OKKO joins the Flag of Independence project and allocates UAH 4 Million to support Ukraine’s Defence Forces

Ahead of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence, OKKO has joined the Flag of Independence project launched by the NGO Ukraine WOW and the Come Back Alive Foundation. The company purchased 100 replicas of the Flag of Independence and donated UAH 4 million toward the procurement of ground robotic systems (GRS) for Ukraine’s Defence Forces.

OKKO will donate 75 flags to Ukrainian schools in different regions of the country, selected at random. The remaining 25 flags will be raised by OKKO teams at various locations across Ukraine.

As part of the project, the NGO Ukraine WOW and the Come Back Alive Foundation, with the support of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, recreated the Flag of Independence in the same colour and size as the original flag raised in 1991. A total of 1,000 replicas were produced.

“OKKO was the first company to join the project by purchasing 100 flags. It is important for us to support initiatives that not only bring people together around symbols that are meaningful to the country but also deliver a tangible result for Ukraine’s Defence Forces,” says Vasyl Dmytriv, Vice President for Marketing and Development at OKKO.

The funds raised through the Flag of Independence project will be used by the Come Back Alive Foundation to purchase ground robotic systems for Ukraine’s Defence Forces. GRS are used to carry out missions in the most dangerous areas of the frontline without directly putting people at risk. They are used to evacuate wounded soldiers and deliver medicines, food, ammunition and other essential supplies.

“Ground robotic systems carry out the most dangerous missions instead of military personnel, medics and drivers. For example, where one GRS can transport up to 500 kilograms of cargo within two hours without putting service members’ lives at risk, it would take 25 people who would have to remain within the range of FPV drones, as well as significantly more time,” explains Oleh Karpenko, Deputy Director of the Come Back Alive Foundation.

OKKO systematically supports Ukraine’s Defence Forces and implements joint projects with the Come Back Alive Foundation. In particular, the Eye for an Eye charity initiative has already raised UAH 1.5 billion for weapons and equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The fourth stage of the initiative, Eye for an Eye: Dronopad, is currently underway.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, OKKO has allocated a total of more than UAH 4.3 billion to support Ukraine’s Defence Forces and humanitarian projects.