“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty.”
– Winston Churchill

For the third year running, the “Aybolit: On the Way to Recovery” project continues to fulfill its mission. Our small but resilient team persists in fighting and finding opportunities to work without slowing down. Thank you, dear colleagues, for your motivation and resilience!

Our number of beneficiaries—veterans with severe injuries and disabilities—grows monthly. In May alone, Aybolit assisted 328 people. That month, we welcomed our 5,000th patient. As of now, 5,276 patients have received free care throughout the project’s duration, with approximately 3,000 receiving medical transportation.

‼ Free services for veterans through the Aybolit project include:

• Medical transportation
• Legal assistance
• Psychological support
• Aquatic therapy
• Equine-assisted therapy (hippotherapy)
• Kinesiotherapy & adaptive sports training
• Entrepreneurship courses
• Emergency first responder training
• Retreats for veterans and IDPs

Over two years, the project’s vehicles have transported 2,779 patients, covering 126,689 km—equivalent to circling Earth’s equator three times. In May 2025, our dedicated driver, Andriy “Pozytyv” Lytvynenko, transported 147 people with disabilities and severe injuries. Thank you, my friend!

Demand for one-time mobility-limited patient transportation remains steady. We value every veteran and never decline urgent transportation requests.

We extend gratitude to our core partners:

• The Ministry of Health of Ukraine’s “Lisova Polyana” Center for Mental Health and Veteran Rehabilitation
• AVANTI Trade—Free Limb Prosthetics Center

Hippotherapy sessions on specially trained horses continue in high demand. Every Sunday, our vehicles transport participants from “Lisova Polyana” to Zabirya’s Klondike stable for therapeutic riding amid lakes and scenic landscapes. In May, 43 veterans used this service (616 total since the project launch).

🫶🇺🇦 That month, Aybolit completed pre-medical emergency response training for two student groups at Kyiv’s Havros Professional Medical College. Instructor Alla Zakrevska (Kyiv Ukrainian Red Cross Society) led the sessions. 67 students earned globally recognized (192 countries) course certificates.

We thank College Director Anna Chervona and Academic Supervisor Yulia Honcharenko for their organizational support. To date, 174 people have completed URCS Emergency First Responder courses. We plan to expand this initiative, as the training is vital for medical students.

Pavlo Parkhomenko, Executive Director of our Wings of Victory Foundation, continues teaching the two-day “Start Your Own Business” course—urgently needed in Kyiv Oblast communities. Aybolit psychologist Victoria Kost co-facilitates. Since the project began, 64 veterans have gained entrepreneurship skills.

Our veteran and military rehabilitation swim team at Ukraine’s National University of Physical Education and Sports (NUFVSU) maintains regular practice. May saw 50 veterans use free swimming services (monthly average: 30–50; 570 total over two years).

In early June, 20 veterans competed in the “Capable and Strong 2025” swim meet. Special thanks to Photographer @Антон Федоров for stunning event coverage and to NUFVSU leadership for program support:

• Acting Rector @Пижов Олександр Михайлович
• Olympic Complex Director @Санжаров Руслан Вікторович
• Rehabilitation Center Director @Корж Віктор Петрович
• Paralympic Coach @Домбровський Вадим Олександрович
• Rehabilitologist @Вакуленко Роман

Veteran and IDP women’s retreats deserve special mention. Two retreats have served 34 participants, with strong interest for future sessions. The warm, communicative atmosphere profoundly benefits attendees’ mental health. Sports equipment we provide remains actively used during these events.

‼ Part of the above initiatives is realized by the Wings of Victory charity within the Capable and Resistant Program implemented by the East Europe Foundation with the financial support of Switzerland.

We also express our sincere gratitude to our permanent sponsors, without which the activities of the project would be impossible:

@RGOW Projekte, Switzerland

@Олесь Клименко та Соня Атлантова

@БФ Святого Мартіна Де Порес

@Partnerschaftsaktion Ost im Bistum Magdeburg, Germany

@МБФ «Сприяння Розвитку Медицини»

@БФ «Час служити»

We thank our military for their courage and protection.

Stand Strong!