Solutions to win: Ukrainian musician buys ambulance in Netherlands for Ukraine’s armed forces

Oleh Lysenko, an accordion player, purchased an ambulance in the Netherlands to help evacuate injured Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine's armed forces. This marks his fifth vehicle for this purpose.

Ukrinform reports this.

What is the solution?

The musician was born and raised in the Poltava region and has been living in the Netherlands for more than twenty years. During this time, he has hosted charity concerts in response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"We sent our fifth ambulance to the military unit located in Donetsk region. It is a four-wheel drive ambulance for evacuating the wounded. It is fully equipped with medical supplies and emergency aid, including a specialized wheeled bed, defibrillator, oxygen, and an aluminum collapsible stretcher for transporting the injured. The mobile ambulance is specifically designed for long-distance transport of wounded individuals," accordionist Oleh Lysenko reports.

How does it work?

His brother Oleksandr Lysenko, a volunteer from Ukraine, assists in preparing the ambulance for dispatch and transportation.

"He is traveling to the Netherlands, assisting with final checks before departure and drafting documents. We will accompany him to the Ukrainian border, and then he will continue the journey on his own. This Friday, my brother has to hand over the car to the military unit in the Donetsk region," the musician says.

Oleh Lysenko plays most of his concerts with his sons and students.

^{Photo: Courtesy of Oleh Lysenko}

His sons, fourteen-year-old Luka and ten-year-old Illia, were born in the Netherlands. Oleh's wife is Dutch. The family actively helps Ukraine.

They have been volunteering for nearly three years. They established "Music for Ukraine," a charity organization officially registered in the Netherlands that provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

"We help Ukraine through charity concerts, raising funds for the provision of necessary humanitarian aid. In particular, ambulances and other special vehicles, medical equipment, medicines, dental equipment, as well as solar panels for hospitals. After our second ambulance came under fire, then he transferred funds for its repair," the accordion player said.

There are five individuals registered in the "Music for Ukraine" charity fund, two of whom are doctors. They are helping the musician equip the ambulance with all the necessary medical equipment.

"Throughout August to October, I performed in a minimum of 20 concerts and earned over 20,000 euros. The fifth resuscitation vehicle, including equipment and shipping, amounted to more than 25,000 euros. Altogether, my foundation has already contributed over 125,000 euros in aid. I have played in over 200 concerts since the start of the full-scale war," Oleh Lysenko says.

The accordionist explains that, along with his colleagues, he is using music to introduce Europeans to the vibrant Ukrainian culture, and by joining forces with other artists and writers, they work for Ukraine's victory.

^{Photo: Courtesy of Oleh Lysenko}

"I'm currently involved in a tour with another charitable organization, Protect Ukraine, that features well-known Dutch authors. We have a strong collaboration with them, as they have been providing a significant amount of aid. In addition, I've been approached by Ukrainian volunteers residing in France, who were forced to leave their home country because of the war. They have requested my assistance in organizing a concert tour to raise funds for computers for orphaned children from Zaporizhzhia.

We have a concert tour lined up featuring Ukrainian tenor Yurii Hodot. We'll be performing in Groningen on November29, Nijmegen on November30, and Amsterdam on December1. I assisted in arranging two concerts with tenor Yurii Hodot in the Netherlands. We have a number of charitable projects remaining to aid Ukraine," Lysenko shares.

For reference:

According to reports, volunteers from Great Britain, led by farmer Mark Laird, are still offering support to Ukraine. This latest contribution, through the charity event Pickups for Peace, involved donating 38 SUVs to aid the Ukrainian military.

In August, once again, a volunteer group of farmers from Great Britain handed over a new batch of cars to the Ukrainian military.