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The Ukrainian organization Robymo is an important partner of Fritt Ukraina, and together they have delivered large quantities of equipment to Ukrainian units at the frontline. One of the driving forces behind the organization is 23-year-old Kateryna from Lviv, who has spent the past years helping secure critical equipment for the soldiers defending the country.
– I do this out of great love for my country and for its people. I feel it is my duty to help those who defend us, she says.
Founded during the war
Robymo was established in December 2023, coincidentally on International Volunteer Day. The initiative came from Major Andrij Tkatsjuk of the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with a network of volunteers who had already been supporting the military since 2014.
The organization is run by volunteers and works primarily to supply Ukraine’s Defense Forces with equipment and material.
– We work to ensure that our friends, relatives, and soldiers on the frontline have everything they need to do their job more effectively. The needs never stop, and the war continues. That is why we cannot allow ourselves to stop either, Kateryna explains.
Through public fundraising campaigns, international partners, and support from more than 20 Ukrainian companies, the organization has delivered equipment worth more than 230 million hryvnjas (approx. 5.8 million EUR) to Ukraine’s Defense Forces. In addition, around 3 million hryvnjas (approx. 75,000 EUR) have been raised for the rehabilitation of veterans.
Robymo also runs media and educational initiatives, including projects that strengthen digital literacy and promote non-violent resistance in temporarily occupied territories.
Student, organization leader – and dancer
Kateryna is both the head and co-founder of the organization. At the same time, she studies journalism, public relations, and advertising at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where she will soon complete her bachelor’s degree.
Today, Robymo is her main occupation.
– Our team is still quite small, so a volunteer in our organization has to be able to do several things at once, she says.
Her responsibilities include communication with military units and partners, organizing fundraising campaigns, logistics, procurement, and managing communication and social media.
– In practice, I am involved in almost every process in the organization – from planning campaigns to organizing equipment handovers.
Alongside her work with Robymo, she continues another lifelong passion: dance. She has been dancing since childhood and has worked as a choreographer for six years. Today she trains two professional dance teams.
– Dance and music have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. For me it is not just a job or a hobby – it is something I am passionate about. It brings me joy and inspiration, and it also helps me disconnect and mentally recharge.
Family members fighting at the frontline
Her motivation is deeply personal. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, she had just turned 19.
Soon after, her sister’s husband joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Another brother-in-law had already fought earlier in the war, and later her brother Taras also volunteered for military service.
– Because of this, I never had to search for a personal reason to support the military, she says.
In the spring of 2023, she and her brother-in-law organized their first fundraising campaign. Within six months they had raised more than €250,000. Later that year they decided to establish their own organization.
– He told me: “Let’s finally create something of our own. I already have the name – Robymo.”
Close cooperation with Fritt Ukraina
Robymo has worked closely with Fritt Ukraina for more than a year, and the partnership has resulted in major deliveries of equipment to Ukrainian units.
– I am very grateful to the people of Norway and to the volunteers of Fritt Ukraina for their support. You are doing impressive work, coming here regularly and delivering necessary equipment yourselves, Kateryna says.
Together, the organizations have delivered around 2,000 drones, 70 vehicles, and large quantities of other equipment.
– Thanks to your understanding of the needs on the frontline and your cooperation with organizations here in Ukraine, we are achieving extraordinary results together.
A society growing exhausted
After more than three years of full-scale war, she also sees growing exhaustion across Ukrainian society.
– One of the biggest challenges right now is exhaustion. Soldiers and their families suffer the most, but civilians are also extremely tired.
This is clearly visible in volunteer work.
– We see it in how much longer it takes to close fundraising campaigns, and in how actively people are able to help.
At the same time, the needs at the frontline never stop.
A message to supporters in Norway
For those who want to support Ukraine but feel that it may already be too late, she has a clear message:
– If you want to help Ukraine but think it is already too late – believe me, it is not. One more person can always make a big difference.
– Join and support the work of Fritt Ukraina. With them, you will definitely be on the right path.
