Help me fundraise for Ukraine, the frontline of European democracy! 

I am Carlos Zapata Carratalá, a concerned European citizen currently working remotely as a mathematical researcher in Madrid.

What will this campaign achieve?

• Provide life-saving equipment in the form of a vehicle capable of medical evacuation and communication devices to improve drone attack warnings.
• Relocate to Kyiv to continue my international scientific work, contributing to the Ukrainian scientific community and volunteering however I can to help defend the civilian population.
• Establish a communication bridge from the ground to the Spanish-speaking community.

Why now?

Despite the impression the media landscape might give, the war in Ukraine continues with almost the exact same intensity as when it began. There are an estimated 2,000 daily casualties between both sides, and Ukrainian citizens die every week due to missile and drone strikes on civilian targets.

Why me?

My ability to work remotely as a mathematical researcher, along with my Ukrainian academic contacts, puts me in a unique position to relocate to Ukraine and continue my work from there. Many Europeans have felt the call to help, but most cannot justify the sacrifice for financial or family reasons. My situation allows me to take this step, and I feel a moral duty to do so.

What is our goal and how will the funds be used?

We aim to raise at least €30,000 to fund a vehicle and technical equipment. The budget will be divided as follows:

• €15,000 – Mitsubishi L200 4x4 (already reserved and deposit paid in a second-hand marketplace): A vehicle for mobility in difficult terrain, vital for safe extractions and medical evacuations on the frontline.
• €8,000 – Vehicle conditioning for the frontline, including armor reinforcement and medical equipment.
• €3,000 – Communication devices (Starlink, Motorola repeaters, etc.).
• €3,000 – Batteries and power supply (EcoFlow, diesel generators, etc.).
• €1,000 – Fuel and tolls for the delivery trip from Madrid to Kyiv.

The vehicle will contribute to the safe movement of troops and, crucially, to medical evacuation when necessary. Unfortunately, these vehicles are frequently targeted by drone strikes, making the need for new vehicles on the front line a constant reality.

The communication devices will help improve the speed and reliability of air raid alerts, which are vital for targets both on the front lines and in cities across Ukraine.

This is the vehicle we will be financing (picture from the ad posted by the previous owner):

This is the appearence of the vehicle after refitting:

Who are we supporting?

The equipment will be delivered to two distinguished Ukrainian defenders (whose exact locations and divisions we are keeping undisclosed for strict security reasons):

• Іван Ясинський (Ivan Iasynskyi): Officer in the 2nd Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Battalion of the 411th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• Ярослав Краснявський (Yaroslav Krasniavskyi): Commander of the communications unit of an unmanned systems battalion in a rapid reaction brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, awarded the Hero of Ukraine medal for his actions and bravery in 2022.

Ivan and Yaroslav are both in positions of responsibility and know firsthand where the equipment will be most useful and effective.

My scientific projects upon arriving in Ukraine will stem from my collaboration with:

• Олексій Ігнатенко (Oleksii Ignatenko): Professor of Mathematics at the Ukrainian Catholic University and member of the Real Science Society in Kyiv (https://apps.ucu.edu.ua/en/teachers/oleksiy-ihnatenko/)
• Олена Орлова (Olena Orlova): Mathematical researcher with studies at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, currently based at Bielefeld University and planning to relocate to Kyiv soon (https://sites.google.com/view/olena-orlova/)

I have already agreed upon a teaching collaboration at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and have plans for future activities with the Real Science Society in Kyiv.

Some pictures:

Visiting Kyiv last December (right before the start of the Russian freezing campaign)

Captain Ivan "Stitch" Iasynskyi