UAH 2 billion for Ukraine: SCM businesses, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar continue to support Ukraine and its people

Since February 24, 2022, SCM businesses, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar have already donated over UAH 2.1 billion (about $72 million) to Ukraine and Ukrainian people. The total amount of support with taxes paid upfront exceeds $100 million.

Humanitarian aid to civilians accounts for the biggest part of the amount and includes food, medicine, basic essentials, help with evacuation, shelters, etc. Moreover, the money was spent to create the biggest archive of Ukrainian witness accounts of the war hostilities committed by Russia. The scope and areas of humanitarian aid are established in concert with the national and local authorities that helps increase its efficiency.

Supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Territorial Defence is another focus area covered by the humanitarian aid. Ukrainian defenders receive vehicles, drones, thermal imagers, fortifications, clothes, protective gear, first-aid kits, etc. Metinvest is going to help with production and purchase of 100,000 bulletproof vests.

Support centres have been deployed in dozens of localities where SCM businesses operate. They are primarily established to help IDPs, in particular, create jobs and arrange shelters for them. In addition, SCM businesses supply fuel, materials and provide other assistance to utility services, including coal to Ukrzaliznytsia evacuation trains.

DTEK power engineers and Ukrtelecom workers help support the operation of the Ukrainian critical infrastructure on a daily basis, bringing back on electricity and connectivity to Ukrainian homes after the shelling. Free power is supplied to military and medical facilities, as well as to bakeries in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, as well as in Kyiv city. The plan is to bring power back on to all Kyiv Oblast consumers by 1 June.

Rinat Akhmetov's businesses in concert with his Foundation have launched the Saving Lives project to purchase, deliver, and hand over humanitarian aid from Europe to socially vulnerable people in Ukrainian towns and cities (https://savinglives.scm.com.ua).
Lemtrans and its partners are responsible for development of the humanitarian network logistics: #RailwayHelpsUkraine (https://railwayhelpsukraine.org/). 

FC Shakhtar has launched Shelter Centre at Arena Lviv stadium, which has hosted more than 500 IDPs already. Also, Shakhtar embarks on their Shakhtar Global Tour for Peace in Ukraine charity matches. All funds raised from the sale of tickets and advertising will be used to help Ukrainian defenders, volunteer organisations, medical staff, and war-affected children.

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Presidential Office, Media Group Ukraine and other media groups have launched FreeDom, an international broadcasting channel to lead a fightback against Russian propaganda. Media Group Ukraine donates millions of hryvnias every month to support the channel. 

In addition, before February 24, SCM businesses were the first to pay UAH 1 billion in taxes upfront (over $30 million) for 2022 on the initiative of Rinat Akhmetov. This step was taken to enhance the defence capabilities of the country and support the national economy.
Since early 2022, Rinat Akhmetov has donated over UAH 3 billion (more than $100 million) in aid to Ukraine.

Follow the daily updates on the support efforts of SCM businesses, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, and FC Shakhtar on their official websites (https://www.scm.com.ua, https://akhmetovfoundation.org, https://shakhtar.com) and their official social media.