Taras Chmut: Behind the scenes of Ukrainian volunteering
“You keep helping, but people still die. The ones you drank coffee with yesterday, the ones you served with. And you can’t change that. In these conditions, the team needs close and friendly communication with each other,” says Taras Chmut, head of the “Come Back Alive” Foundation, about working with the team during active combat. During a webinar by the UCU Business School and the UCU Leadership Center, we talked with Taras about how volunteer organizations are functioning now and asked for his advice on such activities.
How did volunteer organizations operate before the escalation, and what changed after February 24?
Since February 24, everything has changed for everyone. A huge number of local initiatives, new funds, organizations, and associations appeared, as well as many people who began to volunteer. For the “Come Back Alive” Foundation, everything changed as well. Our workload and scale grew from 20 million UAH in the previous year to 3 billion UAH in two months—an increase by thousands. As a result, we now have new areas like foreign economic activities, the purchase of weapons and equipment, and completely new logistics and accounting systems.
For example, to purchase 1,300 generators, you need storage because you can’t keep them in an office as before. Plus, we started getting requests for bulletproof vests and helmets, which weren’t needed before. Meanwhile, the immediate need for training instructors diminished since there was no time to train—there was a war to fight. We essentially rolled back to the summer of 2014 and have been quickly getting back on track to a more stable and planned system.
How do volunteer organizations interact with state authorities now?
The “Come Back Alive” Foundation has been professionally supporting the military for eight years. During this time, we’ve built strong relationships with many battalion and brigade commanders and over a hundred generals of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We also have solid connections with the President’s Office, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Verkhovna Rada, and Ukrainian stakeholders in media, politics, and diplomacy. We’ve built these connections over the years, and now we’re strengthening them further and using these tools as needed to achieve our goals.
For local volunteers, this may be more difficult, as they must go through the same long process, which can sometimes take years. Before the full-scale war, we worked on expanding territorial defense forces and modernizing air defense systems. We also initiated the creation of export groups to take a more systematic approach to defense procurement and the army’s needs.
What are common volunteer mistakes, and what consequences can they have?
On the one hand, the fact that Ukrainian society mobilizes in times of crisis and helps its defenders in every possible way is one reason for our victories and why we will win. On the other hand, mistakes are normal and inevitable. But we must also recognize that resources in the country and globally are limited, so it’s important that every dollar or hryvnia is spent to maximize results.
For example, last year, we invested about 5 million UAH in modernizing the “Osa” air defense systems in four army regiments. At the time, the results were modest—two “Orlan” drones were shot down. However, this investment in air defense paid off on the very first day of the war and continues to do so. Investing 5 million UAH last year has saved us at least $500 million worth of destroyed planes, helicopters, and intercepted missiles.
The key is the competence of your actions—identifying a weak spot and investing in it to improve effectiveness. Volunteers should aim to direct resources where they have the most impact on the battlefield.
What are the challenges of working with international companies?
Previously, we bought most things in Ukraine, where everything was straightforward—contracts, payments, receipts. Now we purchase from places like the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the UK, and the US. You can’t just visit a store and buy what you need or fly to the UAE to check if the equipment is right. Now, there are customs, financial monitoring, and many other challenges we didn’t face before. We’re learning to manage this in real-time.
How can you choose trustworthy volunteer organizations to donate to and avoid scams?
Trust is key. It should be someone public and well-known, whom you trust, and who didn’t just appear yesterday. It’s also important to understand who they work with and how they help. For example, bringing knives or buying watches for soldiers is not very effective. However, many local initiatives, though small, do the right things and provide what’s actually needed—perhaps just three thermal imagers, but they’re good ones. Thousands of such organizations buy time for larger organizations like ours. While they deliver three thermal imagers, we can buy 800 and cover an entire front line.
If you want to help, do so—it doesn’t necessarily have to be through “Come Back Alive.” We work closely with Serhiy Prytula’s Foundation. Since last year, we’ve coordinated our efforts and purchases to avoid duplication and reinforce each other where possible. For example, Serhiy may equip one battalion, and we’ll cover another.
How would you describe the management and communication style at “Come Back Alive,” and how do you maintain effectiveness under such pressure?
First of all, it’s about selecting the right people who share the same vision of the country, the war, the future, and the values. These are people for whom this is not just a job—it’s part of their life, and a big part. If you have the right team, it becomes much easier to manage.
Before the war, we had a five-stage hiring process: a resume review, an interview with HR, an interview with the department head, then the director, and finally a polygraph test.
This process has since changed. We first brought in many volunteers—people from our network who helped or are helping us to cover various tasks. We also repurposed our staff, brought back former team members, and recruited new people. Our organizational structure is evolving—from 30 employees, we’re now growing to 70. The demand has grown, as have the opportunities.
My management approach is people-centered. I focus on making the work comfortable for my team, and they deliver results. We also face a lot of burnout, as what we do doesn’t always yield quick or desired results. You deliver body armor repeatedly, but the demand never decreases. Or you help and help, yet people still die—those you drank coffee with yesterday, those you served with. You can’t change that. In such conditions, the team needs close, friendly communication. It’s about workplace friendships—supporting each other and having internal “therapy.”
How is corruption being addressed to ensure aid reaches where it’s needed?
For us, it’s easier because we communicate directly with battalions, brigades, and commanders. Our aid can’t fail to reach its destination, as it would then be an issue for the specific commander. The military system takes care of that. If other organizations face issues, I would recommend more systematic collaboration with commanders to ensure proper distribution of resources.
Sometimes commanders might ask for items they don’t actually need or already have. A battalion commander might know better if the first platoon of the first company needs a third thermal imager, or if it should go to the third company, which has none. It’s important to account for this. We focus on working with commanders and entire units, not just individual soldiers.
What would you like to say to Ukrainians now?
First and foremost, believe in the Ukrainian Armed Forces! No matter how difficult things get, there are many good people who will do everything possible to ensure Ukraine wins this war. Secondly, don’t think the war is over just because things are calmer in Kyiv. Unfortunately, tough times are ahead, including an economic crisis and coming to terms with the human losses. This war could last for years, but remember that no matter how long it takes, the outcome will be the same—we will win.
Taras Chmut is a military analyst, a sergeant in the Ukrainian Navy reserves, a volunteer, and a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war. He is the founder of the Ukrainian Military Center and head of the “Come Back Alive” Foundation.
