December 2025 Update - Another Frontline Christmas

Dear Supporters of Ukraine,

This Christmas is the fourth that Ukraine withstands the Russian invasion, a constant succession of war crimes; an assault that Western experts claimed to be over in a matter of days. Very soon, the enemy will have fought longer than it took to vanquish the Germans in WW II.

Donate towards our Christmas fundraiser: LINK

Nonetheless, the destruction of energy and transportation infrastructure continues, and Russia makes some progress, intent on selling the “invincibility” narrative to gullible American and European politicians. However, the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad complex is still not taken, and neither are Kostiantynivka or Lyman. More so, the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to dislodge the Russians from Kupiansk - a city Putin claimed having conquered weeks ago - and to fatally damage a Russian cruise missile launching submarine, confining the remnants of its Black Sea fleet behind sunken barges at Novorossiysk.

While various “peace deal” machinations continue, Ukrainian civilians and soldiers remain resilient and refuse to accept the suggested “concessions”, which would amount to nothing but illegal territorial “annexations”. Despite failing to tap Russian assets frozen with Euroclear in Belgium, Ukraine’s financing was arranged by way of a collateralised loan for the next two years. And so, everything remains in flux, but 2026 remains wide open to serendipity, no matter the disinformation narratives launched by the Kremlin. One thing is certain; from tomorrow onwards, the days are getting longer again, and the valiant Ukrainians keep standing their ground.

This UAO December and end of year newsletter provides you information about:

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year - your UAO Volunteer Team

UAO’s Christmas Fundraiser

When we talk about holding the lines, we think of trenches, foxholes, and the harsh reality of war. But in Ukraine today there are other lines to hold that matter just as much - lines of love, hope and togetherness. These are the bonds that keep the defenders of Ukraine strong. They remind them that they are not alone.

The men and women holding the frontline positions are not mere soldiers. They are sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, friends and neighbors. They are farmers, carpenters, nurses, lawyers - ordinary people who once lived ordinary lives. Today, they spend Christmas far from home, in freezing conditions, under constant threat. Yet even in the darkest of times, life must go on. Even in war, we must allow heroes to be humans amongst humans.

With our deliveries of connecting Starlinks, Generators, Powerstations and Laptops, UAO enables communication between units, but also to their loved ones.

Imagine sitting in a foxhole, miles from home, and suddenly a ground drone arrives with a Christmas gift - a chocolate bar, fresh fruit; a small gesture of love. Imagine the joy of hearing your newborn’s first words, because a destroyed Starlink was replaced. Imagine asking your girlfriend to marry you while at the front, because you could finally reconnect.

This is what our latest fundraiser is about: Strengthening the lines that matter most - the bonds between those at the front and those who have their backs. We aim to supply two essential types of equipment: Starlink terminals and ground drones. Starlinks ensure communication, allowing troops to reach loved ones, share moments, and feel human again. Ground drones deliver critical items, but also small comforts to positions that are otherwise impossible to reach.

Christmas at the front is a hard, cynical time. But together, we can make it more bearable for those defending Ukraine’s freedom. We can remind them that they are not forgotten, and that the world still cares. That love and hope can reach even the most forward positions.

Please participate in our Christmas fundraiser. Help the soldiers holding the lines that truly matter. Donate today for communication, comfort, and humanity for the frontline heroes who protect us all.

Donate towards our Christmas fundraiser: LINK

Our UAO Team distributes "Gifts" to our soldiers during the Christmas time

Unique Dutch Painting Fundraiser

Stichting DIEL, the Dutch charity that regularly supports UAO, received an amazing work of art from abstract painter Leo Klootwijk. It donates this artwork as part of a fundraiser for generators and power stations, which UAO will receive for distribution. If you live in The Netherlands, Germany, or Belgium, and interested in obtaining Leo’s painting, please visit: https://vvodiel.nl/winteractie-oekraine/

“Souls and bodies we will lay down, all for freedom”, Leo Klootwijk

A Family in Battle for the Freedom of Their Nation

Introduction by Sytske de Boer (UAO). Interview by Paul Lewandowski (Combat Veteran News)


Intro: Father and Son

I first met Serhii in May 2023, when he came to our warehouse to pick up supplies we procured from a fundraiser for his unit. In the first year of the Russian full-scale invasion, the 54th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion became well-known for inflicting heavy losses on the Russian forces, while fortunately sustaining relatively few casualties themselves. Serhii, a soviet-soldier in a previous life, voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with his older brother, and both went on to serve in the same battalion. Fulfilling one’s duty meant far more than just words in his family.

When we met that spring, Serhii enjoyed two days off, and, wanting to use every precious moment with his loved ones, he made his youngest son accompany him to our warehouse that day: A tall teenager with an admirable command of English, soft spoken like his father. As we packed the supplies, I asked him an obvious question: How do you feel about your father being in the army? You must be proud, but maybe also a bit scared, too? “No,” he answered without hesitation. “My father is serving in the best battalion, with the best fighters. There is no reason for me to be scared.”

His words stayed with me over the years. They capture the fundamental resilience and faith of Ukrainian families - unwavering trust in each other, forged under unimaginable circumstances.

In the years that followed, we met Serhii several times again. There were fragments of stories from his battalion’s path through the war - early operations in Kursk, including the courageous capture of a Russian gas station; later months marked by heavy losses; the quiet elimination of an elite Russian special forces unit, kept secret for nearly a year for fear of retaliation. We learned how the 54th Battalion was rushed from Sumy to Kupiansk area to stabilise a vulnerable front, where it miraculously succeeded - in part thanks to the equipment supplied by UAO. The war moved - Serhii moved with it.

