When the wounded cannot wait, Damian Duda and his team from the “W międzyczasie” Foundation go where help is needed most – close to the front line in Ukraine, often under fire. Since 2014, this Polish volunteer battlefield medic has saved countless soldiers and civilians in the most dangerous conditions. 

He also shares his experience with others – through workshops and training sessions, he teaches how to respond effectively when a life may depend on quick action. Damian’s story is one of courage, responsibility and cooperation. There are days when Polish volunteers evacuate dozens of wounded soldiers from the front line. Every life saved is proof that we are strongest when we stand together. 

Polish activist Exen, together with his team, has delivered 398 vehicles to the military, and this number continues to grow. The total value of the assistance he has provided significantly exceeds PLN 10 million. Exen personally delivers and hands over every vehicle, which means he has already made around 150 trips to the front line. 

For the past four years, he has been supporting Ukrainian soldiers, as they are the ones who weaken the Russian army every day and keep it far from Poland’s borders. In this matter, the interests of Poland and Ukraine are fully aligned. 

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Polish writer Szczepan Twardoch, together with volunteer Monika Andruszewska, has been actively supporting Ukrainian soldiers through a public fundraising campaign that has raised several million zlotys.  

The initiative provides military equipment, off-road vehicles, and support for drone and robotic units. Twardoch has personally delivered equipment to the front line on multiple occasions.  

His experiences in Ukraine and during the war have also influenced his literary work, including the novel Null and a series of essays devoted to the realities of the ongoing conflict. 

SLAWA gives Ukrainian viewers reliable information and a European perspective on defence, reconstruction, and the country’s future within NATO and the EU. Launched by TVP (Polish Public Television), the channel brings together Polish and Ukrainian journalists who continue their mission from Poland. It reaches: 

• six million Ukrainian refugees in Europe 

• 11.5 million viewers in Ukraine 

• millions of Ukrainians around the world 

SLAWA shows that solidarity also means trust, dialogue, and the right to hear the truth in one’s own language. 

Polish Radio for Ukraine is more than a radio station – it is a space for conversation, where Poles and Ukrainians can get to know and understand one another better. Through language, music, and everyday stories, it builds real bonds between people, reaching over 1.5 million Ukrainians in Poland and across the world. 

Here, Ukrainian journalist Jana Stępniewicz and Polish journalist Marcin Gaczkowski co-host a daily programme Pół na pół on Polish and Ukrainian current affairs. Because trust and mutual understanding grow through dialogue. 

When Russian attacks left Kyiv without electricity and heating, a wave of solidarity rose across Poland. More than 77,000 people came together to deliver power generators and hope to Ukraine in the middle of a freezing winter. 

More than PLN 10.4 million (EUR 2.4 million) raised is not just a number. It is warmth in homes, light in the darkness, and the feeling that no one was left alone. 

Poland and Ukraine. In the toughest moments, we stand together. 

Since 2022, a unique medical evacuation hub has been operating next to Rzeszów Airport. Coordinated by the Polish Center for International Aid, it serves as a vital lifeline for severely injured and critically ill patients evacuated from Ukraine. 

More than 5,000 people have already passed through the hub on their way to specialist treatment across Europe. 

Implemented together with the European Union and international partners, the hub is a powerful example of Polish and European solidarity in action. 

Since 2014, Polish anthropologist and activist Olga Solarz has delivered vital aid to Ukrainian soldiers, medics, and civilians. But she has also fought to save something else: memory. Using her expertise, Olga helped evacuate four 1,000-year-old Polovtsian stone statues from the combat zone before war could erase them. Today, thanks to her efforts, these silent witnesses of history are safe in museums in Lviv and Dnipro.  

When Russia attacked Ukraine, 1.73 million* Ukrainian refugees found protection and support in Poland. 

In Rzeszów, Małgorzata Cisek-Kozieł helps Polish and Ukrainian seniors build something just as important: friendship.  

For 70-year-old Vasyl, the Polish-Ukrainian Seniors’ Club became much more than a meeting place. From Polish language conversations to a game of chess, these everyday moments help people feel safe and welcome in Poland. 

* Source: Polish Aid to Ukraine 2022-2023 – a report by the Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, September 2025 

Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland welcomed millions of refugees fleeing the war. Polish society played a particularly important role: thousands of families opened their homes to Ukrainian citizens, providing shelter, food, and assistance with everyday needs. 

According to studies conducted in Poland’s largest cities, by April 2022 around 38% of Ukrainian refugees were living in homes and apartments provided by Polish residents, representing approximately 525,000 people. At the same time, surveys indicated that about 7% of Poles had personally hosted refugees in their homes. 

The scale of this grassroots assistance was unprecedented and has been recognised as one of the largest spontaneous acts of humanitarian solidarity in Europe since the end of the Second World War. 

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, Poland has been one of Ukraine’s largest military partners. It has provided Ukraine with helicopters, hundreds of tanks (including PT-91 and Leopard 2 tanks), armoured vehicles, and artillery systems such as the highly regarded Krab self-propelled howitzers. 

Ukraine has also received vast quantities of ammunition and individual equipment, including small arms and medical supplies. Polish military assistance, valued at tens of billions of złotys, includes not only the delivery of equipment but also logistical support and the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Polish territory. 

Wojciech Tochman combines reporting work in Ukraine with humanitarian aid. His main focus is rescuing animals from conflict zones – organising fundraising for their evacuation, medical treatment, and shelter maintenance. He collaborates, among others, with Animal Rescue Kharkiv and 12 Vartovych, delivering aid to areas where the war most severely affects both people and animals. He also shares his experiences in reports and in the book Dolphins and Beelzebub. 

Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Government Strategic Reserves Agency (RARS) has played a key role in organising Poland’s assistance to Ukraine. The Agency coordinates the delivery of humanitarian, medical, and technical aid, including food, medicines, power generators, rescue equipment, and supplies essential for maintaining critical infrastructure. 

RARS also co-organises the international logistics hub through which assistance from Poland, European Union Member States, and international partners is delivered to Ukraine. Thanks to its resources and logistical capabilities, the Agency has become one of the key institutions supporting Ukraine’s response to the consequences of the war and helping protect civilians. 

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Polish Border Guard faced an enormous challenge related to the influx of war refugees. Poland opened its borders to all those fleeing the conflict. 

Between 24 February and 1 April 2022, there were more than 2.8 million crossings of the Polish border by Ukrainian citizens, averaging over 75,000 crossings per day. Over the course of 2022, this number rose to more than nine million. 

For many weeks, Polish Border Guard officers served without rest, becoming the first symbol of safety for refugees when they crossed border. They assisted mothers with children, elderly people, and the wounded, while also helping to organise humanitarian aid and support for children and war orphans from Ukraine. 

Since the first days of the war in Ukraine, Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) has stood by people who were forced to leave their homes and start over. 

At first, assistance was provided at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Later came financial support for the most urgent needs – more than PLN 65.7 million (approx. EUR 15.5 million) was distributed to people seeking safety in Poland. Today, PAH also helps people build independence and stability, offering support ranging from finding housing and employment to language courses. 

PAH has already helped more than 1.2 million people from Ukraine. Behind this number are the real stories of individuals who, despite experiencing the trauma of war, have been able to take another step toward a safer future. 

Nina travels to Ukraine because she knows that trauma does not wait for the war to end. Her journey from a therapy room in Poland to a bomb shelter in Kharkiv is a story of bringing hope to people whose lives have been shaped by the chaos of war.  

As an expert with Caritas Poland, Nina is helping to develop four Family Support Centres in Kharkiv, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Kamianets-Podilskyi*. The Polish psychotherapist knows what it means to conduct a therapy session or train Ukrainian psychologists when an air raid siren suddenly sounds. She knows that a support centre must have a bomb shelter; otherwise, families will be too afraid to come for help. 

Since 2024, Caritas Poland has provided over 15.5 thousand specialised psychological support services to nearly 7,000 people in Ukraine. Each of those people is someone who said, “I want to live.” 

* Project financed from the state budget under Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland 

Two days after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Lidiia crossed the Polish border in search of safety. Today, as the coordinator of the Livelihoods programme at the Polish Red Cross, she draws from her own experience of escaping war to guide others in finding employment, starting businesses, and rebuilding their lives from scratch. 

Running from 2022 to 2026 across eight Polish cities, the Livelihoods programme offered comprehensive support to displaced Ukrainians. Participants gained access to specialised vocational training, Polish language courses, legal aid, and individual career counselling, alongside grants for childcare, transportation, and external training. 

The initiative reached over 7,300 people, helping more than 2,000 individuals secure jobs in Poland. The Polish Red Cross proves that true safety means more than shelter – it is the power to regain independence and thrive as professionals in a shared community. 

From 24 February 2022 and throughout the following 12 months, more than 1.1 million refugees from Ukraine passed through Warsaw. The city’s population increased by an estimated 10–15%. 

The City of Warsaw established its first reception centres at Warsaw West and Warsaw East railway stations. Together, they assisted up to 30,000 people per day, providing support to more than 500,000 refugees in total. Around 400 volunteers worked there daily, with approximately 15,000 people involved in the relief effort overall. 

During the first days and weeks of the war, the city authorities organised 36 temporary accommodation centres for people arriving from Ukraine. Later, Warsaw operated 12 long-term accommodation facilities, each housing around 1,500–2,000 residents at a time and providing full board and meals. 

From the very first days of Russian aggression, Rzeszów became one of the most important humanitarian hubs for Ukraine and a symbol of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. 

The city, now called the Rescuer City – the first to receive this title from the President of Ukraine – has welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war. 

Thousands of volunteers, NGOs, municipal institutions, and local residents have been involved in providing aid. Humanitarian, medical, and military convoys destined for Ukraine have passed and continue to pass through Rzeszów. 

The value of the support provided amounts to tens of millions of zlotys and includes medical equipment, generators, rescue tools, food, clothing, and assistance to partner cities. 

Rzeszów continues to serve as the heart of aid and cooperation for Ukraine. 

In the first weeks of the full-scale war, Lublin became one of the key support centres for people fleeing Ukraine. More than 1.3 million refugees passed through the city, while around 70,000 found temporary shelter there.  

Just five hours after the first bombings, the city – together with NGOs – established the Lublin Civic Committee for Aid to Ukraine. Its 17 sections coordinated assistance involving over 2,000 volunteers. Approximately 550,000 emergency overnight stays were organised, and in cooperation with partner cities and international organisations, more than 100 trucks and 11 railway wagons of humanitarian aid were sent from Lublin to Ukraine. 

By March 2022, 80 Ukrainian teachers had been employed in Lublin schools to support the education of refugee children. 

Since the beginning of Russian aggression, the city of Chełm has actively supported Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees crossing the border at Dorohusk. The local government established a city aid headquarters, special donation collection points, and a 24-hour support coordination centre. 

Material assistance was organised, including food, medicine, hygiene products, clothing, blankets, and items for children. A reception point for refugees operated in the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre, along with a Humanitarian Aid Center providing accommodation, meals, and basic medical care. 

The city cooperated with NGOs, entrepreneurs, firefighters, and volunteers to organise humanitarian transports to Ukraine. Support also included psychological assistance, information, and social assistance for Ukrainian citizens staying in Chełm. 

Residents, schools, municipal institutions, and local businesses participated in the effort, donating goods and supporting the humanitarian activities. 

After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Przemyśl became one of the main humanitarian aid hubs for refugees. Thanks to its location near the border and a reception point at the railway station, the city provided food, shelter, information, and medical assistance. A Humanitarian Aid Center was established on Lwowska Street, followed by integration centres supporting the education and employment of refugees. Nearly 2 million people passed through the city. Przemyśl cooperated with organisations such as the UNHCR, the Polish Red Cross, and CORE. 

The Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL) has been operating in Ukraine since 2012, supporting the development of local communities and state reforms. 

The organisation has helped to establish 55 volunteer fire brigades and trained 660 volunteer firefighters in cooperation with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine*. 

The Polish foundation has also created a network of 16 psychosocial support centres for veterans and people affected by the war. The centres have provided over 70,000 services and have been integrated into the state system. 

In parallel, the organisation supports reforms in vocational education, decentralisation, and social recovery, implementing educational and humanitarian projects across Ukraine. 

*Project co-financed from the state budget under Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland 

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Union of Poles in Ukraine and Polish organisations across the country have been actively involved in humanitarian aid and volunteer activities. 

Poles living in Ukraine organised collections of food, medicine, clothing, and equipment for both civilians and the military, cooperating with partners in Poland to deliver the assistance. 

Young people played a special role, carrying out initiatives such as Heart for a Soldier, Book to the Front, Christmas Card for a Soldier, and Easter Package to the Front, providing Ukrainian defenders not only with material aid but also with words of support and solidarity. 

This activity became a symbol of unity, civic responsibility, and the engagement of Poles in Ukraine in defending its freedom and independence.