Tech entrepreneur Ragnar Sass' NGO aid to Ukraine worth €9 million so far
An NGO has in the past couple of years become Estonia's largest private aid to Ukraine initiative, delivering assistance worth €9 million since the invasion began.
In just over two years, the Nuuskiv Brigaad ("Sniffers' brigade") has sent over 460 vehicles, hundreds of drones, and other modern equipment to Ukraine.
Despite this, the organizers say it's only a drop in the ocean, given the enormous losses on the front.
For example, a vehicle lasts on average only six months in the war, and sometimes just a few hours.
The organization has taken a novel approach to giving, targeting donations from an international audience.
Nuuskiv Brigaad markets Ukrainian aid in a way similar to how Bolt promotes ride-sharing, or Wise markets international payment methods.
Nuuskiv Brigaad director, tech entrepreneur Ragnar Sass, told "Pealtnägija": "The first thing we learned is that people want to know exactly where their money is going and who it helps. That's the number one priority. We have two people in Kyiv who work daily, seven days a week, directly with soldiers on the front line."
Marketing director Dmitri Nasennik said the organization is not large, but is agile – "For example, we launched a campaign on Friday to support the Kursk operation, and by Monday, we had raised €100,000," Nasennik said, while in the first year following the start of the invasion, Nuuskiv Brigaad raised €2.2 million, followed by €2.6 million last year.
In the first nine months of this year, the figure is even higher - more than €4 million worth of equipment to Ukraine, a sum other NGOs can't get close to.
The smallest campaign has so far been €19,000 rfor a single vehicle, the largest, led by an American YouTuber, raised $1 million Sass noted.
Co-founder Peeter Rikken said the organization's success came as no surprise to him given all the time and effort put in – in fact more surprising was that there aren't more organizations like it.
Contributors who spoke to "Pealtnägija" came from as far afield as France and Canada, while well-known YouTuber Artur Rehi, who primarily covers Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has gotten involved.
Nuuskiv Brigaad has also done much to improve the public image of fundraising for Ukraine following the scandal over alleged misappropriation of funds concerning another NGO working with Ukraine, which prompted Eesti 200 MP Johanna-Maria Lehtme to step down from the Riigikogu.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mari Peegel,
Source: 'Pealtnägija,' presenter Kristjan Pihl.