How to help Ukraine: Packaging meals for front-line soldiers with Murashky Kitchen (Patreon)

Dear Kyiv Independent community members, 

Thank you for your continued support. Last month, we launched a new membership benefit: the “How to help Ukraine” newsletter. We plan to send one edition per month, highlighting an organization supporting Ukraine and giving you a closer look at civil society in Ukraine. We have heard from our members that there’s interest in getting more involved in helping Ukraine, so we will share with you opportunities to donate or, in some cases, volunteer. 

This is our second edition of the “How to Help Ukraine” newsletter, and we’re proud to be able to feature the work of Murashky, a volunteer kitchen based in Kyiv that produces dry rations for the Ukrainian army. 

Murashky only requires about $7,800 per month to keep the operation running — this covers electricity ($1,500), input materials ($5,000), rent ($600), and the salary of two employees ($700) — and is financed by individual donations. They also receive donations in the form of raw ingredients from businesses and individuals, and all together with these resources, are able to produce between $30,000-$35,000 worth of packaged dry rations every month — sent to Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, completely free of charge. You can make a donation to Murashky via Buy Me a Coffee here. 

Murashky, which means “Ants” in Ukrainian, was started by Kostiantyn and his wife Oksana in Kyiv on the second day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Feb. 25, 2022. The couple is originally from the now almost entirely occupied Luhansk Oblast, and eventually settled in Kyiv in 2019. When Russia initially invaded Ukraine in 2014, they lost their home in Luhansk and their usual life, said Kostiantyn. “But we retained our dignity and desire to act.” 

“When war knocked on our door again, we knew that this time we would not just run away, but take a step toward it, and fight,” Kostiantyn said. 

On the second day of Russia’s full-scale invasion Kostiantyn and Oksana began to act. At first, they helped their community with a wide range of tasks, including assisting the elderly who were suddenly left alone to organizing hot meals for Kyiv’s territorial defense volunteers who were signing up for the army in the thousands. Already in March, they discovered there was an emerging need for individually packaged dry rations for the soldiers on the very front lines — i.e. meals that can be prepared by only adding boiling water and eaten in combat positions. In a trench, the first line of defense, this is the only option for food. 

In March 2022, Kostiantyn and Oksana made the first batches of dry rations — biscuits and jerky — in a kindergarten in Kyiv. After receiving positive feedback, the couple invested their personal savings into equipment to expand production, began developing recipes, and gathered a team — this was the start of Murashky. 

Each month, Murashky produces about 30,000 dry rations. Since the start of Murashky, they’ve already handed over more than 860,000 rations to Ukrainian soldiers, including 560,000 dry meals and 300,000 portions of biscuits. Murashky produces over 20 different rations, including biscuits, breakfast cereals, dried fruit, and even tea packets during cold seasons. You can watch a video report in Ukrainian here, which shows how Murashky operates as a volunteer kitchen and some of the rations they produce.

Murashky receives requests for help from three sources: military personnel requesting rations for their unit, from families of military personnel making a request for their loved ones, and from charitable or nongovernmental organizations. Since Murashky specifically designs rations for soldiers in combat positions, they only send food to units that are on the very front lines. The further back a unit is, the more options there are for meals.

Volunteers from all around the world are wearing "Murashky" T-shirts in Murashky’s kitchen in Kyiv.

Up to 25 volunteers can work at Murashky at one time, and since the organization started, over 500 volunteers from Ukraine as well as more than 170 volunteers from over 20 countries have been involved. 

Murashky is accepting volunteers at their kitchen in Kyiv as they provide critical support producing rations, as well as moral support. At the Kyiv Independent, we are proud that Murashky’s volunteer community includes Kyiv Independent community members, some of whom have traveled to Ukraine for the first time to volunteer at Murashky’s kitchen. For those who are interested in volunteering in Kyiv, here is Murashky’s volunteering sign-up form. After filling out the form, a volunteer coordinator will reach out in the following days.

The main way to help Murashky is through donations. At the moment, besides the $7,800 Murashky needs to operate every month, the organization is also raising $20,000 in order to upgrade their operations and to create a separate production line for dried meat and jerky. Murashky plans to buy new equipment that will allow them to produce more dried meat, while using fewer volunteers and less electricity. 

You can make a donation via Buy Me a Coffee, or you can find additional donation options on Murashky’s website here by clicking “Donate.” 

Murashky updates their social media accounts periodically with their expense reports for transparency. You can follow Murashky on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), or find out more about their kitchen on Volunteering Ukraine here.

Thank you for your support — and we hope you find these letters highlighting organizations like Murashky useful. If you have any questions or feedback about our newsletter, please feel free to respond directly to this email or reach out via email at brooke@kyivindependent.com and let us know what you think of this membership benefit.