Hi, my name is Veronika Shyyan and I have an urgent appeal to friends, colleagues and strangers alike for help raising funds to support the people of Ukraine and assist them with the purchase of non-lethal personal defence equipment to help defend their homes and homeland.

Last week, Russia launched a full-scale, unprovoked and illegal military invasion of my home country of Ukraine. And within the last few days, Russian soldiers have come to the undefended town where I grew up and where my family and friends live. They stole the food and they took the gas for their tanks and vehicles that will continue the assault on my country. This and far worse is happening across the country as Russia continues to escalate its assault on more major cities and small towns alike.

While I’m fortunate to be safe in Canada, my family, friends and their families are either hiding in bomb shelters or directly fighting invading soldiers largely unprotected. After conversations with friends and family currently in Ukraine and extensive research, I’ve determined that the most important way to empower the Ukrainian people right now is to provide defensive gear and equipment to help them defend their homes. I am currently working with friends in BC and Toronto to purchase and send bulletproof vests and other means of non-lethal personal defence equipment to Ukrainian citizens and soldiers. There are very few options available in Europe and they desperately need whatever we can provide as soon as we can.

Please donate what you can to help save as many lives as possible. All funds will go directly to the purchase and transport of this equipment directly to the Ukrainian people who desperately need it. On behalf of all Ukrainians currently in hiding and Ukraine’s brave armed forces who are not only fighting for their land, but for the right to democracy across the world, your help would be greatly appreciated.

With love and solidarity,

Veronika

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