Ukraine’s volunteer group Dobrobat has rapidly repaired damage from Russian attacks, including a June 15 missile strike that shattered windows in Kyiv, with volunteers installing temporary coverings to protect residents. The group, with 55,000 members, has restored homes for over a million Ukrainians, according to spokesman Vadym Severyn.
On June 15, a Russian missile attack on Kyiv left Mariya Prokopchuk’s apartment building in shambles, with shattered windows and debris scattered across the neighborhood. The blast, part of an hours-long assault that killed five civilians and sparked fires in the Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra, left Prokopchuk fearing looters. Within hours, Dobrobat, Ukraine’s largest volunteer army,
arrived with tools and materials to board up the damaged windows, ensuring her home remained secure until permanent repairs could be made.
Dobrobat’s Rapid Response and Global Reach
Dobrobat, an acronym for Battalion of Kindness,
has become a critical force in post-attack recovery. The group’s spokesman, Vadym Severyn, emphasized that every request for help is fulfilled, regardless of scale. Irrespective of the amount of work, irrespective of its volume, the number of volunteers at work, the result is always the same – 100 percent of the people who asked for help get it,
he said. The organization’s volunteers include both Ukrainians and foreigners, with participants from three dozen countries, such as Lars Fersters, a 70-year-old Swedish blacksmith who joined after learning of Russian atrocities in occupied regions.
Volunteers like Fersters use a combination of tools and translation apps to communicate with local residents, focusing on quick fixes like tarpaulin roofs and long-term retrofitting. Last year, Fersters worked alongside international teams to rebuild a house in Kyiv’s Irpin, which had been damaged by Russian shelling in 2022. I got angry, and asked myself, ‘Is there anything I can do?’
Fersters said, reflecting on his decision to join the effort.
Beyond Immediate Repairs: A Wider Volunteer Network
Dobrobat is part of a broader volunteer movement that outpaces government agencies in providing aid.
While Dobrobat focuses on reconstruction, other Ukrainian efforts target Russia’s military infrastructure. For example, a separate operation saw 21 Russian vessels destroyed in 72 hours, according to a report by AOL, including tankers in the Sea of Azov. Meanwhile, Forbes detailed Ukraine’s use of drones to dismantle bridges, a tactic that has disrupted Russian supply lines to Crimea.
The Human Element: Foreign Volunteers and Local Resilience
Local residents like Prokopchuk emphasize the group’s impact. These guys are skilful and try to make things better,
she said, sitting in her kitchen as volunteers finished boarding up her windows. The temporary coverings, though dark and makeshift, provided a critical layer of security in a city still reeling from relentless attacks.
The Broader Conflict: Military and Civilian Fronts
While Dobrobat addresses the aftermath of attacks, Ukraine’s military continues to strike Russian targets. Reuters reported that Ukrainian drones killed five in Rostov-on-Don and targeted multiple Russian cities, while other updates noted strikes on Crimea’s infrastructure. These actions underscore the dual front of the conflict: military operations and civilian recovery efforts.
As the conflict continues, the resilience of groups like Dobrobat and the persistence of volunteer networks highlight the human cost and adaptability of Ukraine’s response. With international support and grassroots mobilization, the country continues to rebuild, even as the broader conflict escalates.
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