Anti-war Russians in Bulgaria donate SUV vehicles to the Ukrainian army

Russian anti-war activists living in Bulgaria have donated 17 SUV vehicles to Ukraine’s Armed Forces and the Freedom of Russia Legion, a Russian volunteer unit fighting alongside Ukrainian troops against Moscow’s invasion.

The vehicles were displayed on Wednesday in front of Sofia’s St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral before being sent to the front line, where they will be used for troop transport, logistics and the delivery of ammunition and supplies.

“This initiative has become a tradition. We gathered here two years ago for the same purpose,” said Gennady Vorobyov of the civic movement Bessarabian Front. “The vehicles can be used to transport personnel and to deliver ammunition and food,” he added.

The donation is part of a wider campaign by Russian anti-war activists and volunteers to support Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion. “Today, Europe’s eastern gateway is being defended. We cannot afford to let Ukraine lose,” Vorobyov commented.

He said that the donation was financed by Russians living both in Bulgaria and inside Russia. Many of the donors have faced criminal prosecution, asset seizures and other forms of repression because of their opposition to the war.

“As a result, they do not want to be identified,” he said.

Several participants at the event wore masks and dark glasses to conceal their identities. Some appeared in military uniforms, while Ukrainian flags were displayed across the square and participants greeted one another with the slogan “Glory to Ukraine”.

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a Russian volunteer military formation opposed to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin and to the war launched against Ukraine. Its members fight alongside Ukrainian forces against the Russian military.

The latest convoy follows a similar initiative organised in Sofia two years ago, when Russian volunteers sent military-use vehicles to support the Legion. Organisers said the aim was not only to provide practical assistance but also to draw public attention in Bulgaria to the realities of the war.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian volunteers based in Bulgaria have delivered nearly 50 vehicles to Ukraine, as well as medical supplies and drones.

Bessarabian Front is a volunteer, media and information initiative established by members of Ukraine’s Bessarabian Bulgarian community shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The organisation says its mission is to counter Russian disinformation targeting Bulgarian audiences and to provide support for Ukraine through public campaigns and humanitarian initiatives.

Its co-founder, Gennady Vorobyov, is a Bessarabian Bulgarian originally from Ukraine who lives in Bulgaria and works as an entrepreneur and digital communications specialist. The organisation’s editor-in-chief and co-founder is Oleksandr Baron.

The project brings together journalists, volunteers and activists whose families originate from the historic Bulgarian communities of Ukraine’s Odesa region and neighbouring areas.

The latest donation highlights the growing role played by Russian anti-war networks abroad in supporting Ukraine’s defence effort, despite mounting pressure on Kremlin critics both inside Russia and beyond its borders.

Caption: In the center of Sofia, Ukrainian military personnel received a donation of 17 SUV vehicles purchased from Russians living in Bulgaria [Facebook]