Save Lives in Ukraine During Strikes and Blackouts

The 2025–2026 winter season put the people of Odesa through one of the harshest ordeals of the war. Russian forces launched 14 large-scale strikes against Ukraine's energy grid, firing more than 700 missiles and drones nationwide. Odesa took the brunt of it, coming under near-daily Shahed drone attacks. Twelve civilians in the city lost their lives over these winter months alone, while apartment blocks, schools, clinics, and essential infrastructure sustained repeated damage.

Beyond the physical destruction, these strikes cut off heat, power, and hot water to thousands of households — often in temperatures plunging to –15°C. For older residents, families raising small children, and people with disabilities, this loss of basic services turned into a genuine threat to life.

Way Home's team carried out 32 emergency night deployments to strike sites throughout Odesa, reaching the scene roughly an hour after each alert — navigating air raid alarms, obstructed streets, and total darkness caused by blackouts.

On the ground, the team delivered:
- Crisis counseling — on-the-spot psychological support for people in shock, acute distress, or grief, including children and elderly survivors
- Warmth on-site — hot tea, coffee, blankets, and chemical heat packs handed out at the scene
- Essential supplies — water, food, and hygiene items for people suddenly left without shelter in the middle of the night

Way Home delivered tailored humanitarian aid to 180 families struggling through extended blackouts. Every aid package was put together individually, matched to that household's actual circumstances — family size, ages, health status, and whether small children were in the home.

Support items included power banks, standard and electric blankets, chemical heat packs for elderly or immobile people, thermoses, portable stoves, and cooking fuel for households without gas or electricity.

Way Home's mobile emergency teams remain a lifeline for Odesa families after missile strikes. As long as attacks on the city continue, so will the need for rapid, on-the-ground assistance and support for the most vulnerable when the system fails them.