I woke up today, checked the news from Ukraine, and felt that familiar punch in the stomach. Another massive Russian attack on Kyiv, more explosions over a city that just wants to live a normal life. While I sit here in safety, people there wake up to air raid sirens, shattered windows, and smoke on the horizon. At some point “thoughts and prayers” become a way to feel better about ourselves without actually doing anything. Today I decided I didn’t want to stop at feeling bad. I wanted to act. So I opened UNITED24 and made a donation.
Why I chose UNITED24
There are many ways to support Ukraine, but UNITED24 is the one I keep coming back to. It is the official platform created by the Ukrainian government to channel donations directly into a few clear directions: defense, medical aid, humanitarian demining, reconstruction, and more. No random middlemen, no shady “foundations” with unclear addresses. It goes straight to the National Bank of Ukraine and from there to the ministries that actually buy drones, ambulances, equipment, and rebuild houses and hospitals.
I’m not naïve: no system in a country at war is 100% perfect or magically free from corruption. But UNITED24 is built with transparency in mind, under a spotlight, with civil society and international partners constantly looking over its shoulder. That is exactly what I want to see: a country that not only fights for its survival, but also tries to do things cleanly and openly, even in the chaos of war.
The app that turns you into an ally
This time I donated through the UNITED24 app, not just the website. It’s surprisingly simple: you open it, choose what you want to support, and in a few taps your money is on its way. You don’t need to be a millionaire; even a small amount can fund a piece of a drone, a tourniquet, a medical kit, or fuel for an evacuation vehicle.
What I really like is how the app connects you with specific directions and units. You don’t just throw money into a black hole; you see who you’re backing and what they’re doing. Recently I chose to support “Magyar Birds”, a frontline drone unit that intercepts enemy drones and protects Ukrainian defenders and cities. Knowing that my money is helping to keep someone alive, or to stop a Russian drone from reaching an apartment block, feels very different from a generic “donate” button somewhere on the internet.
About corruption and trust
Let’s talk about the uncomfortable word: corruption. Ukraine had (and still has) a serious corruption problem. They know it, we know it, everyone knows it. For me, that’s exactly why I pay attention to who is trying to change that, and how. UNITED24 is not some shady black box. It’s part of a bigger push to show the world where the money goes, to publish reports, to cooperate with independent watchdogs and international organizations.
So no, I cannot promise that every single euro on every single invoice is perfect and pure. But I can say this: if I compare UNITED24 to most random crowdfunding campaigns, this is where I feel my money is both impactful and relatively safe. It’s an informed decision, not blind faith.
Today’s attack on Kyiv and our role
Coming back to today. While I write this, people in Kyiv are sweeping broken glass from their floors, checking on relatives, scrolling their phones to see if their friends answered, “I’m alive.” The war didn’t end because the headlines got tired. Russia still launches missiles and drones, still tries to terrorize millions of people into submission.
And I still live my life: I cycle, I travel, I drink coffee in quiet streets far from the front. It is precisely because my life is peaceful that I feel a responsibility to use that privilege. I cannot stop the missiles; I cannot rebuild a bridge with my own hands. But I can help the people who are doing exactly that.
That’s why today I donated through UNITED24. Not to feel like a hero, not to post a screenshot and farm likes, but to do the bare minimum of what a human with a working conscience can do.
I don’t look at Ukraine from a distance anymore. I’ve spent around three months traveling there, crossing the country by bicycle, from quiet villages to big cities, meeting people who live with this war every single day. I’ve shared tea in kitchens where the power went out mid‑sentence, slept in guest rooms where the host casually points to a window and says, “That one was blown out by a blast last year.” When you’ve cycled these roads and looked people in the eyes, “the war in Ukraine” stops being an abstract headline and becomes something deeply personal.
An invitation, not a lecture
I’m not here to preach. I know everyone has their own problems, bills, worries, and some of you already help in your own way. But if you’ve been thinking for months, “I should do something for Ukraine… someday”, let this be a gentle push.
Download the UNITED24 app, or go to their website. Choose a direction that speaks to you: medical aid, demining, reconstruction, drones, whatever aligns with your values. Make it the cost of one dinner out, one night at the bar, one impulse purchase you won’t even remember next week.
I’ve done my part today. It was not huge, but it was real. And if a few of you reading this decide to do the same, then this post will have already been worth writing.
Even if you can’t donate right now, there is still something small and meaningful you can do. Just downloading the UNITED24 app, giving it a five‑star rating, and sharing it with a couple of friends already helps to push it higher in the stores and onto more people’s screens. Visibility matters: the more people who see it, the more chances that someone, somewhere, will decide to make the donation you can’t make today.
CyclOrbit 