Ukraine has entered its fourth winter of war. As temperatures drop and the days grow shorter, life becomes even more difficult for people affected by the conflict. As attacks on homes and energy infrastructure persist, families are often left without basic necessities: heat, light and water.

This is why donor support is critically important right now.

At the start of the full-scale invasion, people in Estonia showed remarkable solidarity. Thanks to their donations, thousands of Ukrainian families received assistance that helped them survive and cope during extremely difficult times. Now, as the fourth winter of war begins, the number of donations has unfortunately decreased, even though the need for help remains immense – an estimated 12.7 million people in Ukraine are requiring humanitarian assistance in 2025.

Since 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure at the onset of winter, aiming to leave civilians without heating, electricity and running water. In recent months, these attacks have intensified again, causing repeated outages, especially in frontline communities.

This winter, the Estonian Refugee Council is providing heating assistance in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where access to essential services is severely disrupted, energy prices are extremely high, and many people are unable to keep their homes warm during the cold season. Supporting a household for the winter costs €460, which covers heating materials or heating bills for five months.

Every donation has a tangible impact:

•︎ €23 provides heating assistance for one family for one week 
•︎ €92 provides heating assistance for one family for one month
•︎ €460 provides heating assistance for one family for the entire winter

As Estonians, we know how harsh and unforgiving a long, cold winter can be. Together, we can bring warmth and support to those who must endure their fourth winter in the midst of war.

Help Ukrainian families make it through the winter, donate today.

The Estonian Refugee Council has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, providing humanitarian assistance to people affected by the war and supporting their long-term recovery.