Eyes on Ukraine

Eyes on Ukraine is a Dutch foundation (stichting) that uses crowdfunding to support Ukraine, primarily by supplying goods that improve the survival chances of Ukrainian military personnel without directly providing weapons. The organisation was founded shortly after the Russian offensive in 2022 by initiators Farid Bekirov and Bas Könning. Its name reflects its original purpose: to put video drones in the air above combat areas so that attacks on civilian targets and war crimes cannot be denied. Because civilians filming with smartphones risk being shot, drones offer a safer way to document events from a greater height. A drone model with a good camera but limited carrying capacity was chosen so it could not easily be used as a weapon. After a crowdfunding campaign launched via the radio programme Nieuwsweekend, a shipment of drones was sent to Ukraine. It soon became clear that Ukrainian soldiers were also using the drones for reconnaissance and had found ways to attach hand grenades, turning them into combat tools. The initiators then shifted their focus to supplying second-hand terrain vehicles. Today the foundation delivers a wide range of practical items: drones, off-road vehicles, generators, powerbanks, bulletproof vests, anti-drone nets, medical kits, power stations and safety equipment. It also hopes to help with demining efforts. Eyes on Ukraine is registered as an ANBI (public benefit organisation) in the Netherlands. All organisational and transport costs are covered by a sponsor company and volunteers, so every donated euro goes directly to purchasing field vehicles, generators, medical kits and similar goods. The foundation communicates its impact through its website, reporting deliveries such as 400+ power stations, 250+ cars, 300+ generators and 1200+ medical kits provided to the Ukrainian army. It continues to innovate, for example by developing a 5 kWh power station for €900 and investing in affordable battery storage for Ukraine. The organisation should not be confused with an international group of ophthalmologists also called Eyes on Ukraine, which focuses on treating eye injuries from the war, nor with the 2025 documentary film of the same name.

Eyes on Ukraine was founded shortly after the Russian offensive in Ukraine in 2022 by initiators Farid Bekirov and Bas Könning. The original idea was to supply drones to Ukraine to document Russian war crimes, based on the principle that in war, truth is the first casualty. Ukrainian civilians attempting to film with smartphones faced great risk of being shot; using drones meant that at worst the drone would be shot down instead of the civilian or journalist. Drones could also film from greater height and were less visible. This focus on filming with drones gave the organisation its name: Eyes on Ukraine. A drone model was selected that had a good camera but limited carrying capacity, so it could not be used as a weapon. A crowdfunding campaign was launched through an appearance on the radio programme Nieuwsweekend, and a shipment of drones was sent to Ukraine. It soon became apparent that Ukrainian soldiers were also using the drones for reconnaissance and had found a way to hang a hand grenade under a drone, turning it into a combat weapon. The initiators then shifted their attention to supplying second-hand terrain vehicles. The organisation now focuses on delivering goods that improve the survival chances of Ukrainian military personnel, even if those goods are used in combat. These include drones, off-road vehicles, generators, powerbanks, bulletproof vests, anti-drone nets and more. It also hopes to help with clearing minefields. Eyes on Ukraine operates as an ANBI-registered foundation in the Netherlands. All organisational and transport costs are borne by a sponsor company and volunteers, so every donated euro is used to purchase field vehicles, generators, medical kits and similar items. The foundation reports having provided the Ukrainian army with 400+ power stations, 250+ cars, 300+ generators and 1200+ medical kits. It continues to innovate, for example by developing a 5 kWh power station for €900 and investing in affordable 5 kWh batteries for energy storage in Ukraine. The name Eyes on Ukraine is shared by an unrelated international organisation of ophthalmologists that helps with war wounds to the eye, and by a 2025 documentary film of the same title.

• 2026

  Announced development of a 5 kWh power station for €900 and investment in affordable 5 kWh batteries.

• 2022

  Foundation established shortly after the Russian offensive in Ukraine by Farid Bekirov and Bas Könning.

• 2022

  Crowdfunding campaign launched via Nieuwsweekend; first shipment of drones sent to Ukraine.

• 2022

  Shift in focus to supplying second-hand terrain vehicles after drones were repurposed for combat.

Non-profit crowdfunding foundation delivering non-lethal survival equipment to Ukraine, with full transparency and low overheads.

• Video drones

  Drones with good cameras but limited carrying capacity, used to document war crimes and for reconnaissance.

• Second-hand terrain vehicles

  Off-road vehicles supplied to improve mobility and survival of Ukrainian military personnel.

• Generators

  Power generators delivered to Ukraine.

• Power stations

  Portable power stations, including a 5 kWh model under development for €900.

• Medical kits

  Medical kits provided to Ukrainian military personnel.

• Bulletproof vests

  Protective equipment for soldiers.

• Anti-drone nets

  Nets used to counter enemy drones.

1. 1Eyes on Ukraine – official websiteeyesonukraine.eu
2. 2Eyes on Ukraine – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Eyes on Ukraine – Dutch Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org