A Ukrainian-American’s view from the frontlines

David Kirichenko is a Ukrainian-American freelance journalist. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 he has volunteered to help Ukrainian refugees on the ground in Mexico, Romania, the United States and Ukraine. Collaborating with Dobra Sprava, a Dnipro-based non-profit organization, he coordinates the procurement and delivery of essential supplies for Ukrainian troops on the front lines – including such critically-needed items as drones, generators, and Starlink communication systems. This is his account of one of his journeys.

In August 2023, I traveled to Ukraine for the third time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began 18 months earlier. During my previous trip to Ukraine in 2022, I had connected with the Dnipro-based non-profit Dobra Sprava. This time, I was to stay in Ukraine for over three weeks.

As I bought my airplane ticket to Poland, I spoke with Alina Holovka from Dobra Sprava and asked her to communicate with soldiers on the frontline and ask them what their biggest needs were.

Alina presented me with a list of what soldiers needed. Surveillance drones and Starlink communication devices topped the list. I immediately began contacting friends and family and everyone I knew who might be willing to help pitch in to help me buy supplies.

The journey

Given that I was traveling with several large bags filled with drones and Starlinks, Alina helped arrange for someone to pick me up and drive me from Krakow, in Poland, the 1,278 kilometers to Dnipro in Ukraine, and ensure I’d be able to deliver all the supplies without issue.

At the Krakow airport, I was greeted by Pasha, then a Ukrainian soldier. His wife and four kids are refugees living in Krakow because their home in Ukraine, near the airport