Finnish aid group sends 93 truckloads of supplies to Ukraine

The Ukrainians’ Association in Finland has sent 93 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, Yle reports. A first-aid package sent by volunteers once saved a soldier’s life, according to logistics centre worker Anita Koskinen-Vasilenko.

The association’s logistics centre in Vantaa is filled with hospital beds, fire extinguishers, first-aid supplies, tools and sleeping bags. Goods are organised on pallets, rolling containers and in boxes, with labels showing the contents, origin and destination of each shipment.

Including deliveries made in cooperation with other organisations, about 1.65 million kilograms of supplies have been sent to Ukraine.

Volunteers across Finland collect and send goods to the centre, Koskinen-Vasilenko said. The centre began operating immediately after the invasion in February 2022 and has been based at its current Vantaa premises since October that year.

About 15 to 20 volunteers work there on a quiet day, while as many as 40 may be present on busier days.

Messages from Ukraine encourage the volunteers to continue their work.

“I once received a message from a Ukrainian volunteer saying that a first-aid package we had sent had saved a soldier’s life,” Koskinen-Vasilenko said. “That is how you know the aid matters.”

The centre also produces camouflage nets to protect equipment, vehicles and people from drones and enemy observation. Koskinen-Vasilenko said making the nets gives the volunteers a tangible sense of helping.

“With your hands, you make nets that you know will save lives or protect vehicles and keep soldiers alive as they move,” she said.

Koskinen-Vasilenko has a close connection to Ukraine. She studied there and met her husband while living in the country. She said the prolonged war can sometimes feel overwhelming.

She has lost her closest friend at the front, while her husband’s entire family is in Ukraine and her goddaughter’s family lives in Kyiv. Air strikes on the capital make her fearful and worried, she said.

Koskinen-Vasilenko tries to avoid negative news and instead focuses on positive developments and helping others.

“Even though it does not resolve the war, it helps people there survive,” she said.