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Angry at Trump's Russian diesel deal? Here's how you can help Ukraine bomb Russia

5 min read

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on April 22, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump had a busy weekend, undermining sanctions on Russia, blaming Ukraine for the war Russia started — again — and insisting that Russian refineries become drone-free zones.

"We said you could do whatever you want to Russia, don't hit the refineries, because that's a world problem that's caused," Trump said on Oct. 10.

"And (President Volodymyr Zelensky) wants to make problems for the world, he wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel. ... We have a world problem, and the problem is caused by the lack of refineries for diesel fuel. So what does he do? He goes and hits the refineries," he added.

Trump failed to mention the considerable evidence that shows the U.S. war against Iran that he started and cannot finish is the major culprit behind the current shortage of diesel.

The Kyiv Independent has since learned that the Trump administration threatened senior Ukrainian military and government officials in a push to protect Russian oil refineries, despite Moscow's continuing bombing of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Trump's latest pressure on Ukraine to end the war Russia started and refuses to stop has angered people both home and abroad, even sparking a bipartisan backlash in the U.S. Congress at his decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.

Across social media, some people wondered how they could help Ukraine continue to hit Russia.

There are several ways people can help fund Ukraine's drones, and even a few options when it comes to what they hit.

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and military intelligence (HUR) have all carried out long-range strikes against targets in Russia, including oil infrastructure.

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Vantor satellite image shows large smoke plumes from fires at oil storage tanks in Tuapse refinery following an attack April 16, 2026 (Satellite image (c) 2026 Vantor)

USF does not have a dedicated fundraiser but is supported by donations from United24 and the Come Back Alive foundation. But there is one specific branch of the USF that one can donate directly to.  

Here is that and some more.

1st Separate Center of Unmanned Aerial Systems

The 1st Separate Center of Unmanned Aerial Systems was Ukraine's first experimental unmanned aerial systems (UAS) unit, founded in 2022, originally as the 14th Separate UAS Regiment. Since then, it has become the largest UAS unit, specializing in long-range strikes on Russia.

"We are the ones who toss the war over to enemy territory," by striking Russia's military-industrial complex, oil industry, and logistics facilities, the unit says on its website. Over the years, it has struck several Russian airfields, artillery arsenals, and ammunition depots. In 2025, the unit carried out more than 50 successful operations against Russia’s oil infrastructure, such as strikes on oil refineries in Ryazan, Volgograd, and Saratov, inflicting a 38% loss on Russia’s oil refining capacity, the unit says.

Outside of long-range drone strikes on Russian territory, there are several organisations that support mid-range strikes on Russian targets in occupied Ukraine, as well as first-person-view (FPV) drones for use on the front lines.

Come Back Alive

Come Back Alive is an independent foundation that started equipping Ukrainian soldiers with bulletproof vests in 2014, writing "come back alive" on each of their vests. Today, it is one of the largest providers of equipment for Ukrainian service members all across the front lines, having supplied the military with more than 157,000 FPV drones, over 14,000 units of thermal imaging optics, more than 5,400 units of infantry weapons, 2,400 pickup trucks, over 100 unmanned reconnaissance systems, a Bayraktar TB2 strike UAV complex, and more, according to its website.

Besides supplying equipment, the organization's instructors also train highly qualified military specialists, including sappers, snipers, divers, electronic-warfare specialists, and UAV and UGV operators.

As part of these efforts, Come Back Alive currently raises funds for the Yatagan UAV Operators School, which it launched in partnership with PrivatBank in 2024 within the structures of the Ground Forces. Over the last two years, the school has trained thousands of Ukrainian service members already.

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The Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya district of Russia's capital on fire after Ukrainian drone strike on June 16, 2026. (Exilenova+ / Telegram)

Sternenko Community Foundation

The Sternenko Community Foundation is the charitable organization of well-known Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko and has become the largest non-governmental provider of FPV-drones to the Ukrainian military. According to its website, the foundation has purchased almost 300,000 FPV-drones for the Ukrainian military by mid-October.

In its current "Rusoriz Digital" fundraiser, the foundation seeks to scale FPV-drones using a digital link, allowing them to operate at ranges above 50 kilometers (31 miles) and more resistant to electronic warfare measures. As of today, the foundation has already supplied more than 50 units with the technology and already procured over 10,000 of these drones, for use against Russian logistics behind the front lines.

Unite with Ukraine

Unite with Ukraine is led by the Ukrainian World Congress, an NGO established in 1967 and recognized by the UN and the Council of Europe to represent Ukrainian diaspora communities globally.

Together with its partner organizations "Saint Javelin" and "The Last Capitalist," it raises funds for fixed-wing mid-range strike UAVs in support of the several brigades.

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An oil refinery in Syzran, Samara Oblast, Russia on fire following a reported drone attack on the facility overnight on Aug. 15, 2025. (Screenshot/Crimean Wind/Telegram)

International Unity Movement

The International Unity Movement is a Ukrainian charitable foundation established in 2022, aiming to raise funds across the spectrum of security challenges that Ukrainians face throughout Russia's war.

As part of their work, they support the 423rd Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment "Scythian Griffins," which carries out combat operations and mid-range drone strikes on the Zaporizhzhia sector. Since its founding in 2024, the unit has destroyed hundreds of Russian vehicles, UAVs, and artillery systems, as well as dozens of tanks and warehouses.

United24

United24 is Ukraine's official government fundraising platform, set up by Zelensky shortly after the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Donors can support a wide range of areas including drones, defense, medical aid, demining, reconstruction, education, and sports.

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Chris York

War editor

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Jonas Heins

Assistant Editor