Who we are
Who we are
LifeLine Ukraine is a Dutch ANBI-registered foundation supporting people in frontline communities in Ukraine through practical, fast, and dignified projects in care, mobility, and critical infrastructure.
We work with trusted local partners and coordinate project delivery through a small office in Kyiv, combined with regular field visits by Dutch board members, ensuring direct oversight and execution.
In the Netherlands, the organisation is run entirely by volunteers.
Timeline
From emergency aid to structured resilience
LifeLine Ukraine has worked in frontline communities from the start of the full-scale invasion, continuously adapting its approach as needs evolved on the ground.
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2022
Immediate support and early resilience initiatives
Started operating in frontline communities from day one, delivering humanitarian aid. At the same time, initiated early resilience projects — including generators, solid fuel stoves, support to women-led businesses (WinTrade.org.ua), and retraining veterans
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2023
First reconstruction and field-based project development
Expanded project work in frontline and border regions. Started the first renovation projects in clinics and hospitals, building on growing local partnerships and field presence.
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2024
Scaling practical resilience on the ground
Expanded into structured projects in care, mobility, and critical infrastructure. This included shelter construction, hospital repairs, drinking water systems, mobile elderly care, and evacuation vehicles.
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2025
Focused approach: care, mobility, infrastructure, and energy
Established a clear focus on the intersection of care, mobility, and critical infrastructure. Added a strong emphasis on renewable energy solutions — particularly to increase grid independence and ensure continuity of essential services.
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2026
Maximising impact through replication and system thinking
Focus on scaling impact through replicable projects in care, mobility, and critical infrastructure. Emphasis on independence and connectedness — applying nano- to micro-grid thinking across care, infrastructure, mobility, and social systems.
Who we are
Our team
LifeLine Ukraine operates with a small coordination team in Ukraine and a volunteer-based organisation in the Netherlands.
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Jeroen Ketting
Jeroen used to live and work in Russia until 2022. When the full-scare war started, he decided to apply his skills, network, and knowledge of the area to provide aid to those most in need, in the affected and hard-to-reach areas in Ukraine. He is the founder of LifeLine Ukraine.
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Thijs Alexander
Thijs Alexander has been involved in the consequences of the war since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the reception of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands. Since April 2025, he has been involved with LifeLine Ukraine as a board member. After a long career in international law, he has since focused on the legal and governance aspects of LifeLine Ukraine’s work on the one hand, and on strategy and logistical matters on the other.
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Jeroen Scholten
Jeroen Scholten visited Ukraine shortly after joining the board in 2024. Traveling across various projects with the sound of fighting in the background left a deep impression on him. As a political scientist and owner of media research agency Publistat, he aims to further develop the foundation in his role as vice chairman, focusing on governance and communication.
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Jan Huijbregts
Jan Huijbregts has been working in the financial sector since the early 1990s. Currently serving as the Finance Director of STX Commodities, a company specializing in environmental products such as biofuels and energy-related green certificates, Jan has built a strong foundation in financial management within the sustainability industry. Outside of his professional life, he is married to a woman from Ukraine and is a proud father to one daughter.
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Miriam Klinkenberg
Miriam lived in Ukraine, Dnipro and Odessa, from the summer of 2022, working with UNICEF on water supply and emergency response coordination in the frontline regions. After returning to the Netherlands, she joined the board of Lifeline-Ukraine in October 2025. She is happy to continue supporting Ukraine in a fast and efficient way and within the board focussing on infrastructure and project management. Miriam has a background in engineering and manufacturing in the food industry and a passion for sustainable supply chains.
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Jasper van Mens
Jasper founded his own law firm in 2016 and advises many companies and foundations on a variety of issues. From the beginning of the invasion, he has been obsessed with the absurd war in Ukraine. He got in touch with LLU and laid the foundation for LLU’s successful stove campaign in the winter of 2022. In his new position, he gets the opportunity to be sustainably involved with LLU.
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Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen
During her career, Dagmar has been working in different fields, always dedicated to the cause and impact of the company. Because she believes in the importance of the integrity and sustainability of companies. After a career as a lawyer, several leadership positions at the Dutch Central Bank and Adyen, she is now involved in impact-driven tech scale-ups and venture capital funds.
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Olga Krasko
Olga Krasko is from Kyiv, Ukraine. She obtained her degree in philology and her MBA in International Marketing. Olga helds various positions on economic and social issues in different boards in Ukraine.
From the beginning of the Russian invasion she has been a volunteer for the Ukrainian Army, hospitals and Communities.
She is an Expert member of the National council for the recovery of Ukraine. -
Oleksandr Ryabokon
Alexander Ryabokon, a Kyiv native, lives in the city with his wife and two young children. With a strong background in brand management, export operations, logistics, and sales, Alex became part of Lifeline Ukraine in late April 2022. Since then, he has built strong relationships with many of Lifeline Ukraine’s partners and contacts, making him a vital member of our Kyiv Office team.
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Svitlana Potapenko
Svitlana Potapenko, a Ukrainian who has returned to live and work in Ukraine. After many years in the hotel industry, she brought her hospitality experience to LLU to serve where help is needed most. Having a family with two young children, she deeply empathizes with those enduring the realities of war. Her goal is to make a meaningful, positive impact on her community in this challenging time.
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Eva Fedryk
Eva Fedryk is originally from Odesa, currently studying at the Kyiv Aviation Institute and living in Kyiv. She joined LifeLine team in September. She believes that even small daily efforts can help people and become part of the path to victory for Ukraine.
Our Mission
Building resilience in frontline regions
LifeLine Ukraine supports people living in frontline communities through fast, demand-driven resilience projects in care, mobility, and critical infrastructure, complemented by humanitarian aid.
Working with trusted local partners, we deliver targeted solutions that respond directly to locally identified needs, ensuring transparency from donation to delivery.
Our work helps people continue their lives with dignity and enables municipalities to maintain essential services under extreme conditions — supporting communities today while contributing to Ukraine’s recovery and Europe’s security tomorrow.
Vision
We envision resilient frontline communities in Ukraine — where people can continue their lives with dignity, and essential services continue to function, even under ongoing insecurity.
In these regions, where destruction is widespread and uncertainty persists, resilience is not optional. It is the condition for people to stay, return, and plan their future.
Preserving and strengthening resilience in frontline regions is essential for Ukraine’s long-term recovery, stability, and security — and, ultimately, for European security.
What makes our approach different
- Focus on underserved areas – regions close to the frontline where access for large aid organisations is limited
- Demand-driven projects – based on concrete requests from local partners and municipalities; we do not design projects from a distance
- Local field presence – a small coordination office in Kyiv working closely with long-term partners and overseeing projects on the ground
- Direct involvement from donors to delivery – those responsible for fundraising in the Netherlands are regularly present in the field, ensuring direct insight, alignment, and oversight
- Fast and practical execution – short-cycle projects delivered in weeks or months, not years, with hands-on implementation in a volatile environment
- Transparency and accountability – direct oversight from donation to delivery, with clear reporting and control throughout
- Maximum impact per euro – operating entirely pro bono in the Netherlands, ensuring that every euro donated is used directly for projects in Ukraine
Who we are
Governance & Transparency
LifeLine Ukraine is a Dutch ANBI-registered foundation and is committed to transparency, accountability and responsible governance.
