Florida-based veterans group helps Ukraine evacuations amid Russia war
A Tampa-based volunteer group of U.S. veterans is leading evacuation efforts in Ukraine, as the Russian military continues targeting civilians. Project Dynamo has received 14,000 requests for help so far, many from Americans stuck in the war-torn country.
ORLANDO – U.S. veterans are doing their part to ensure that families and children caught in Ukraine and other war zones are evacuated safely.
One veterans' group, Tampa-based Project Dynamo, has rescued hundreds of American citizens from Ukraine and Afghanistan.
"We've had great-grandmas to 2-week-olds, mothers, fathers… we've evacuated people with some special needs issues, or really elderly people who have a hard time moving," Bryan Stern, a co-founder of Project Dynamo, said. "There's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of stories… just some of them are complete... and total nightmares."
Project Dynamo rescues a baby from Ukraine, as the Russian military continues attacks on civilians. (Project Dynamo)
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Stern shared Project Dynamo's goal with Fox News Digital from the war zone in Ukraine, as the group works to deliver on 14,000 evacuation requests across the country. Many of the requests coming are from American citizens.
"In my career, when an American calls for help, or an ally calls for help, or you know anyone calls for help, if you can help, you help," Stern said.
The Tampa-based volunteer group successfully rescued several babies from Ukraine, including premature babies and twins.
Russia's invasion has forced some 3 million refugees out of Ukraine, according to the United Nations. However, some have been left behind in the war-torn country.
Project Dynamo has completed several missions in Ukraine, evacuating Americans and Allies by bus. (Project Dynamo)
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The U.S. Defense Department announced last month it would not send American troops into Ukraine to help American citizens. Project Dynamo then stepped in to help. However, this isn't the group's first mission.
"We started Dynamo in my living room in kind of in response to the Afghanistan evacuation. I'm an Afghan vet. Most of my team are Afghan vets, or at least combat vets. We knew that we could help I knew that we could help," Stern said.
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"It seems to be escalating and getting worse from the Dynamo perspective and that compels us even more because we don't evacuate soldiers. We focus on the civilian purpose of knowing that the Russians are deliberately targeting civilian targets," Stern added.
Project Dynamo has continued to seek help with donations.
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