Steady to victory: how volunteers from the Kiev region are helping soldiers at the front

Iryna Yukhimchuk writes about it for the Obukhov Chronicle portal.

Local volunteers of the Mother's Heart NGO have been weaving camouflage nets for nine years, which they actively use at the front. Since 2014, the volunteers have already sent kilometres of nets and kikimors to eastern Ukraine.

According to coordinator Olena Artyushenko, the volunteers work almost without weekends. And they often weave nets at the request of military personnel.

Because of the full-scale invasion, the need for protection has multiplied. In winter they used to weave white. Now, in spring, there is a need for nets and kikimoras in natural, greenish with an addition of brown and beige. We work every day from 8:00 a.m. and sometimes until 10:00 p.m., when there is an urgent order. So far not only the participants of Mothers' Heart weave, but also other town residents who care - says Elena.

Despite the fact that volunteers work non-stop, hands are still not enough, because the number of orders is only increasing.

It is noted that it takes 10-12 hours of work to make one net. If one person works on it, it will be ready in 2 days.

There is a lot of machinery and everything needs to be protected. The soldiers are very demanding and in order to cover all their needs, we need to weave at least three nets a day, we don't have enough time," adds the volunteer.

It takes a little less time to make a kikimor, about eight hours. In addition to kikimoras, the military asks for helmet camouflage.

It takes a little less time to weave a kikimora, about 8 hours. This is with stretching and preparing the material. Ribbons are sliced less than mesh, in a jumble weave threads from so-called nettle bags. Now there is also an order for nashomniki. Now there is an order for 10 kikimors, 13 nets and 20 nasholomniki," she said.