One Seat in Coach, 36 Suitcases and Enough Kevlar to Fight a War
The Ukrainian Americans supplying an army on their own.
Recommendation
Ukrainian-Americans have sent military gear to their countrymen to combat Russian-supported separatists since 2014. Now, their push to get helmets, boots and body armor to Ukrainian civilian-soldiers has ramped up, but traditional shipping companies can no longer fly into Ukraine. As Matt Stieb reports in New York Magazine, getting bags of equipment into Ukraine requires a symphony of coordination, generosity, lack of sleep and, once there, bravery. He traces the delivery of 36 checked duffel bags from US supporters to a traveler headed to Warsaw and then to the van driver who ferries them over the border into Ukraine. Once the hardy driver delivers the shipment, the cycle starts again.
Summary
About the Author
Matt Stieb, an associate editor and writer for New York Magazine, has also written for The Baffler and fieldmag.com.
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