It has been almost four years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leaving a trail of destruction and suffering that continues until today. According to a study elaborated by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, published on 27 January 2026, the combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) may be as high as 1.8 million. It is the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
And yet, during times of crisis, we can also see the best emerge in some people. Different options have arised to provide support. One of these is Ukrainian Life Saver (ULS), an initiative founded by Anna Teslya in March of last year. Through ULS, she raises funds destined entirely to acquire medical supplies and equipment, to save the lives of civilians and military personnel.
Anna currently resides in Dublin. But in early 2022 she was living in Odesa, a city in the south of Ukraine, and worked as a web developer. On February 24 of that year, her husband Stanislav Sokolov woke her up at 4am, after hearing several noises. The war had begun.
“My husband said its definitely sounds of bombs”, Anna recalls. “I said no, I don’t believe you. And next second our friends from Kharkiv ring us, and said: Guys, did you heard the same as we heard?”.
She mentions the conflict was only scary during the first few days, at most the first two weeks, and felt “shock and panic inside”. However, after that period, she got used to hear the sound of bombs.
Anna ended up leaving the country in October of 2022, but war was not the reason. She started to experience some difficulties in her marriage, so they decided to take a pause and live separately for a little bit, and then see what happened. Anna moved to the Netherlands with some relatives, while Stanislav stayed in Ukraine. Her stay was brief, as she found it complicated adapting to Dutch society. So she relocated to Ireland on 19 March 2023.
She quickly adapted to a new life, considers Irish people are great, and is currently studying Logistic Operations at Technological University Dublin. And after all the difficulties, she talked with her husband and tried convincing him to move to Ireland. Nonetheless, Stanislav refused because he wanted to defend their country, despite not being a military man.
He was a designer and barista, but volunteer as a drone pilot. On 22 August 2025, Stanislav died on the Kharkiv front, at only 28 years old. ULS is inspired and carried by his memory.
Taking action
All funds raised by ULS are used to purchase medicines and medical equipment, which allow to treat both combat and non-combat injuries. So far, they have reached €5800 in charitable donations and completed four fundraising campaigns. Donations reach the following cities: Donestk, Kharkiv, Kiev, Kupiansk, Odessa, Pokrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
The different modalities to collaborate are available on their website, like PayPal and Wise, among others. And you can receive different rewards – according to the amount sent – which includes a cover passport, lanyard holder, shopper bag, or wallet. These rewards are made in Ukraine by Teslia Valentyna, who is Anna’s mother.
Future perspective
“We are not close for an agreement between both sides”, Anna affirms. “Because all that Russia tried to request from us, are madness requirements. So we cannot agree to lose a territory, because if we agree it once, in lets say two years they would want to get more. That’s why we should stay in the fight. And a lot depends from European countries and America, for support”.
She considers that “neither Europe nor America are willing to take this very necessary step of restraining Russia by providing Ukraine with enough weapons, even though we stand on the front line defending the entire world”.
When Stanislav was alive, Anna saw her time abroad as temporary and was fully determined to go back to Odesa eventually. But when he was killed, all the future plans change.
“The only thing that still holds me together is the fact that my parents are alive”, she says. “They remain there in an extremely unstable situation. Because of this, I’m trying to provide financial stability for my parents by working here and supporting them from Ireland. I honestly don’t know what the future holds, I may have to bring them here for safety if something happens to our home or if they lose their jobs. For now, I plan to remain in Ireland to bring at least some stability into my family’s life, and if possible, to help other Ukrainian citizens through my volunteer initiative”.
The official ULS website: https://www.uls.life/
