Solutions to win: recycled Russian literature funds Ukraine’s air defense with new pickups

On April 22, the Hurkit Charitable Foundation and the Vivat publishing house presented two pickup trucks to the Air Defense Center unit as part of their "Put a Russian Book in a Corner" campaign.

In January, the Vivat partnership fund launched a campaign in ten cities across Ukraine (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, Bila Tserkva, Odesa, Dnipro, Cherkasy) where Ukrainians could recycle their Russian and Soviet literature. Vivat bookstores and recycling centers across the country collected "Russian waste paper," various organizations such as state gymnasiums, private schools, volunteer groups, and the Supreme Court of Ukraine also joined. They took the opportunity to declutter their libraries and get rid of unnecessary literature.

In over two months, the organizers collected 110 tons of waste paper, which was converted into 460,000 UAH. These funds were used to purchase two Air Defense Center unit pickup trucks.

"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has been purposefully and systematically destroying and damaging our libraries, burning Ukrainian books, and banning them in the temporarily occupied territories. We also understood that many people have a certain amount of Russian literature left, which they will definitely not read, so we decided to convert it to help our defense forces. As part of the campaign, for every 5 kg, the Vivat publishing house provided a -30% discount on the next purchase, contributing to a good cause and allowing you to buy something new. During the promotional period, Vivat bookstores issued more than 7,500 discount coupons. Our readers bought more than 24,000 new Ukrainian books," Vivat General Director Yuliia Orlova says.

The bought pickup trucks have already been fitted, painted, and armed with turrets. They and the other eight vehicles will be transferred to the division next week.

"Pursuing the Shahed drones, our Jedi constantly moved off-road. The Air Defense Forces required four-wheel-drive pickups with specially equipped sides and turrets to avoid getting stuck in mud or sand. This action not only helped to get rid of any Russian junk but also allowed for the acquisition of two more cars, which are essential for our defense forces," Vlad Samoilenko, head of "Hurkit", says.

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"Hurkit" Charitable Foundation is a charitable organization that helps military personnel, medics, and civilians in the de-occupied and front-line territories.