🇺🇦 72nd Mechanized Brigade

We've received word from our friends in the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade that they are in desperate need of medical supplies. After months of weathering daily airstrikes with Russian FAB-500 glide bombs, and being encircled by Russian forces they are now critically low on almost everything. They recently broke out of the encirclement to meet back up with the rest of the brigade, and have now been redeployed to an even more dangerous area of the front.

Most Critical Needs:

• 2x Advanced Medical Bag
• Iodine and Antiseptics
• Hemostatic Gauze
• Bandages
• Authentic Tourniquets
• Chest Seals
• Restocking Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs)
• Cold weather gloves, socks, and hats

Stretch Goal:

A replacement Starlink dish (the original was destroyed by a Russian drone last year)

Latest updates from Oleksiy:

September 1, 2024

 I have written everywhere to try to solve our vehicle problem.  I also have written to everyone we can. We can not raise enough to fix our medical vehicle. We are leaving for [redacted] in a couple days and it is almost suicide to go to the hottest part of the front and have to rely on a brigades medical team other than ours.

Guys are nervous about heading there and having to trust a medical team they have never met. Hopefully they don't hesitate to pick up the wounded on my team. The guys are just nervous that they won't get treated the same as when they are the medical team for our unit.

We are approx halfway to our goal of fixing our medical vehicle, but we're still $1260 shy of the total amount needed. We don't know what to do. We have never been in such a predicament before where we are stuck to the point where my brothers are totally in danger of being severely hurt or dying.

If there is a way you can promote our situation to help us or at least talk with some people. We have tried to get help from as many people as we can think of. We need this help the most and it seems like we are getting the least amount of attention and help.

We just ran out of people to try to help us. We are stranded and don't know what to do. We are in a bad way and we are going to have to rely on other brigades to help us with medical. This is something we are are sincerely worried about and not looking forward to. [Redacted] is extremely hot and we don't know what to do.

August 16, 2024

We have broken out of the encirclement and managed to establish a new position. It was extremely tough, and nearly everyone was wounded in the action. Remarkably we did not lose anyone. We have been in a bad way. We are spread thin. I am not able to check the phone as frequently as I would like to. They have the capability of finding our location with certain equipment. We are in need of medical supplies. We also would like to get another Starlink for our UAV team.

I was raised as a religious Christian. I stopped believing years ago after losing friends in the war. But lately I have started to practice my faith again. I have been close to death many times since the current invasion. When I was wounded I went to visit my priest. I pray everyday now and it gives me the courage and strength when I need it.

I hope you and family are well. I wish you health and can't thank you enough for helping the Brigade. My wife came to visit a town near our location. She brought my daughters. I miss them more everyday. They are growing up fast and I just wish I could spend time with them. I pray to God I will see the end of the war. I am tired of this fight. I have lost many good friends. The drone threat is the biggest thing we are facing.

August 6, 2024

I hope you are doing well. We are fully encircled. there are 2 units coming to help clear the way for us. If you don't hear from me, I just want to let you know thank you so much for helping the Brigade. I cannot thank you enough. Love you brother.

April 30, 2024

Hello friend. We are in an emergency situation where we need life saving medical supplies. There has been a mass casualty event in the Brigade. If you can change some info on the website, we are low on many supplies, but we are now without critical medical supplies after the mass casualty event. We have two 200 [killed], and many 300 [wounded]. We cannot continue without these critical medical supplies. The western aid is starting to trickle in in the form of weapons. I hope TC200 can help somewhat with the medical aid, or at least reach more people than I can. Thank you for always being supportive of my unit and brigade.  For Ukraine's Freedom!

March 2, 2024

Hey friend, We are critically low on medical supplies. We have run out of certain medical supplies for our field office. We ran out of iodine, antiseptic, certain blood collection items, specific gauze, and various other items. Also, Our newly trained field medic is in need of a quality medical bag. We have tried to raise the funds by ourselves but it seems that the people around the world have given up on us and Ukraine.

Some guys are nervous to go to position knowing we are lacking various medical supplies. If there is any way you can help us, I know the medics and guys would be greatly appreciated.

We are really in need of US and EU aid. It has effected almost every aspect of the war. We are also in need of some car repairs but the medical supplies are most crucial.

