Billionaire businessman Vadym Novynskyi’s charitable organization, the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation, recently announced a significant milestone in its philanthropic efforts. A press release dated April 12 reported that since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion last year, the foundation has provided more than 430 million hryvnia (approximately $11.6 million) in charitable assistance to Ukraine.

From the moment Russian boots hit the ground in Ukrainian territory, the foundation has focused its efforts on helping the areas most affected, including the now Russian-controlled port city of Mariupol, where more than 38 million hryvnia was allocated to procuring food and medical supplies, which were sent to the city via humanitarian aid convoys.

While a large consignment of this aid unfortunately didn’t reach Mariupol due to Russian forces destroying aid convoys and erecting blockades, the foundation did spend a further 3.8 billion hryvnia to purchase evacuation vehicles to aid the wide-scale evacuation of civilians.

Since the fall of Mariupol, the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation has directed its aid to cities and regions that have large populations of internally displaced persons, many of whom originally lived in Mariupol. This includes Kherson, which has been under sustained attack since the invasion last February.

10,000 Hygiene Kits for Kherson Residents

More than 10,000 hygiene products were distributed in late March to Kherson residents. Kherson, which had a population of more than 330,000 before the war, has been shelled regularly by Russian forces positioned across the Dnipro River.

“Every day, many representatives of military units, public organizations, and charitable foundations contact us with a request to help with food, hygiene products, generators, etc. This time, we are handing over 5,000 sanitizers and over 5,000 packs of wet wipes to a partner charitable volunteer organization,” said Iryna Danko, a manager who works for the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation.

These critical hygiene products were distributed in collaboration with Unity of the World, a partner charity of the Vadym Novynskyi Charitable Foundation. A spokesperson for the charity said, “Thank you to the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation for such a great opportunity to help our people in front-line settlements. This is not the first time we have received such necessary products; our wards will also be grateful to you for this help.”

The foundation has also partnered with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kherson to deliver three electricity generators and 500 kilograms of canned meat.

120 Ambulances for Ukraine’s Defenders

In addition to providing humanitarian aid to civilians, Vadym Novynskyi has overseen the procurement and distribution of more than 120 ambulances to the military and health care personnel.

Donations of ambulances began last April when nine vehicles were given to the Territorial Medical Association Regional Center for Emergency Medical Aid and Disaster Medicine of Zaporizhzhia Regional Council. In August, five more emergency vehicles arrived in Zaporizhzhia after being purchased inside the European Union by Novynskyi’s foundation.

More recently, military unit A7224 in Bakhmut took delivery of an ambulance following a direct appeal from the unit to the foundation. “We are very happy to help exactly where our participation is most needed. So today, in response to the appeal of the leadership of the A7224 military unit, we are handing over another special vehicle to our defenders,” said Foundation official Vitaly Nemytov in a statement.

Over 1 Billion Hryvnia Donated to Date

In total, the amount of funds allocated by Vadym Novynskyi through his foundation and other business operations, such as Metinvest Group, stands at more than 1 billion hryvnia. Through Metinvest Group, Novynskyi has been supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the Steel Front initiative.

The Vadym Novynskyi Charitable Foundation remains receptive to applications from other charitable organizations that wish to collaborate on humanitarian aid projects. The foundation is particularly interested in those who can help supply medical goods. “The Vadym Novynskyi Charitable Foundation is open to applications from specialized medical institutions, military-civilian administrations, and representatives of military units for the organization of operational supplies of medical goods,” says the foundation’s website.