September 2026
Dear Friends of Ukraine,
On September 1, Ukraine celebrated Knowledge Day, an annual tradition marking the first day of the new academic year. In Kyiv, celebrations ended prematurely as air raid sirens signaled incoming russian air strikes.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, russia has hit 4,650 Ukrainian education facilities and destroyed 423 completely. With thousands of classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories no longer operational, many students attend classes in basements and bomb shelters instead of classrooms. Others learn remotely or have moved abroad for schooling. Children entering the fifth grade or younger have never been to school during peacetime.
These atrocities— the purposeful murder of children who are just beginning to experience the wonders of life— are exactly why Ukraine continues to resist russian invaders. It is also why Sunflower Seeds Ukraine continues to support Ukraine. Ambivalence and apathy in the face of such barbarism can never be justified.
Read on to see your donations at work in July, how a new tractor can prepare Ukraine’s youth for the future, information about upcoming events, and news from Ukraine.
Thank you for standing with us.
Kyle, Andriy, Ulana, and all of us at
Sunflower Seeds Ukraine
Spread Seeds of Help!
In July 2026, our team provided 1,433 items to 573 Defenders, including:
78 individual first aid kits (tourniquets, chest seals ...)
314 protective equipment items (electronic earmuffs, camelbaks...)
453 field gear items (backpacks, pouches...)
142 uniform components (uniform sets, sleeping pads, boots...)
446 other items (powerbanks, NVDs, drone detectors...)
We try to keep up with the ever-changing war needs. As one of our aid recipients, Vlas put it: "At the moment, the war has changed. Even compared with 2022, and even compared with 2025, the war is already different. ... The kill zones of drone operations are also increasing, and this affects the work of artillery and drone operators. There’s no need to even talk about the impact on the work of infantry, because they suffer the most from all means of fire, and from drones first and foremost. ...And yes, the war is dynamic, the war is changing, and what worked six months ago may now be completely irrelevant."
To hear more from Vlas, visit our Patreon page for monthly supporters.
Thank you to all our donors who contributed to our efforts this month. And thank you to all of you who support our mission to save the lives and strengthen the resolve of Ukrainian Defenders!
This month, we are aiming to help a Ukrainian village school replace its failing 60-year-old soviet tractor to help train the next agricultural workforce generation.
Located just across from our volunteer warehouse in western Ukraine, this school runs one of the few programs in the region offering students a certified agricultural diploma. Many of our warehouse volunteers study at this school. Beyond farming, the hands-on machine operation and maintenance skills they develop at the school directly translate to construction, equipment maintenance, and other long-term post-war economic recovery skills.
To maintain their state teaching license, this high school needs a reliable tractor replacement. We are raising funds for a brand-new tractor, sourced from a manufacturer, to avoid inflated retail and used market prices.
Click here to help keep these young people learning, growing, and building Ukraine’s future.
September 11: Join us for the screening of Ash and Crayonsfrom 7-9pm at The Cube in Denver, CO. See this award-winning documentary that tells the stories of Ukrainian children who continue to pursue their dreams despite lives shattered by occupation and deportation. Sponsored by Ukrainians of Colorado and followed by a special discussion between director Evgeny Afineevsky and Dr. Vincent Piturro.Tickets $10.
September 19: Celebration of Peace and Peace Faire in Boulder. Visit us at this year’s Faire along with the Boulder-Vinnytisia Sister City Initiative (11-3) at the Boulder Creek Park in Boulder, CO.
September 19: Join charityFour Corners Relief for a backyard screening ofCamp Courage, a documentary by filmmaker Max Lowe that follows a young girl and her grandmother to a special summer camp in the Austrian Alps. Free event, with donations gladly accepted. 6:30-8:30 in Lafayette, CO. Please RSVP to fourcornersrelief@gmail.com.
October 4: Benefit Concert for Sunflower Seeds Ukraine featuring The NaDiya Band and Kateryna Pushkinaat Avagadro’s Numberin Fort Collins, Colorado (2-5pm). Music, auction items, and great company to raise awareness and support for Ukraine! Donations accepted!
October 17: Save this date to convert and decorate solar panels at Fairview High School in Boulder, CO, 10-12! Solar Chargers for Ukraine is a special project of SFSU. Free event. To donate to that initiative or learn more, click here.
For details about these events and events continually updated on our website, please visit the SFSU events website.
We need YOU! If you’d like to lend your time and energy to making a difference, visit our volunteer page to check out our open volunteer positions, or fill out our general interest form at the bottom of the page. Our team members and volunteers work across borders and time zones to help Ukraine. To apply to the Videographer position, or any other open position, simply respond to this email and let us know which role you’re interested in, along with any skills you have that would make you a good fit.
russia's assault on Ukraine is not just a military campaign, but a deliberate effort to erase Ukrainian culture and identity. In recent weeks, 35 Ukrainian book publishing facilities were hit, and an estimated 12 million books were destroyed. Among the losses was a facility that was ramping up production of 1.3 million school textbooks, the historic Pochaina Book Market, and a warehouse belonging to Ukrainian publishing house Ranok. Museums, art galleries, opera houses, and religious sites have also been destroyed or damaged.
While some institutions are racing to preserve Ukrainian heritage by digitizing collections and moving artifacts to safer areas, immeasurable damage has already occurred.
To read more updates from Ukraine, including russia’s brazen attempt to attack Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport and how Ukraine expanded its economic campaign against russia's military logistics by striking Ozon warehouses, see our blog.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
To read longer versions of our news stories, visit the blog on our website, where you also can learn more about upcoming events and volunteering opportunities.
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*The misspelling and lowercasing of proper names like ‘russia’ in this newsletter is intentional and used as signs of disdain and disrespect. Similarly, the uppercasing of words such as ‘Defenders’ is intentional and used as a sign of respect and appreciation.
