SPECIAL PROJECT
18 November 2025
The end of February 2022 shook the world as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The global media were flooded with photos and videos from the war unfolding in the heart of Europe. The Ukrainian people showed remarkable unity, standing firm against a far larger enemy. It feels as though the world paused, watching, almost like in a film, to see how a battle the Russians hoped to finish in three days would unfold – and fail.
But things are different. The events of 24 February shook both international and Ukrainian communities around the world. Rallies in support of Ukraine sprang up in many countries, with people sending funds to aid the Armed Forces and buying whatever military equipment and medical supplies they could. The war has crossed physical borders, moving everyone for whom Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag and democratic values matter.
For the second time since 2014, Russia’s full-scale invasion has stirred millions of Ukrainians living thousands of kilometres from home – in the United States. Each has their own story of crossing the ocean. Some arrived chasing the American dream, others found refuge after earlier emigration or following Russia’s invasion of Crimea and Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and some pursued opportunities for career growth.
The founders of the Liberty Ukraine Foundation, Tonya Levchuk and Dmytro Topchiy, set foot on American soil in 2007 and 2010 respectively. United by a long-standing friendship and shared values, they built careers in finance and information technology, seeing the United States as a place for professional growth. Today, Tonya lives in Texas and Dmytro in New York.
Dmytro recalls that when he first arrived in the United States, he was surprised to see many Ukrainians presenting themselves as Russian. "I always said I was from Ukraine, explained where Ukraine is and that Ukraine is not Russia," he says.
Tonya and Dmytro maintained close ties to their homeland. Despite the distance, successful careers and a new life in the United States, Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in 2014, turned their world upside down.
Dmytro initially sent his own money to Ukrainian units defending Crimea, while Tonya started buying hemostatic gauze and tourniquets CAT that were unavailable in Ukraine. She recalls that her mother delivered the first batch of medicines and tourniquets in a regular suitcase.
The volunteer movement began spreading across the United States, as active Ukrainians in different cities organised events and gatherings to support the Ukrainian military. Tonya and Dmytro met at one of these events in 2014, and they have been working together ever since to help soldiers in the ATO/JFO. [The ATO or Anti-Terrorist Operation is a term used from 2014 to 2018 by the media, the government of Ukraine and the OSCE to identify combat actions in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts against Russian military forces and pro-Russian separatists. The term was later replaced with Joint Forces Operation, or JFO – ed.]
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Tonya Levchuk and Dmytro Topchiy realised that simply donating money and organising local fundraisers was not enough. They needed to take responsibility and secure much greater support for Ukraine. That’s how the Liberty Ukraine Foundation was born. In nearly four years of the full-scale war, it has provided the Ukrainian defence forces with drones and accessories, charging stations, generators, vehicles, engineering equipment, high-quality tactical medicine and everything else needed on the front lines – totalling almost US$20 million.
Ukrainska Pravda interviewed the founders of Liberty Ukraine about what it takes to establish a foundation for Ukrainians in America, why foreigners give to Ukraine, working without a physical office across different time zones and supporting the Ukrainian military while continuing their careers.
Tonya and Dmytro, do you remember how your volunteer work began?
Dmytro: I grew up in a military family and saw from an early age how poorly the state and society treated service members before the war. There was never enough money, and people would shout insults at my father, who would take me to kindergarten in his uniform.
But in 2014, when I watched a video from Belbek in Crimea, showing soldiers standing around the Ukrainian flag and defending it with their bare hands during an assault by Russian special forces, it became a turning point for me. I saw the weight and power carried by an officer's dignity and military oath. It gave me a powerful impetus. "If there are such brave men and women in Crimea doing this, then at the very least we need to help them," I thought – and I took action.
I remember going on the social media platform VKontakte, which Ukrainians were still using at the time, to look for people in Crimea who supported Ukraine. I gave all my own money, collected contributions from friends and sent it to Crimea to buy food for the blockaded military units.
After that, I became actively involved in events supporting Ukraine. On one occasion, some girls from Texas asked me to check a warehouse in New York that stored blood-clotting supplies, and that’s how I met Tonya Levchuk, who was already providing tactical medicine for the military. Since then, we have been working together to support the troops.
