Expanding support: how the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s aid programmes have changed over three years of full-scale war

In the very first days of russia’s war against Ukraine in 2014, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation launched a support programme for residents of the war-torn Donbas. This experience allowed the Foundation to respond promptly to people’s requests in 2022, in the very first days of the full-scale invasion. Since then, the Foundation has expanded its areas of work and focused on helping the most vulnerable categories of the population.

Humanitarian aid
Both before and during the full-scale invasion, the Foundation has been delivering food packages with essential products to frontline settlements and internally displaced persons.

After February 2022, the Foundation provides food aid to IDPs across the country. The Foundation also responds immediately to escalations and changes in the humanitarian situation caused by the hostilities and evacuations.

In addition to food aid, the Foundation has sent people hygiene kits, heaters, tablets to disinfect drinking water, etc.

Aid for rehabilitation and treatment
The Rehabilitation of Wounded Children project has also been scaled up. The enemy is shelling residential buildings in many cities and the number of victims has increased significantly.

As a result, during the great war, the Foundation launched the Rehabilitation for Wounded Adults project, which supports civilians. The Foundation also helps to treat people after severe injuries caused by shelling.

In 2022, the Mobile Psychology Team project was launched. Group psychological self-help classes were held in 11 regions of Ukraine for IDPs, medical professionals, volunteers, social workers, teachers and high school students.

Helping medical facilities
During 2022, many hospitals had operational needs – for pharmaceuticals, medicines, containers for storing donated blood, etc. The Foundation responded to the requests. Medical facilities in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions received the necessary supplies. Many medicines were transferred to the hospital in Kherson, which was damaged by shelling.

In July 2024, Ukraine and the world were shocked by a missile attack on Okhmatdyt. Two buildings were destroyed to the ground. After the tragedy, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation donated the necessary surgical and diagnostic equipment to the main children’s hospital. Thanks to it, 4,000 young Ukrainians will be able to take an important step towards recovery every year.

Arrangement of dormitories for IDPs
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has been providing comprehensive support to the people of Mariupol. One of the areas of this work is partnership in the project “YaMariupol. Housing” project. The Foundation is the main Ukrainian donor of this initiative and has helped to set up common areas in dormitories in Dnipro and Kyiv. The cooperation is ongoing.

Museum of Civilian Voices founded by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation
In 2014, the Foundation launched the Humanitarian Centre “Here to Help”. Many people who contacted the headquarters shared their stories. Finally, in 2020, a unique project was presented – the Museum of Civilian Voices.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Museum has become a chronicle of tragedies not only for Donbas residents, but for all Ukrainians. The number of stories collected and stored by the Museum has grown exponentially – from 12,000 in 2022 to more than 130,000 in 2025.

This is indeed a sad figure. But every human story is valuable, both in the context of personal memories and in the context of preserving the country’s history.

The war continues. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation will continue to provide assistance where it is expected and needed most.

Since 2014, more than 18 million people have benefited from the assistance provided by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, SCM businesses and Shakhtar Football Club. For more information, please visit https://akhmetovfoundation.org/