Then, news came in: Serhii’s oldest son had joined the army, too. By summer 2024, he was already serving as a fixed-wing reconnaissance-drone pilot. When the opportunity arose to meet both father and son together, we decided to meet and sit down for an interview. What followed were not so much tales of battlefield bravado, but rather a portrait of a loving family that navigated extraordinary circumstances - admirable and heartbreaking at once, all too common in Ukraine today.

Interview: Three Wars, Same Decision

Paul: How would you describe your relationship?

Son: “We are father and son, so I’ve known him for 26 years of my life. We lived together for a long time and always had a really nice relationship. He helped me through school, through university, and now through army life as well. I know I can ask him for help, or tell him about my grievances. And he knows it’s reciprocal - he can talk to me about them, too. I will help him in any way possible.”

Father: “After the Maidan revolution I joined the 54th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion in 2014 as a volunteer, so I’ve been with them for eleven years. When the big war started in 2022, I enlisted formally, together with my brother. My task now is chief of cybersecurity.”

Son: “This is actually my father’s third war. His first service was in 1988, with the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. Then he fought in the Caucasus. Then, in 1994, he decided to leave military life behind and go into business - to find a purpose in something other than war. But even then, he worked in a field related to defense, in technical security systems, camaras etc.

Father: “Yes, this is my third war, but the first one for our own country, Ukraine. The saying that it’s not so much about what your country gives you, but also what you can give back, is close to my heart. I tried to raise my children in that spirit of patriotism, too.

A “Liberal Dude”

Son: (the son pauses, then adds something deeply personal) “I would like to add that I, personally, wasn't always like this guy that will die for Ukraine and all of this stuff. I am actually quite a liberal dude. Before the full scale invasion I was saying that not all Russians are the same… the war for me at that time was not as white and black as it is today. Yes, Russia was the enemy. Yes, Putin was a dictator 100%. At the time, though, it felt quite distant also. And I was like 15, 16 years old. I was not thinking about the war, I wanted to study, to go to university, so I went abroad.

Son: “Over time, that distance disappeared. Through information, being nurtured by my family, by the nation itself, I changed. When the full-scale invasion started, I was already different. I decided that it was time. I finished my studies abroad and returned to Ukraine to join the battalion.”

Father: “Not everyone has an opportunity to choose, but we chose this path - even though my son has a master’s degree in communications, and I have various higher education degrees myself. Without Ukraine, without our identity shaped by revolution and war, none of that matters. We need our country. And today, our country needs us.”

A Father and Son in Uniform

Paul: Is it hard to be both father and son, but also soldiers in the same battalion?

Son: “We’re in different areas, and he’s not my commander. Usually I’m about 500 kilometers away - that’s a healthy distance, haha!”

Father: “Yes, we don’t see each other much. But every week or so, we write or talk on the phone.”

Son: “Even though he’s not my commander, he still tries to help me sometimes - and that can be a challenge. I want to be independent, to be seen as a soldier, not ‘the son.’ I’m careful to avoid anything that could look even remotely like nepotism. So I try to consciously think about what I can ask and what I can talk about to not make him do more than he should do. Not to feel like a burden, not to embarrass myself and himself and to make him proud of me.”

We remind Serhii of that first day in the UAO warehouse, years ago, when his youngest son said he was not afraid because his father served in the strongest battalion. Now, the roles are reversed.

Paul: How do you feel about your son serving?

Serhii answers quietly: “I am proud, and I am not scared, but I am worried. I am worried as a father. Not as a soldier or commander. I have trust in my son’s training, his judgment, and his courage.”

A Message to Europe and America

When asked what they want audiences in Europe and the United States to understand, Serhii speaks bluntly: Real stories come from Ukrainians themselves. War, he says, has always been about resources and power, and people are too often treated as expendable - especially by Russia.

“This war matters,” his son adds, “because if dictators are allowed to change borders by force, others will follow. If we don’t stop this, it will happen again.”

Donate towards our Christmas fundraiser: LINK

Charitable Donation Taxation Changes in the U.S.

Recent tax law changes in the U.S. affect how charitable donations are deducted. These changes may influence when and how you choose to give.


If you do not itemize deductions

If you usually take the standard deduction, you may want to wait until 2026 to make charitable gifts. Starting in 2026, you can claim a new charitable deduction even if you don’t itemise: Up to $1,000 for single filers; up to $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. This deduction applies only to cash donations made directly to 501(c)(3) charities. It does not apply to: Donor-Advised Funds; gifts of stock or other property.

If you itemize deductions or are in the highest tax bracket

If you itemize deductions or are in the 37% tax bracket, you may want to give more in 2025, before new limits take effect. In 2026, your charitable deduction will be reduced by 0.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

Example: AGI: $300,000. Reduction: $1,500 (0.5% of $300,000). Donation: $10,000. Deductible amount: $8,500. This means smaller tax benefits from charitable gifts than in the past.

New 35% deduction limit for top earners

For people in the 37% tax bracket, charitable deductions in 2026 will be capped at a 35% tax benefit. Therefore, high-income donors may benefit from making larger gifts in 2025. Some may choose to contribute to a Donor-Advised Fund now and recommend grants to charities over future years.

We encourage donors to consult a tax advisor to understand how these changes apply to their personal situation.

Donate towards our Christmas fundraiser: LINK

Thank you for standing strong with Ukraine. Together we will win this war!

Sincerely, the UAO volunteer team. 

Heroyam Slava!

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