Tonya: For me, it all started in 2014, especially when people I knew began dying in the ATO zone. I started talking a lot with American military personnel, asking about the types of injuries they see and how they treat them in the US. That’s how I learned about tourniquets and haemostatic agents, which weren’t really common in Ukraine yet, and I began buying them with my own money and sending them over. Then, together with other like-minded people, we organised events to support Ukraine and, for three years until 2017, sent tactical medicine to the front. When the active phase of the war slowed down, I kept donating money to help the military.
How did the idea of creating a charitable foundation come about?
Dmytro: In mid-February 2022, Tonya and I started getting calls from friends and supporters who understood that Russia was preparing to attack Ukraine. They wanted to know how they could help and asked whether we already had a charitable foundation. In the United States, people generally don’t donate to organisations that lack official tax-exempt status, which allows donations to be written off from taxes.
Tonya: Dmytro would call me almost every day, saying we needed to set up a fund. But I kept refusing. I’d say, “No, I’ll donate on my own – it’s easier for me that way. You give US$500 or US$1,000, everyone’s grateful and you’re happy knowing you’ve bought something for your guys – and there have been many since the ATO/JFO. You don’t have to take responsibility or report to anyone.”
But when the invasion began, even more people who trusted us started calling, asking where they could donate. That’s when we realised we had to make it official – and that’s how the Liberty Ukraine fund was born.
We made a strategic decision to focus on foreign donors, realising that Ukrainians were already supporting their relatives and friends on the front line.
Dmytro, what kind of assistance did Liberty Ukraine provide to Ukraine in 2022?
Dmytro: In the early days of the invasion, our help was very specific – it was technical support. There was an urgent need for drones at the front, and Ukraine didn’t have enough of them, so we started buying them in bulk from American shops. These were mainly Mavics and Autels. Together with friends and volunteers, we transported them in large batches from the US to Poland – one person could fly with more than 70 suitcases at once. I think that was our technological know-how; I doubt anyone else in the world has done that before. The record was when I flew from Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey to Warsaw with 156 suitcases full of military aid – body armour, armour plates, helmets, optics, medicine and drones.
It was the fastest logistics imaginable. Aid sent from the US one night would reach Warsaw the next morning, Lviv the following day and within a day or two, thanks to Nova Poshta [the largest private delivery company in Ukraine], it would arrive at the front line. It was efficient, high-quality and impressive.
The military was amazed by our speed. "Here in Ukraine, we can’t order something and receive it as quickly as you brought it from America," many defenders wrote to us.
Today, Liberty Ukraine is engaged in several projects. Tonya, can you tell us more about what you’re working on now?
Tonya: We’re a military foundation, and 95% of Liberty Ukraine’s aid goes directly to the defence forces. We focus on the needs of the front line, delivering everything necessary hand to hand.
Dmytro is actively working with first-person view (FPV) drones: he finds suppliers and manufacturers, negotiates favourable prices and manages logistics from the US and Europe to Ukraine.
I moved from the United States to Kyiv six months ago and now spend every day delivering aid to the front lines. I travel to Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts and work directly with the military to understand their needs better.
Now we transport manipulators, excavators, tow trucks, Burevii drilling and crane machines, lorries, pickups and buses…
But our support goes beyond buying and delivering equipment. For instance, we ourselves repair the engineering equipment that we deliver. This allows us to reduce costs by at least 60% compared to services in Ukraine. We also install protection against FPV drones on armoured vehicles.
Soldiers often approach us with requests to repair or replace costly equipment. For example, batteries for ground-based robotic systems were bought at a price exceeding half the cost of the robots themselves.
We are constantly purchasing cables, antennas and ground stations – items that aren’t “trendy” or easy to fundraise for, but without them, the equipment simply won’t work.
The team works 12 hours a day, 6 or even 7 days a week. There is always something to do at the bases: something needs to be covered, welded, or repaired. Working with equipment is backbreaking physical labour. Not everyone understands how difficult it is to change a wheel on a tractor or build and install protection against FPV drones on armoured vehicles.
I am often asked why we don’t focus on just one thing. My answer is: “That’s not how you win a war. You have to focus on whatever is needed.”
What about humanitarian projects?
