Experience of volunteers from Ukraine: a part should be set aside for the war, although 20 euros each

The Jonavičiai family does not calculate the amount of support they have already received, but when they try to calculate, it amounts to several hundred thousand euros. Svajūnas and Irma gather support from friends, various Lithuanian companies, and individual supporters. But the couple does more than transport humanitarian aid. At the same time, they travel around Ukrainian villages and towns, get to know people.

“From the beginning of the war, my goal was not only support, but to get to know the country and its people,” says Svajūnas. And his wife Irma calculated: during the first year of the war, her husband spent five months in Ukraine.

The couple, who returned from Ukraine last week, say that this time they felt a different mood of the local people – after the decision of the United States to allocate support, it became a holiday for the Ukrainians. Full Lviv cafes, joy, emotions – everything was very palpable.

“People said that now it will be different, that the soldiers will have more opportunities. It is very important to them. Of course, at the same time, they realize that it will be some time before the support reaches Ukraine. However, there is hope that has been lacking lately. Like weapons.”

For the Ukrainians, this support means that they will be able not to save ammunition, because it happens that they have their last box and do not know whether they will bring another one or not.

The soldiers told me that there was even a shortage of automatic weapons, two of them shared one,” says the people of Jonavies.