For nearly four years, thousands of Europeans have mobilized to support the Ukrainian people. From British convoys to Breton ports recycling their fishing nets into defensive shields, grassroots solidarity knows no borders. In Ukraine, every truck arriving from the West carries the same message: “You are not alone.”

The importance of European aid to the Ukrainian people

Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the European Union and its citizens have stood firmly behind Ukraine. EU member states and their NGOs have already mobilized more than €130 billion in humanitarian, financial, and military assistance. Beyond institutions, it is above all local initiatives that embody European generosity. Across the continent, the same momentum can be felt : trucks loaded with food, hygiene supplies, generators, and medical equipment travel the roads of Europe toward the Polish border. These collective efforts—often from small local associations—have become the backbone of Ukrainian civil resistance.

“The Friends of Oleksandriya”: a bridge between the UK and Ukraine

Interview with Zhenia Shkil, founder of the association The Friends of Oleksandriya

“Everyone longs for peace and stability, but on the ground, the needs remain immense. After Russian bombings targeted schools and kindergartens, children’s mental health became an emergency. There is a severe lack of qualified specialists to treat post-traumatic disorders. We must be able to talk to the children, help them express what they’ve been through. At the same time, power outages are multiplying, making generators indispensable. We’ve already sent many, especially to Oleksandriya, but demand remains high—especially in smaller towns. Every winter, we try to bring a bit of comfort: gifts for children, often handed out during small charity events. Parents can no longer afford anything. These simple gestures remind people they are not forgotten.”

Since 2022, the British charity The Friends of Oleksandriya has been committed to providing concrete support to the inhabitants of Oleksandriya, a city in the Kirovohrad region, in central Ukraine. During the Russian invasion, on April 15, 2022, the city’s infrastructure and airport were hit by two missiles. This team of volunteers funds medical equipment, rehabilitation materials, and electrical generators for schools, daycares, and hospitals. While most of their work focuses on Oleksandriya, their local partnerships are expanding. Each convoy—no matter how small—strengthens humanitarian cooperation and reminds everyone that war is also fought through solidarity.

Breton fishermen on the frontlines of solidarity : the anti-drone nets of Roscoff

A representative of the association Kernic Solidarités:

“We are responding to very practical needs today : supplying fishing nets to help protect Ukrainian civilians from drones. We use monkfish nets—solid and resistant. The initiative began this summer, after months of fruitless searching. Thanks to a retired Breton fisherman, everything came together in two days. Since then, we’ve kept collecting, and two more trucks will leave during the holidays. A single semi-trailer carries around forty big bags, each filled with four to five kilometers of nets—about 400 kg per bag. These shipments are destined for the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, where civilians live under constant shelling, sometimes near schools. Our nets are now installed around school buildings, allowing parents and children to move about safely. When President Zelensky saw them, he asked: ‘Where did these nets come from?’ — ‘From two Bretons,’ he was told. He asked to meet us in Paris—and he did, a month and a half ago.”

In Roscoff, northern Finistère, the association Kernic Solidarités has launched a surprisingly innovative initiative. Rooted in the fishing community, it regularly sends recycled fishing nets to Ukraine, repurposed as anti-drone barriers. Since 2025, more than 250 kilometers of nets have been delivered, thanks to a network of volunteer fishermen and sponsors.

“This is our way, as fishermen, of helping defend an oppressed people,” says a member of Kernic Solidarités. “These nets save lives, and every strand we send is a sign of friendship.”

The idea has since inspired other European ports in Sweden and Denmark, which are considering replicating this effort. Kernic Solidarités convoys continue to transport, alongside the nets, medicine and essential supplies.

Four years after the conflict began, grassroots aid has not weakened. Whether from the Breton coast or an English suburb, every donation expresses a shared determination : to keep Ukraine standing. These actions—sometimes modest—form an unbroken chain of European solidarity. Associations urge continued material and financial support, for the humanitarian struggle is far from over.

Jean-Claude Djian

Associations supporting Ukraine

Union of Ukrainians in France
186 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Email: uniondesukrainiensdefrance1949@gmail.com
Website: https://uduf.fr/From England to Brittany, Support for Ukraine Remains Strong

Kernic Solidarités
Place de la Mairie, 29430 Plounévez-Lochrist
Website: https://espaceassociatif.bzh/Association/12504/kernic-solidarites

The Friends of Oleksandriya (UK)
Phone: +44 7568 500828
Email: friends.of.oleksandriya@gmail.com
Website: https://www.friendsofo.co.uk/

Association France-Ukraine
2 Place de Verdun, 27500 Pont-Audemer
Email: contact@france-ukraine.com
Website: https://france-ukraine.com/