January 3, 2024:

Thank you, friend. I was able to get 36 hours off. My family met me closer to the front. Thank you for supporting us. We have been able to help 2 guys with Winter gear they did not have. We are still trying to raise enough for at least 3 more people. I have gone without so they can be well equipped. Medical is also fairly low.
The 72nd and my battalion would like to wish you a great New Year. Hopefully you had a great holiday and Christmas. We hope this year brings victory. Again, thank you for support friend. 💙💛

December 8, 2023:

Hello friend. I hope you are well. We are trying to fund a small generator to charge our drones, radios, and cell batteries. We are also trying to fund for quality winter gear like gortex, Sox, thermal under garments, and waterproof boots, fleece hats and gloves. If there is anyway you can update the website. Being cold and wet is extremely unmotivating and brings our morale down. Thank you friend if you can do this for us.

Vuhledar has seen an extreme amount of activity. We have lost two members to wounds. One severely and another who should recover. I'm hoping to be able to see my family for the holidays. I haven't seen them in such a long time, I miss them. I want this war to end. It seems like I'm training new guys every two weeks. Thank you for supporting us. My guys and I feel like the world and others in Ukraine have given up on us. We don't receive aid or donations anymore.

November 5, 2023:

Hello Friend, 
I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk much. The Russians took out our forward operating Starlink. So I only get connection when I make it back to the main HQ. I guess there is a video of the Russians dropping the grenade on our Starlink. I haven't seen it but others have. 

On November 2nd, the Russians tried an armored thrust to Vuhledar where we are. We had a battle that lasted over a day.  I'll try to send some pictures [a few below]. We sustained quite a high casualty rate during this battle. The battle is all over the internet from what I hear. We have 5 members injured, 3 severely. One is definitely going to lose his leg. Also, a couple have severe TBI to the point where they can't walk and are throwing up.

We used a tremendous amount of personal medical equipment from our IFAKs [Individual First Aid Kits]. We desperately need funds to get some replacement medical supplies to stock our IFAKs back up to where they need to be. We have not received any donations in over a week. I think the world has forgotten about Ukraine because of what is going on in the middle east, which I fully understand. They need support as much as we do I'm sure.

My guys and I are nervous in case another Russian attempt comes because our IFAKs don't have the necessary supplies.

October 9, 2023

Hello, friend. We are having quite a hard time. We think the world has given up on Ukraine. We also understand Israel is going through a tough time at the moment, and people are tired of giving to Ukraine. We do not enjoy asking, but these donations save the lives of my brothers, and so I will ask. We are in a bad situation. Our remaining vehicle is still damaged, and we have not been able to replenish what was lost in the destroyed vehicle. We are buying all our own winter clothing, and what supplies we can afford on our own. Any donation will help, $5, $20, $30 will save one of my brother's lives.

September 9, 2023

We are in severe need of ear protection with communication links and simple eye protection. We lose too many guys from foreign objects getting in their eyes after artillery strikes. It takes them immediately out of the fight. With so much artillery, all it takes is a speck of dirt.

Oleksiy's unit recently suffered a direct artillery strike and lost a lot of their supplies (video below):

The artillery hit on our location. We had two vehicles get hit, one directly. I lost 2 brothers KIA, 3 wounded (with 2 amputations). I took fragmentation in my leg which is healing well. If you can help, we are desperately looking for donors to help acquire some replacement equipment. The vehicle that took the direct hit was carrying much of our equipment including daypacks, a Mavic 3 for surveillance, a range finder, 2 Motorola RDU series radios, IFAKS [first aid kits], 2 pairs tactical combat gloves, 7 pairs of eye protection, and one PVS 14 Night vision for night driving during emergency medevac and resupply. If you can help find donors. It would be greatly appreciated.

They also need a constant supply of quality medical supplies. They have dangerously few tourniquets and chest seals, both of which are unfortunately used quite frequently. And, of course, things as simple as sterile gauze and gloves are critically important, but rarely included in the large Western aid packages.

If you can help, any small amount can save a life. $10 can buy some gauze, $20 can buy a tourniquet, $40 can buy some eye protection. This is a medical unit, so all donations will be going directly to saving Ukrainian lives.