How Ukrainians fund their own defense: the story of “Come Back Alive”

Imagine an NGO that has raised over one billion dollars to support the Ukrainian army. Imagine a civil society initiative that purchases armaments and military equipment. Imagine a transparent organisation with an independent board and detailed reporting. This NGO exists — it is called “Povernys Zhyvym”, or “Come Back Alive”. It is one of the largest Ukrainian civil society foundations supporting Ukraine’s defense. In this episode, we will speak about its work — and about the ways you can help Ukraine. *** Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: UkraineWorld: *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Kateryna Leshchyshyn, head of the international partnerships at the Come Back Alive foundation. *** SUPPORT: You can support our work on Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** The podcast episode is produced by UkraineWorld with the support of the Askold and Dir Fund as a part of the Strong Civil Society of Ukraine - a Driver towards Reforms and Democracy project, implemented by ISAR Ednannia, funded by Norway and Sweden. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of UkraineWorld and can in no way be taken to reflect the views the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden and ISAR *** CONTENTS: 00:00 What is Come Back Alive (Povernys Zhyvym)? 02:09 Come Back Alive`s Role: at the crossroads of the military, defence industry, and charity 04:33 Why does Ukraine need charity foundations to win? 07:49 Povernys Zhyvym buys a lot of things: from arms and vehicles to drones and chairs 09:58 Come Back Alive tests and develops new solutions 13:27 Working with foreigners: Challenges and successful stories 16:09 Why foreigners are reluctant to fund military equipment 19:34 Reality of the Ukrainian army: 80-90% of soldiers are former civilians 22:07 Who are the main donors of Come Back Alive? 29:38 Ways to support Ukraine: Spreading information, demonstrations, literature 37:37 Why donors should choose Come Back Alive

You can listen to How Ukrainians fund their own defense: the story of “Come Back Alive” online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

How Ukrainians fund their own defense: the story of “Come Back Alive” is an episode from Explaining Ukraine by UkraineWorld.

This episode is 00:42:56 long.

This episode was published on Dec 8, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Explaining Ukraine when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.