During our stay in Ukraine, a Russian drone struck our accommodation. We lost both our vehicle and humanitarian aid.
A Russian unmanned drone hit a lodging facility in the Chernihiv region where members of our team were staying during their trip to Ukraine. Both are safe and have returned home safely. However, the attack destroyed our vehicle, equipment, and the humanitarian aid we had prepared for delivery the following day. Despite this experience, we continue to help those in need.
The attack on the recreational facility took place in the early morning hours of May 20. By that time, our colleagues had already visited the city of Konotop in the Sumy region, located only about 70 kilometres from the Russian border. They were then planning to continue to the Shostka district, where they were supposed to deliver humanitarian aid.
The drone struck a part of the accommodation facility where no guests were staying at the time. However, the attack completely destroyed our vehicle, which we use for humanitarian work in Ukraine and for travelling between the communities we support. At the time of the strike, the vehicle was also carrying humanitarian aid intended for internally displaced Ukrainians.
„The most powerful thing about all of this is seeing how Ukrainians, despite the war, do not give up. In the morning after nightly attacks, they go back to work; children go to classes directly in shelters under schools, and firefighters and rescue workers are always immediately at the sites of attacks. The country continues to function even though rockets and drones fly over it every day. And that is exactly why we will not give up either,” says the director of People in Peril, Andrea Najvirtová.
The Sumy and Chernihiv regions are facing continuous attacks
During the stay of our colleagues in Ukraine, several serious attacks with civilian casualties occurred in both the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. On the day of their arrival, a ballistic missile struck the city of Pryluky, where four people, including a 15-year-old child, were killed. The following day, air raid sirens in the Sumy region were active for more than 21 hours, and according to available data, approximately 85 attacks on 33 locations were recorded. The situation in the region remains extremely tense and dangerous for the civilian population.
Children in Konotope spend most of the school year at home
It only took a few meters, and that day could have ended tragically for our colleagues as well. After the attack, they evacuated and are now safely back home. The destroyed vehicle remained in Ukraine.
The final stop of their journey was the city of Konotop in the Sumy region, where earlier this year, as part of the “Warmth for Ukraine” collection, we delivered one of the generators. Thanks to it, the local hospital and kindergarten had heating ensured despite frequent power outages.
They then went to inspect one of the school shelters, which we plan to renovate this year due to its unsatisfactory condition. Because of the shelter’s insufficient capacity, local children get to attend school in person only once every seven weeks. The rest of the time they spend at home with online learning, which is often complicated by power outages, weak internet connection, and long-term isolation from their classmates.
This shelter is one of three that we plan to renovate in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. The goal is to repair and complete the ventilation, toilets, electrical wiring, heating, lighting, and basic equipment so that lessons can at least partially continue in the shelters during air raid alerts. What we experienced in just a few days, local children experience every day. That is also why we recently launched a campaign on the Donio.sk platform to renovate these shelters, which you can also join.
Humanitarian aid burned together with the vehicle
Along with our vehicle, humanitarian aid intended for a collective center in one of the villages in the Shostka district also burned. The aid consisted of electric blankets, kitchen equipment, pots, and other basic household necessities. However, the greatest loss is the powerful power banks, which were meant to serve as a backup power source during electricity outages. It is precisely these that are currently most lacking in the center.
Fourteen people evacuated from border villages live in the collective center – including one child, several seniors, and three people with disabilities. We had already previously supplied the facility with basic equipment, including refrigerators, electric stoves, and a kitchen unit, which were to be supplemented with other necessary items.
Attacks are increasingly also affecting humanitarian aid
People in Peril has been operating in Ukraine since 2014 and for the fifth year since the start of the full-scale war. This attack also reminded us that danger does not concern only the front lines – it affects civilians, schools, and humanitarian aid intended for people in need.
We are following with great concern the increasing attacks on humanitarian organizations in Ukraine since the beginning of this year. They are repeatedly becoming direct or indirect targets, whether it concerns warehouses, supply routes, or aid distribution sites. On the same day we were attacked, Russia also struck a UN warehouse containing humanitarian aid worth one million dollars intended for internally displaced and war-affected Ukrainians.
Despite these experiences, we will continue to help. The fact that humanitarian work is under attack will not deter us. On the contrary. We are deeply convinced of its essential importance, and therefore we will continue with full commitment and support people affected by the war so that they can live a dignified life even in difficult conditions.
We are thinking of all those who, in the attacks in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, lost their loved ones, homes, or sense of safety. At the same time, we thank everyone who helps us mitigate the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
