Saltivka, Kharkiv: Survival on the Northern Edge
Pillar: Relief & Community Recovery | Mission Volume: 350+ Units | Context: Urban Shelling
On June 27, 2025, Bird of Light Ukraine delivered over 350 food packages to the residents of Saltivka, Kharkiv’s largest and most heavily battered district.
This mission was targeted specifically at the most vulnerable demographic: the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited mobility who simply cannot run to a shelter when the sirens wail.
A District Under Siege Saltivka is not just a neighborhood; before the war, it was home to over 300,000 people—larger than many European cities. Today, Northern Saltivka is the most destroyed urban landscape in Ukraine.
By June 2025, up to 90% of Northern Saltivka’s residential buildings had been damaged or ruined. Yet, thousands of residents remain. For the seniors living here, life is a daily negotiation with survival. Electricity and heating are unreliable, elevators in high-rises are often broken (trapping the elderly on upper floors), and the threat of "double-tap" strikes makes every outing dangerous.
For a pensioner living in a damaged high-rise, this package is more than food; it is proof they haven't been abandoned.
Volume: 350+ kits, delivered directly to the doors of those who cannot travel to aid centers.
Contents: The boxes contain the essential calories (grains, oil, canned meat) needed to survive without reliable utilities, plus coffee and tea to offer a moment of warmth in a cold apartment.
This mission was led on the ground by our volunteer leads Timur and Grisha. Timur, a native of Saltivka and a musician before the war, has refused to leave his home district. He and his team navigate the debris-filled streets daily to reach the "invisible" residents hiding in the ruins.
We are deeply grateful to Diamondback Energy and The World Orphan Fund for funding this lifeline. In Saltivka, where the windows are shattered but the spirits are unbroken, your support is the difference between hunger and hope.
