On March 17, 2025, the ISHR’s German Section launched its 23rd humanitarian mission to Ukraine.

A small convoy — an ambulance and a fully loaded van — embarked on a journey valued at over €50,000.

Key deliveries included:

• An ambulance for a regional hospital in Kharkiv,
• An operating lamp for a field hospital in northeastern Ukraine,
• A steriliser and neonatal ventilator for a children’s hospital in Odessa,
• Diapers and additional relief goods for the Caritas centre in Sokal, a border town near Poland.

Valerio Krüger, ISHR board member, and Sylvia Wähling, ISHR member, drove the escort vehicle to Sokal. There, they engaged with staff at the “Unbroken” rehabilitation clinic, which treats wounded Ukrainian soldiers. They also gathered firsthand insights into the ongoing humanitarian impacts of the Russian war of aggression.

Sylvia Wähling reflected:

“At first glance, Sokal seems untouched by war. Yet reminders are everywhere. Fallen soldiers’ portraits line the town hall walls. The soldiers’ cemetery is a vast sea of Ukrainian flags.”

Meanwhile, Jens Leisenberg, veteran volunteer and ISHR member, delivered the ambulance to Odessa and proceeded onward to Kharkiv — a city only 30 kilometres from the Russian border. It marked Jens’ 23rd mission for ISHR, highlighting extraordinary civilian commitment amid escalating risks. The personal delivery of critical equipment by a German civilian was warmly welcomed and deeply appreciated by the overwhelmed hospital staff.

This humanitarian mission was made possible through a broad coalition:

• The German Section of the ISHR,
• The Human Rights Center Cottbus (MRZ),
• The Union of Victims’ Associations of Communist Tyranny (UOKG),
• And the environmental engineering firm Umweltgerechte Kraftanlagen (UKA), co-founded by an ISHR member.

Looking Ahead: Meeting Urgent Medical Needs

The mission highlighted not only the need for expensive medical equipment but also the acute shortage of everyday clinical supplies, particularly diapers, which are essential but scarce in Ukrainian hospitals.

To address this, ISHR plans a follow-up transport: With approximately €5,000, ISHR can supply the children’s hospital in Odessa with diapers and other critical materials for three to four months.

The ISHR remains committed to standing alongside Ukraine’s civilians — not only in words but through continuous action.