$3.5M in donated medical supplies headed from SEA Airport to Ukraine

A coalition of groups came together Monday to load $3.5 million worth of emergency medical supplies onto a cargo plane that will travel from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Ukraine.

Nova Ukraine and the Ukranian Student Association at Stanford University partnered with the Ukrainian Association of Washington State to coordinate the donation.

“Typical container shipping to Ukraine by sea took two months before the war,” said Igor Markov, Ph.D. director of Nova Ukraine. “Currently, the urgent need for medical supplies requires the use of cargo planes. We are able to get supplies to hospitals in two weeks or less.”

UAWS then worked with the Ukrainian-American Cultural Association of Oregon to collect, sort and inventory donations from local hospitals including Evergreen Health Medical Center and Overlake Medical Center.

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State and regional leaders including Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Port of Seattle Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed were on the tarmac as the jet was being loaded up with donations.

“Once again, Washingtonians are stepping up to serve as a beacon of hope and support in the fight for freedom and democracy,” said Inslee. “The world has been inspired by the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people, and we are standing with them and taking action however we can reinforce their efforts.”

The jet will fly to Poland where the 32 tons of donated emergency supplies will be offloaded and then taken to Ukraine.