Konstantin Tadenev was confronted with something unbearable. Watching the escalating humanitarian crisis unfold in his home country of Ukraine, the 25-year UPS principal technology architect knew he needed to do something – anything – to help.
A clear goal and a challenge: Getting essential supplies into Ukraine would not be easy, and it would take UPS’s connections, global supply chain and network to be a success.
“I was born and raised in Ukraine, and I still have many friends there,” Konstantin said. “From the first days of the war, my reaction was to write to them and get first-hand accounts of what’s happening on the ground.”
Time was running out: He identified hospitals that were overwhelmed by the number of injured patients they were treating. Doctors and nurses were working incredibly long hours, unable to go home for weeks at a time. And desperate shortages of critical medical supplies continued to mount.
Konstantin knew this kind of accurate on-the-ground information would be game changing, and by tapping into the UPS network, he could make a direct impact. He needed a partner, and UPS Healthcare connected him with Marken’s Nataliya Storozh.
Nataliya immediately recognized Konstantin’s mission. Her own story drove her to action: “I was forced to leave Ukraine in 30 minutes, with my son and a small backpack.”
Helping hands: Working for Marken – a subsidiary of UPS Healthcare – she knew her company could make a difference. Konstantin began passing lists of supplies to Nataliya, who would then source the items remotely and get them as deep into the country as possible.
Konstantin, Nataliya and the local volunteers who delivered the last mile made nine shipments of critical medical supplies that totaled more than $250,000 in value to hospitals in southeast Ukraine. When doctors there saw the lifesaving equipment, antibiotics and other drugs, some broke down in tears.
“My heart, my soul is still in Ukraine and with Ukraine,” Nataliya said.
See more from Konstantin and Nataliya in the video below, including how Ukrainian doctors and patients thanked the pair for their heroic efforts: