Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Vadym Novynskyi has been supporting the Ukrainian people through his charitable organization, the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The foundation has already allocated billions of dollars in humanitarian aid efforts, including food and medical supplies. Most recently, in conjunction with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Mission of Mercy, the VNF sent 2.5 tons of food to the residents of embattled Kherson.
“We continue to deliver aid to the most affected regions of our country,” explained Archpriest Andriy Dvorovi, head of the department of social service and charity of the Kyiv Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“This time, the humanitarian cargo is heading to the city of Kherson, to the Ostriv district, which is currently being shelled more than anything else. We are handing over 250 food kits from the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation with a total weight of 2.5 tons, and most importantly, we are handing over a piece of our heart to our brothers and sisters who are suffering from the war.”
Kherson is a port city on the Dnieper River, where it opens into the Black Sea. It has a population of about 280,000 and is a major financial center in the Ostriv district, especially for shipbuilding. Kherson suffered severe physical damage and economic loss when it was occupied by Russian forces from March to November 2022. Ukraine recaptured Kherson on Nov. 11, but the Ostriv district is still receiving heavy shelling.
Food, Medical Supplies, and Mobile X-Ray Machines
The Vadym Novynskyi Foundation has delivered over 80,000 food kits between February 2022 and February 2023. It also delivered 30,000 aid packages to citizens most affected by the war, such as children, senior citizens, and those with disabilities. Of these packages, 5,000 contained food such as canned meat, vegetables, cereals, and baby food.
Mykolaiv oblast has also been hit hard in the ongoing war. Combat operations are nonstop in this region, overwhelming the local health care system. Providers in the area have appealed to the foundation for aid, and it responded by delivering medical equipment to multiple facilities.
The foundation donated mobile X-ray machines to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery for the clinic’s intensive care unit. The mobile X-ray machines will allow doctors to provide medical care much more quickly,significantly reducing examination times, according to Dmytro Sergeyev, director of the VNF.
“We are extremely grateful to the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation for the fact that now we have the opportunity to examine patients on these modern X-ray machines,” said N. Amosova Vasily Lazoryshinets, director of the institute. “Previously, we used outdated equipment and it took quite a long time to get results, and in the intensive care unit, time is of the utmost importance. Now we can carry out X-ray diagnostics very quickly — in 2 to 3 minutes — and, based on the results, immediately begin treatments.”
Additionally, technicians can’t easily use stationary X-ray equipment in surgery and intensive care. They need mobile machines that can operate in confined spaces while still producing high-quality images. The new device from the foundation provides European-level diagnostics for patients, whether they need urgent care or planned treatment. Technicians can now transfer images to the Amosov National Institute’s internal information system, where they can be accessed by all of the institute’s specialists. As a result, the workflow is greatly accelerated and simplified.
The Vadym Novynskyi Foundation has provided the Mykolaiv oblast with additional equipment, such as heart monitors, resuscitators, ventilators, and protective gear. For example, Mykolaiv’s City Hospital No. 4 and its emergency medical hospital received critical equipment including three defibrillators and 30 stretchers. The VNF also donated 14 ambulances to the Zaporizhzhia region between April and August 2022, with plans to deliver as many as 100 more.
