The Open Dialogue Foundation’s mission to Ukraine in October 2025 marked the third and, at the same time, the largest humanitarian mission of the autumn. Not only did we deliver equipment to Ukrainian soldiers as well as Belarusian and Polish volunteers fighting on various sections of the front line, but we also took part in a ceremony honouring the memory of our friend and former advisor to the Foundation’s Management Board, Artur Deska, who passed away last year.
Among those taking part in the mission were Chair of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board, Bartosz Kramek; our seasoned and battle-tested volunteers, Linda Lockhart Wilkinson and Robert Terela; and our friend Katarzyna Bardyszewska from “Angels of Mercy” Foundation. Linda is originally from California and has been supporting our work — including financially — since 2022, when, shaken by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she flew to Warsaw to help refugees fleeing the war.
During our visit to Lviv, we delivered, among other things, two SUVs. The first, a Kia Sorento, was donated to Aliaksandr from the Belarusian Separate Unit “1514” of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The “Belarusians” also received specialised Silicone Foam Border Dressings donated to us by the Uniters Foundation. The second vehicle, a Suzuki Grand Vitara, was given to our friends from the 144th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ihor and Volodymyr, who were still serving with the 42nd Brigade at the time. They sent us their thanks and requested assistance in purchasing winter tyres, as the first frosts have already hit Ukraine.
We also supported Poles fighting in the Sumy and Mykolaiv regions. Polish volunteer Sebastian, a.k.a. “Ghost”, who has been fighting for three years in Ukraine, currently commands the Military Intelligence Directorate of the 21st Separate Mechanised Brigade. Thanks to our donors, he received the latest improved Starlink kit from us. As we all know, traditional communication systems in Ukraine (such as mobile networks) are easily disrupted or damaged. This kit will help Sebastian’s brigade maintain rapid communication and effectively utilise advanced reconnaissance systems. At the same time, their work is hampered by frequent power outages, so they need a power generator. You can help us purchase one by supporting our “Pomoc Ukrainie / Ukraine Emergency Aid” fundraising campaign.
We have also been assisting drone operator Martyna, known as “Gypsy,” for some time. We visited her during our Christmas humanitarian mission in December 2023, delivering equipment to improve drone operations. This time, “Gypsy” received highly advanced equipment, including 3D printers, goggles and FPV monitor, remote-control systems, and a smart drone charger with a balancer, which she now uses on the frontline with her comrades from the 426th Independent Unmanned Systems Battalion of the Ukrainian Marine Corps.
Support for Ukrainian civilians remained a priority. This time, we donated clothing, food and medical supplies to those under the care of the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf in Kamyanets-Podilskyi, because people with disabilities, especially in a country affected by war, require special care.
Another key moment of the mission was our visit to Drohobych on 18 October for a ceremony commemorating Artur Deska and the presentation of a book dedicated to this extraordinary activist, titled “Artur Deska: A Missionary Whose Calling Was to Serve People”. The event held at the Crimean Tatar Cultural Centre in Drohobych brought together many who had personally worked with and befriended Artur and wish to continue his mission, including his “adopted brother” and the book’s initiator Jose Turczyk from Argentina, the Polish Consul Sebastian Delura, Drohobych’s mayor Taras Kuchma, Professor Bohdan Hud’, Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran Jamal Jamkhirov, and activist Cees van der Rhee from Amsterdam — and naturally, we couldn’t miss it either.
The book includes recollections of Bartosz Kramek, who wrote: “He kept an open house. Comforts didn’t matter to him, but I envied the historical library he had carefully built up over the years. A sharp critic — principled yet understanding. Together with his adopted brother Jose, they formed an inimitable, remarkable civic duo. A layman of the Church — and the Church should have the face of people like him. A modern Franciscan. A friend. He cared for everyone but himself…”
After the meeting, participants visited Artur’s grave at the old Polish cemetery, which we had visited during ODF’s September trip to Ukraine.
We extend our gratitude to all individuals and organisations who contributed to making this mission possible, especially Linda L. Wilkinson and the “Przedsiębiorcy Pomagają” initiative. You too can support our ongoing efforts and humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine through the following link:
Read about other ODF missions to Ukraine:
- Summary of the Christmas mission to Avdiivka (15–20 December 2023)
- Summary of a humanitarian aid mission to Kherson (16-20 June 2023) (21 June 2023)
- Summary of the humanitarian mission to the Avdiivka region (27 April–3 May 2023) (24 May 2023)
- Summary of #OppositionForUkraine humanitarian aid mission to Bakhmut (31 January 2023)
- Summary of the humanitarian mission to Lviv and Drohobych in October 2022 (28 October 2022)
- Summary of the ODF and Gazeta Wyborcza joint mission to Ukraine (17 November 2022)
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