Dmytro: Although I am deeply rooted in the military sphere and completely outside the humanitarian field, each of our projects is special and touches the heart. It would be unfair to single out favourites, but the psychological camp for children who lost their parents in the war is particularly close to my heart. The idea came when a Polish company approached Liberty Ukraine, wanting to help Ukrainians but unable to donate directly to the war effort.
This camp is not just a place to relax and have fun. Specialised staff work with the children according to a dedicated programme, providing psychological rehabilitation. The camp gives children the chance to develop skills and learn how to live in a new reality without a father or mother.
We're running the camp programme for the sixth time. Each time, I visit the children at the end of the programme. Psychologists explain how the participants’ behaviour has changed, I see the results for myself, and I am energised by these emotions.
Once, we brought our donors to the camp’s closing ceremony to introduce them to the children. On the last evening, each participant reflected on and shared their “transformation”. As the children spoke, neither I nor my Polish partners could hold back our tears. It is incredibly difficult to hear a nine-year-old say that their life has become easier. Children who are just beginning to discover the world should not have to experience such profound loss – the death of a father or mother in the war. Moments like these make you understand what you are working for. You realise that these children will rebuild Ukraine in the near future, and that we must support them now.
Tonya: We also run short-term projects. For example, we renovated a ward in one of Lviv’s hospitals that treats children with rare (orphan) diseases. Young patients sometimes spend years in the hospital, so it was vital for us to create a comfortable environment for children fighting for their lives amid the war.
One of the special projects we rarely talk about is supporting centres for people who have come back from Russian captivity and survived torture. This is a sensitive topic for me, as I am also waiting for a close friend who was previously considered missing to be brought back from captivity. I feel especially for the families worried about their loved ones in Russian torture chambers. Being able to help those who have been liberated brings great joy. One centre asked Liberty Ukraine to donate TVs, another to install showers for people with disabilities. You should have seen how happy the soldiers were to have a television – while in Russian captivity, they were cut off from information and didn’t know what was happening in the world.
There is also a small production facility run by our partners, where many women who lost their husbands in the war are employed. We support them and give them the chance to do something meaningful. This is also a form of psychological help.
We also produce thermal underwear for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adaptive clothing for the wounded and merchandise sold in the United States, with 100% of the profits going to support Ukrainian defenders.
Dmytro, can you explain how the military can request assistance from Liberty Ukraine, and what kinds of requests you are able to fulfil?
Dmytro: We have what we call the General Fund, which we use to cover any additional needs that arise in the defence forces beyond what we’ve already mentioned. Today, that might be equipment or supplies; tomorrow, it could be uniforms, backpacks and more. We aim to meet any needs that exist in the military.
On the Liberty Ukraine website, there is a form for military personnel to fill out. We then contact them to see which requests we can fulfil. Our resources are limited, but we do our best to cover as much as possible.
If you look at our financial statements, you’ll see we don’t carry over surplus funds from year to year, because we aim to use everything as efficiently, effectively and quickly as possible.
Who are your main donors?
Dmytro: The United States is definitely the main source, since it’s an American fund. But the platform is international and open to anyone who wants to donate. I recently compiled statistics and counted about 65 countries from which Liberty Ukraine receives support. European countries, particularly Germany and the Baltic states, are active donors. We also receive contributions from Australia and Japan. In the past, when it was possible, we even received funds from Russia.
Why do you think donors trust you?
Dmytro: I think people donate to us because our accounting is transparent. Anyone can view our tax reports. Every hryvnia, dollar, or euro we receive goes directly to supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
None of our team members receives – or has ever received – a salary.
Tonya: Money is not a motivation for our team. Helping the military has never been a career for Dmytro or me.
Neither of us likes the word "volunteer". Nowadays, many people capitalise on this status, use it to make a name for themselves and get paid for their activities. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course. But when we are placed on the same level as other volunteer foundations whose members receive salaries, it feels unpleasant. I believe a clear distinction should be made so as not to devalue the work of those who selflessly help the front lines in their free time. I call this kind of work a mission.
Based on your observations, why do foreigners financially support Ukraine, and how has their assistance evolved as the full-scale invasion enters its fourth year?
Tonya: Foreigners donate because they see this as an unjust war. Everyone who supports us wants it to end fairly and as quickly as possible.
