PRAGUE — In just five days, ordinary people in the Czech Republic did something extraordinary.
They raised more than $6 million to help Ukrainians survive the freezing cold — funding generators, heaters, and batteries for a country pushed into darkness by war.
As Russian attacks continue to hit Ukraine’s power plants, hundreds of thousands are now living in subzero temperatures, some plunging to –20°C. Homes go cold. Lights go out. And every hour without power becomes a fight to stay warm.
On the ground, Ukrainian engineers have been working nonstop. For weeks, they’ve repaired damaged power lines in dangerous conditions, racing against time and the cold after Russia escalated strikes on the energy grid during a brutal cold snap.
The situation became so severe that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared an energy emergency, signaling the depth of the crisis.
Help, however, is coming from many directions.
The European Commission announced it will send 447 emergency generators worth €3.7 million to Ukraine. But for many Ukrainians, grassroots support is just as vital.
One of the biggest efforts is darekproputina.cz, a Czech-led initiative that has been raising funds for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Over the years, it has helped supply everything from drones and medical equipment to — remarkably — a Blackhawk helicopter and even a tank.
This time, the focus is survival.
From Wednesday to Monday morning alone, the group raised 126 million crowns, or about $6.16 million, from nearly 75,000 donors. And the donations are still coming.
“Over the weekend, we booked two generators,” said organizer Martin Ondracek. Each diesel-powered unit costs around 8 million crowns and will be sent to smaller health facilities — places where power can mean the difference between life and death.
To move quickly, the initiative is working with three Ukrainian funds to avoid customs delays, while also coordinating with Czech suppliers for equipment that isn’t immediately available.
“There are about 30 people working on this,” Ondracek said. “We need to spend the money as fast as possible.”
The most urgent needs? Chemical heaters and batteries.
“Batteries are key,” he explained. “When power briefly comes back, people need to charge — even if it’s just enough for a kettle or a phone.”
In the middle of war and winter, these small moments of warmth matter. And thanks to thousands of Czech donors, hope — and power — is on the way.
