Ukraine also asked major market actors to keep products flowing. Etsy and eBay were the first to react, and others followed, helping Ukrainian manufacturers succeed. Warsaw was the principal airport for migrants, while Lublin handled large freight flights.

Once the plane of humanitarian aid landed in Lublin, Ukrposhta offloaded them and transported the aid to Lviv, Ukraine. Due to the war, Ukrposhta and Ukrainian National Railways forged a closer bond to help with ever-changing logistics. Roman Senishin, head of Lviv Railway Station, helped coordinate Krupenko’s aid with Ukrposhta across the country. Ukrainian railroads and Ukrposhta are currently paying for expenditures from Lublin airport forward. Georgians, of course, are helping every step of the way.

At their ultimate destination in Ukraine, where the boxes were being unloaded, members of the armed forces came to personally thank Aksenia Krupenko and receive some of the allotted goods. Medicine, yoga mats (for sleeping), shoes and boots in big sizes (which are difficult to acquire in Ukraine), and other items are included in the package.

Determination and Teamwork Can Accomplish Anything

By the end of March, the first aircraft carrying humanitarian aid had flown from the US to Poland. Krupenko had managed the impossible, to build an international supply network in a manner of days. While she was flying planes from New York City with aid for Ukraine, bigger organizations and international charities hadn’t even crossed the Polish border.

Since the conflict started, Aksenia Krupenko has coordinated 13 flights and delivered more than 150 tons of humanitarian assistance and she has no intention of stopping until the end of the war.

Banding Together Unprecedented Act Of Charity For Ukraine

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