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Veteranhuset Midt-Norge (Veterans House Mid-Norway) and veterans’ organisations in Trøndelag have launched a fundraising campaign in cooperation with Fritt Ukraina to send used aquaculture nets to Ukraine. The materials will be used as protection against Russian drone attacks in Zaporizhzhia, Trøndelag’s partner region in Ukraine.
Veterans House Midt-Norge serves as an initiative and a gathering place for the veteran community in Trøndelag. The house functions as a daily meeting point for veterans and veteran families from across Central Norway, regardless of organisational affiliation, and provides a venue for activities, peer support and veteran follow-up services.
Supporting Ukraine is an important part of the work carried out by Veterans House.
– Since 2022, veterans’ organisations in Trøndelag have contributed to numerous deliveries of vehicles, drones, medical supplies and other equipment to Ukraine, says Thore Allan Grønning.
Grønning is chairman of the board at Veterans House and has personally participated in one of the aid convoys to Ukraine.
The veterans are now directing their efforts specifically towards Trøndelag’s partner region.
– Veterans’ organisations in Trøndelag have provided substantial support to Ukraine for several years. This time, we want to contribute directly to Zaporizhzhia, which is Trøndelag’s own partner region. The initiative responds to a specific request for protective equipment that can have an immediate impact on the ground, says Arnstein Galåen, board member and one of the driving forces behind Veterans House Midt-Norge.
Trøndelag asked to help protect civilians from drones
Earlier this year, Trøndelag County Council entered into a friendship agreement with Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. The region is among the hardest hit in the country. More than 70 per cent of the oblast is occupied by Russia, while the northern part, including the regional capital Zaporizhzhia, remains under Ukrainian control.
Extensive drone and missile attacks continue to strike both critical infrastructure and civilian areas in Zaporizhzhia. Governor Ivan Fedorov is now asking Trøndelag for assistance.
– Since 2022, more than 20,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, and 891 civilians, including 46 children, have been killed. Nearly 4,000 people have been injured. In the first five months of this year alone, 109 civilians were killed and 710 wounded, says Fedorov.
– We need help protecting civilians from daily drone attacks. The need for practical protective measures is urgent in a region where residential areas, public transport hubs and other critical infrastructure are regularly targeted, he says.
Nets from Norwegian fish farming are already being used as a practical and cost-effective protection measure against Russian FPV drones. Both new and used nets from the aquaculture industry can provide physical protection and help reduce damage.
– Every single net is more than just a material resource. It represents another chance to save a human life. It can help protect a child waiting for a bus, a bus driver, a healthcare worker or a volunteer, says Governor Ivan Fedorov.
“Ukraine’s fight for freedom is also our fight”
Trøndelag County Mayor Tomas Iver Hallem believes the county has a special responsibility to support the people of its partner region.
– Our friends in Zaporizhzhia are engaged in an existential struggle for survival. There is now progress on the battlefield, and civilians still need our support to endure in their fight for freedom against a ruthless enemy, says Tomas Iver Hallem.
– At Trøndelag County Council, we want to strengthen the remarkable voluntary effort currently underway to collect equipment that can be sent to Zaporizhzhia. I therefore hope that everyone in Trøndelag who has the opportunity will support our volunteers by contributing through the fundraising campaign, so that this important assistance can be expanded. Ukraine’s fight for freedom is also our fight, he says.
Saving lives every day
The company Green Trading Solutions in Foldereid prepares the nets before they are shipped to Ukraine. The company gives used materials from the fisheries and aquaculture industries a second life by collecting, cleaning, sorting and preparing discarded nets and fishing gear for reuse in Norway and abroad.
Large quantities of Norwegian nets have already been sent to Ukraine, where they are used to protect trenches, buildings and exposed road sections in order to reduce the impact of Russian drone attacks.
– All nets are inspected, sorted and prepared before export, ensuring that shipments consist only of clean netting without waste or other foreign materials. The quality is already well known in Ukraine, and we have received excellent feedback on the material we have supplied, including directly from senior officers on the front line. Even long stretches of roads in Ukraine are now protected by nets and fishing gear from Norway, says Isach André Øiangen Wold of Green Trading Solutions.
Idealism is also the driving force behind the work carried out by the company in Foldereid.
– We actually lose money on our deliveries to Ukraine. At the same time, we know that the equipment we send saves lives every day, and that helps me sleep better at night, says Wold.
Challenging businesses and private donors
– Used aquaculture nets are a simple measure that can help protect people from drone attacks. When Zaporizhzhia asks Trøndelag for help, we believe it is important to step up, says Galåen.
The goal is to finance four truckloads of used aquaculture nets from Norway to Ukraine. Each load weighs around 20 tonnes. The total cost is estimated at approximately NOK 280,000 (28 000 EUR), including preparation, packing and transport.
– One business has already pledged NOK 100,000 (10 000 EUR), leaving NOK 180,000 (18 000 EUR) needed to fully finance the deliveries. If additional support is received, it will be possible to send more truckloads.
The fundraising campaign and deliveries are being carried out in cooperation with Fritt Ukraina, which also organises the transport of the shipments. Fritt Ukraina already supports several military units fighting Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia.
Veterans House has now established a Spleis fundraising campaign to finance the deliveries.
Contributions can also be transferred directly to Fritt Ukraina’s bank account 3411.50.53606 or via Vipps 788017. Payments should be marked “Veteranhuset”. Bank transfers are also free of charge.
– We now challenge businesses and private individuals to contribute, both to this initiative and to other measures supporting Zaporizhzhia. Every contribution makes a difference, say Grønning and Galåen.
They add that any surplus funds may be used for additional deliveries if the fundraising target is exceeded.
– The need is enormous, they say.