I think stability is highly valued in American culture, so it’s natural for people to make monthly contributions to causes they care about.
I haven’t noticed any change in the support from the American people over the past year, even with Trump’s policies. My friends continue to organise events for Ukraine. They’ve even formed their own community – the Austin Dream Bake Team. These are motivated, united and tireless volunteers from Liberty Ukraine in Austin, who regularly hold charity bake sales at least once a month and donate all the proceeds to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Many foreign donors often tell me they want to come to Ukraine and help the Ukrainian military directly. At the moment, I cannot organise a large event for them here, but I dream that after victory, I will invite all our partners who wish to come and together rebuild a school or a destroyed hospital “with our own hands”. It’s also very encouraging to see foreigners already investing in projects in Ukraine today. This shows that they believe in our country and its bright future.
Dmytro, what other events do you organise to raise funds?
Dmytro: We spend a lot of time “in the field”: travelling across the country, taking part in numerous festivals, and holding events not only in the United States but also in Canada. From the festivals alone, we managed to raise US$250,000 for drones.
We also collaborate with Ukrainian performers. We had a very successful tour with Okean Elzy, and we’ve worked with Druha Rika and TNMK. Currently, we are partnering with the bands Bez Obmezhen, Latexfauna and Hardkiss.
Overall, we try to use a variety of ways to engage people and encourage them to take part in our initiatives and help.
Tonya and Dmytro, you’ve been running the fund continuously for almost four years while also working full-time. How do you manage to balance these responsibilities, and what keeps you motivated?
Tonya: I’m motivated when I see the results of our work. If the techniques we teach save even a single life, then it’s worth it.
I believe that soldiers in the trenches should focus on just one thing: completing their tactical tasks, staying alive and supporting their brothers- and sisters-in-arms. They shouldn’t have to worry about launching a drone, filming videos, asking for help, or raising money for equipment penny by penny.
My position is that soldiers should focus solely on their main tasks, while all other support should come, if not from the state, then from each of us personally. After all, it is only thanks to the defence forces that we can live in the rear.
I often travel to the front line and see firsthand how the help we provide saves lives. Over the years of working together, we have grown incredibly close with these young men and women, and we have truly become one family. I am deeply gratified when they share their joys and successes on the battlefield. I also try to share their pain, going through losses and difficult moments alongside them. I know that if my units need something, I will find it and deliver it – I will do everything in my power. Experience shows that I have the strength to do so.
So when things get tough, I think about the defenders who have been fighting for nearly four years, and I realise that as long as they hold on, I cannot give up.
The success of the fund comes from our entire dedicated team – people guided by ideas who don’t even think about the time or the day of the week. If the defenders need something, we act without hesitation.
Dmytro: Unfortunately, Tonya and I haven’t thought about our careers for a long time. I go to work just to provide for myself. But even during the day, I often deal with issues related to the foundation – placing orders, replying to messages, speaking with soldiers who call whenever they can. I’ll pick up the phone even at two in the morning in America, because I know that, sadly, every conversation with a defender could be their last.
Days and nights blur together, and sleep and rest have become very relative concepts for me. Am I burning out? Yes. But there are always reasons to get up and keep going. After all, Tonya and I are responsible for the people who have trusted us, and we cannot let them down.
But first and foremost, we have no right to let down those who need our help right now. It’s not just help – it’s our part of the bigger process.
We are part of this military effort. We are part of this nation. And it’s not about helping – it’s about doing our part.
For example, we have UAV operators and we deliver drones to them. And this is not our help; it is our part of the job, we do it. And the more Ukrainians around the world understand that they need to be part of the war, the sooner we will bring it to an end.
We cannot take a break from our work because the war continues every day, and tomorrow might never come. Unfortunately, our war has been raging not on certain days of the week, but around the clock for 11 years, and it is the people who keep this war – and this country – going. There will be no point in our foundation or anything else if the human resources fighting this war run out.
If you are Ukrainian and identify as such anywhere in the world, you have no choice but to work for Ukraine’s victory.
For me, the foundation is like an addiction. People sometimes say I protect it as if it were my own child. But when you are fully invested in what you do, and bring in people who believe in it, you can’t act any other way. Naturally, you treat it with great care and respect.