On August 14, Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation launched their second joint humanitarian project—“We Need to Live Here 2.0.” The goal is to equip the de-mining units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Ukrainian-manufactured robotic platforms, transport, and communication tools. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
“Ukraine is currently the most potentially mined country in the world. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the year, the number of incidents related to mines and other explosive devices has reached 1,006. If we do not act unitedly and quickly, the number of casualties could rise to 9,000 by 2033. Therefore, we support projects aimed at clearing as much Ukrainian land as possible. We are grateful to the civic sector and socially responsible businesses that make significant contributions to the safety of our people and our land,” stated First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko.
The “We Need to Live Here 2.0” project will fund equipment for the engineering UAV battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Sappers will receive robotic platforms, transport, communication tools, and UAVs for situational awareness and remote de-mining through detonation.
The engineering UAV battalions, which will be equipped through this initiative, are newly established units, making the “We Need to Live Here 2.0” project a direct contribution to the development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This will allow the Support Forces to scale up and utilize robotic complexes more extensively.
“Approximately 140,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory require de-mining. Every day, sappers clear our land of Russian mines and unexploded ordnance, meter by meter. Our task is to provide them with equipment to do this more effectively and safely. Robotic complexes will allow sappers to work at a distance from dangerous objects. Communication tools are essential for coordinating units. Drones will be used for aerial photography, minefield documentation, and coordinate determination. Additionally, we will provide transport to increase their mobility,” said Oleg Karpenko, Deputy Director of Come Back Alive.
The “We Need to Live Here 2.0” project will help save the lives of sappers by allowing not only people but also Ukrainian-manufactured equipment—such as ground robotic complexes and drones for remote de-mining—to be used.
“De-mining is an important area of support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces for Kyivstar. We strive to make Ukrainian territories safe and accessible for civilians. Innovative technologies will help reduce risks and speed up the de-mining process. Kyivstar is allocating 30 million hryvnias to support the initiative and encourages Ukrainian businesses and concerned citizens to contribute,” commented Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar.
Details of the “We Need to Live Here 2.0” project and how to support it can be found on the official page.
This initiative is a continuation of the first phase of the project, through which Come Back Alive and Kyivstar raised 180 million hryvnias to support the engineering and sapper groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
