One of 70 Russian missiles fired at Ukraine in a hours-long attack early on June 15 exploded above Mariya Prokopchuk's apartment building in eastern Kyiv. The blast shattered hundreds of windows, killing five civilians and wounding dozens.

Prokopchuk, a doctor, said shards missed her skull by three centimeters. She felt no fear of the explosion but worried that missing windows would make her first-floor apartment an easy target for looters.

Within hours, Dobrobat (short for 'Battalion of Kindness') volunteers arrived with truckloads of strand board to clear rubble and install temporary window coverings. Spokesman Vadym Severyn said the group's 55,000+ volunteers have helped restore homes for over a million Ukrainians.

Among the volunteers is Lars Fersters, a 70-year-old retired Swedish blacksmith who joined after learning about Russian atrocities. 'I got angry and asked myself, 'Is there anything I can do?'' he said, using gestures and a translation app to communicate.

Jason Hercula, a 37-year-old American hairstylist from North Carolina, sold his plasma to fund his trip to Ukraine. 'I've been to two house fires, so I know what it's like to lose my home,' he explained while cutting boards.

Dobrobat is part of a wider volunteer movement involving millions of Ukrainians who supply drones, flak jackets, night goggles, medical aid, and more. Even schoolchildren make trench candles and weave camouflage nets.

Volunteers often outperform government agencies mired in bureaucracy and corruption. As one soldier put it, 'If we're dealing with volunteers, things will get done. If we're dealing with the state, the chances are 50/50.'

Source: www.aljazeera.com