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We Live Here 2.0: "Come Back Alive" and Kyivstar Raise 100 Million for Demining the Country 

14 Aug 2024, 07:06
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5 min reading

The “Come Back Alive” Foundation for Competent Assistance to the Army together with Kyivstar have launched the “We Live Here 2.0” fundraising campaign. Its goal is to raise 100 million hryvnias for the sappers of the Armed Forces Support Forces. 

As part of the project, the sappers of the newly created companies of engineering unmanned systems will receive, in particular: 

  • Ukrainian-made robotic platforms; 
  • transport; 
  • communication and power; 
  • an air component for situational awareness and remote demining by explosions. 

“About 140 thousand square kilometers of Ukraine’s territory need to be demined. Every day, sappers clear our land meter by meter of Russian mines and shell remnants. Our task is to provide them with equipment to help them do this more efficiently and safely. Robotic systems will allow sappers to work at a distance from dangerous objects. Communication equipment is needed to coordinate units. Drones will be used for aerial photography, fixing minefields and determining coordinates. In addition, we will provide sappers with transportation. This will increase their mobility,” says Oleh Karpenko, Deputy Director of the “Come Back Alive” initiative.

The project is being implemented with the informational support of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine. 

“Today, Ukraine is the most potentially mined country in the world. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the year, the number of accidents involving mines and other explosive devices has already reached 1006. If we do not act unitedly and quickly, the number of victims could rise to 9,000 by 2033. Therefore, we support projects aimed at demining as much Ukrainian land as possible. We are grateful to the public sector and socially responsible businesses that make a significant contribution to the safety of our people and our land,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

You can support the We Live Here 2.0 project by donating to the special account of the project’s fund and the “jar“. Kyivstar subscribers can join the collection by activating the Help the Armed Forces Superpower, and up to UAH 50 from their tariff plan will go to the collection. 

“Mine clearance is an important area of support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine for Kyivstar. We strive to make the territory of Ukraine safe and accessible for civilians. Innovative technologies will help to reduce risks and speed up the demining process and allow Kyivstar specialists to restore mobile communications in the de-occupied territories faster. Kyivstar, for its part, is allocating UAH 30 million for the fundraiser and encourages Ukrainian businesses and concerned Ukrainians to support the initiative,” comments Oleksandr Komarov, Kyivstar CEO.

“We Live Here 2.0” is the second joint project of the Come Back Alive Foundation and Kyivstar to help the Armed Forces in mine clearance. The first stage was launched in May 2023. Its goal was to raise UAH 175 million for 146 engineering and demining groups. The fundraiser was completed in February 2024. Thanks to the contributions of those who cared, we managed to surpass the goal and raise more than UAH 180 million. All 146 groups have already received assistance under the project.

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