Diaspora Aid: Accordionist Donates 10 Vehicles to 3rd Army Corps

Ukrainian military units continue to receive logistical support from diaspora-based charitable organizations. On Thursday, the 3rd Army Corps accepted a delivery of ten vehicles at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War in Kyiv.

The vehicles were provided by the Music for Ukraine foundation, a charitable organization established by Oleh Lysenko. Lysenko is a Ukrainian accordionist who has lived in the Netherlands for more than 25 years. The handover ceremony took place on the main square of the museum, situated at the base of the Mother Ukraine monument.

Yevhen Avdieienko, known by the call sign Avdiei, accepted the vehicles on behalf of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. His presence at the event represented the direct link between civilian fundraising efforts abroad and frontline units receiving the equipment.

Lysenko’s collaboration with the war museum began when he provided musical accompaniment for a joint event with the Dutch National Museum of the Eighty Years’ War. Yurii Savchuk, the museum director, stated that Lysenko maintained strong ties to Ukraine despite residing abroad. Savchuk noted that the museum has facilitated the logistics of vehicle deliveries for the past year.

Since February 2022, Lysenko has organized more than 400 charity concerts across the Netherlands. These performances have generated over 3.5 million euros in support for Ukraine. The funds have primarily been used to purchase medical vehicles and related equipment for the military.

Over the four years since the foundation’s inception, Lysenko and his wife Sanne van Vuuren have overseen the delivery of more than 278 vehicles. This fleet includes resuscitation units, evacuation vehicles, and various units of medical equipment. The foundation’s assistance has extended to more than 120 military units and hospitals within Ukraine. Lysenko, a native of Poltava Oblast, originally trained at the Kyiv Conservatory before moving to the Netherlands.