Volunteering in Ukraine has become extremely important since the start of the full-scale war. It has become a large-scale social phenomenon that has not only united the community but also significantly strengthened support for the Armed Forces and assistance to affected civilians. At the height of the war, more than 59% of Ukrainians joined volunteer efforts to help the army and displaced persons in the summer of 2022, and by the end of the year, this figure had risen to 74%.
Even when interest in voluntary assistance declined after the peak of the fighting, about 37% of citizens continued to engage in it in 2023, and about 27% in 2024. Representatives of the Ukrainian Red Cross, one of the largest volunteer organisations in Ukraine, emphasise: “Volunteering is not just about helping others. It is the power of the community that can change the country.”
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Volunteering in wartime
In wartime, volunteering has become a matter of survival and solidarity. Citizens organise targeted assistance to the military and civilians: they supply the front with ammunition, equipment, medical supplies and food. In particular, the public initiative “Zgraya”, which began its activities during the Revolution of Dignity, supplies soldiers with thermal imagers, drones, first aid kits and even evacuates the wounded. Local volunteer communities sew bulletproof vests and warm clothes, organise humanitarian aid distribution points and evacuate people from frontline cities.
Today, tens of thousands of people across the country have joined volunteer networks: for example, the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, founded in 2017, has over 100,000 members willing to help. Through online platforms, volunteers quickly exchange information about community needs and coordinate the delivery of aid to remote regions, allowing them to respond quickly to urgent challenges.
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State support and development of volunteering
The role of volunteering is recognised and supported at the state level. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Concept of the Volunteer Activity Development Programme until 2030, which states that “the development of volunteer activity is an important component of the sustainable development of civil society.” The Verkhovna Rada has passed a law on volunteering in the education system: student participation in volunteer projects is equated with professional practice, and official certificates are issued for participation.
These steps lay the foundation for fostering a culture of mutual assistance and responsibility from an early age. Thus, the volunteer movement in the rear and on the front lines has emerged as a powerful force in society: since the beginning of the war, it has united millions of people and provided systematic support to the army and civilians. The efforts of tens of thousands of volunteers are helping to withstand the crisis and bring affected communities back to life.
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