Slovak Volunteers Raise Funds for Medical Supplies for Ukrainian Armed Forces as Part of Oksana 50 Initiative

Slovak volunteers joined the Czech initiative Dárek pro Putina (Gift for Putin) and jointly delivered 72 evacuation vehicles to Ukraine for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This was reported by the organization Nadácia Otvorenej spoločnosti (Open Society Foundation), which led the fundraising effort on the Slovak side.

A record 87 drivers transported a total of 72 vehicles purchased through the OKSANA 50 public collection to the eastern border, which are already being used as fully-fledged ambulances.

In addition to the vehicles, the convoy also brought 110 specialized medical backpacks and 102 EcoFlow charging stations.

“Organizing a convoy of this scale was a rather complex logistical operation, so it is especially gratifying to see its successful completion. It is truly incredible what we have achieved together. Watching dozens of determined people who, without hesitation, got behind the wheel to help deliver this equipment to where it saves lives is an experience of a lifetime. I would like to express my immense gratitude to every donor, volunteer, and partner who helped us achieve this historic result,” said Martin Ondracek, the initiator of the Dárek pro Putina collection.

According to the volunteers, the evacuation ambulances delivered by the convoy have a distinctive civilian appearance. Over the years of war, it has become clear that anything green or marked as military immediately becomes a target for Russian attacks. In some areas, such as near Kherson, the civilian appearance of a vehicle is critical to survival.

Each ambulance is also equipped with a special and expensive CLS backpack. It contains tourniquets, bandages, medicines, and scissors — everything a paramedic on the front line needs to save lives.

The symbol of the entire collection was the Oksana ambulance, which Slovak volunteers delivered to Ukraine in November 2024. In January 2025, it was destroyed by a Russian drone, killing three people in the attack. The destroyed vehicle was later returned to Slovakia and displayed in fifteen cities in Slovakia and the Czech Republic as a powerful reminder of the war.

The initial goal of the campaign was to compensate for this loss with fifty new vehicles worth a total of €1 million. As the initiators of the collection emphasize, Operation Oksana 50 is not only humanitarian aid to the heroic Ukrainian people, but also “a clear manifestation of civil resistance to the harmful foreign policy” of the current Slovak government.

“We are honored to join forces on this occasion. This record-breaking convoy is the best proof that true solidarity and aid policies in Slovakia and the Czech Republic today are represented not by government politicians, but by the citizens themselves. This only underscores the importance of an open civil society and its ability to influence not only domestic but also foreign policy,” emphasized Fedir Blashchak, head of Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti and one of the initiators of the collection.

Although the initiative reached its initial goal of €1 million shortly before Christmas, on December 23, 2025, due to high demand from Ukrainian units, the organizers decided to continue the collection. The organizers are calling on the public to support the initiative and spread the word among family and friends. This is an opportunity to show that citizens continue to stand for solidarity, freedom, and independence and are ready to help heroic Ukraine defend Europe from Russian aggression.

It should be noted that in 2024, volunteers from Slovakia and the Czech Republic launched a fundraising campaign called “Munícia pre Ukrajinu” to purchase ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have already delivered thousands of artillery shells, 122-mm rockets, and rocket-propelled grenades. As of March 2026, the initiative has raised a total of €5.776 million.