Ukraine’s youngest volunteer raises over UAH 35,000 for Ukrainian Armed Forces

A five-year-old Maria from Kryvyi Rih has become the youngest volunteer in Ukraine. Together with her brother, the girl collected more than UAH 35,000 for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Lana Vietrova, head of the National Register of Records of Ukraine, said this in a Facebook post.

"It is impossible to defeat a country where even the smallest children bring our victory closer. The National Register of Records recognized 5-year-old Maria Makeieva from Kryvyi Rih as the youngest volunteer, who raised UAH 35,492 for the Ukrainian Armed Forces with her performance," she wrote.

The post notes that the girl performed Ukrainian songs in the center of Lviv, where she and her mother temporarily moved during the war, to the musical accompaniment of her older brother Oleksandr (who, by the way, is also Ukraine's record holder in another category). The performance of the little record holder lasted 9 hours and 54 minutes.

"At first, the children dreamed of collecting funds for a bulletproof vest, but as their parents found out, at that moment thermal weapon sights were very much needed on the front lines. So, with the help of a volunteer fund, which added a certain amount to the children's funds, an INFIRAY СL35 M thermal weapon sign was purchased and handed over to our fighters on the front line," Vietrova wrote.

Ukraine's youngest volunteer and her brother plan to give another performance and raise funds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "Children have only one dream: to end the war as soon as possible," Vietrova wrote.