East SOS Has Evacuated 3,389 People From the Frontline in 5 Months as Part of the UHF Project
Living in frontline areas for people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or advanced age means facing mortal danger every day. Under constant shelling, without transport, medicines, water, electricity, or medical care, life becomes unbearable and unsafe.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, East SOS has focused on evacuating everyone in need — including people with limited mobility who often require assistance even to leave their homes. Between May and September 2025, the East SOS evacuation crews, operating in the most dangerous areas of the Donetsk region (Dobropillia, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka) and in the Synelnykove district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, evacuated 3,389 people with the financial support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF). Among them were 1,001 people with limited mobility and 494 children.
These photos were taken by José Colón, a Spanish photojournalist who has been accompanying the Foundation’s evacuation missions for two years in a row. This time, he joined the team in Druzhkivka to document the evacuation of three individuals, a family with children, and two cats. We sincerely thank José for his empathy, professionalism, and support for our mission.
“Evacuating a person with limited mobility requires more time, knowledge, skills, and crew coordination. Often, these people are literally locked in their own homes — without access to medicines, water, electricity, or even food. They need round-the-clock care, warmth, and presence. That’s why we accompany each of them — from the first call to our hotline to settling them in a safe place. Even after we help them find permanent housing, we continue to support and visit the rescued in their new communities,” — Anastasia Kalinina, Project Manager at East SOS.
On behalf of the East SOS Charity Foundation, we call on everyone to leave dangerous settlements. We provide a free, comprehensive evacuation cycle, accompany you in finding shelter, and help restore documents, apply for social benefits, and access medical care.
You can also contact us via messengers:
Viber: +38 (099) 710 48 72
Telegram: +38 (096) 108 60 48
Evacuation efforts are carried out as part of the project “Comprehensive support and protection of vulnerable categories of evacuees”, implemented by East SOS with the financial support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
photo: José Colón
