In August of 2025, I rode from Halle, Germany, to the Dutch coast in four days to raise funds for UNITED24. The Ukrainian fundraising platform put the money raised towards demining operations and the development of the now-successful “Shahed killer” interceptor drones; both projects that have made a meaningful difference to the safety and security of Ukrainians’ lives.
I would like to take this moment to thank everyone in the DGG community who supported me last year, whether through kind words or donations.
Pictures from my 2025 fundraiser. Top left outside the city hall in Rotterdam, top right my minimalist camping setup, bottom left bike prepped for night riding, bottom right, on the Dutch coast for a well deserved picnic.
Alas, the war continues. Ukraine, hardened by one of the most brutal winters of the war, has gained momentum against Russia this year. From the front lines to distant logistics hubs and factories, Russia’s vulnerability has been exposed as never before.
It is easy at a moment like this to become complacent and to assume progress will continue. Complacency goes hand in hand with the normalisation of the war, neglecting the ongoing plight of Ukrainians and could lead to the reversal of the very momentum that should be valued and maintained.
Fundraiser 2026
With this in mind, I have decided to cycle from Leipzig, Germany, to Lviv in western Ukraine, beginning on the 15 of August. The journey will cover 1,000 kilometres and, with fair weather, should take approximately a week to complete. My route will take me across Poland from west to east before entering Ukraine.
This year’s fundraiser will benefit Help99/Freedom Convoy MTÜ. Donations will be used to purchase a NAFO Bus 3.0 to support Ukrainian military logistics. These vehicles help transport personnel, equipment and essential supplies for a rifle company of the International Legion, and include critical onboard drone-detection systems. They are robust vehicles trusted by Ukrainian soldiers.
This fundraiser is a sister fundraiser of Kraut—Parrots for Ukraine, with the money raised by both campaigns being pooled when the fundraisers close.
My decision to fundraise cycling Ukraine, is born of three missions:
- To fundraise for one of Ukraine’s many needs while our governments continue to provide too little help.
- To raise and maintain awareness of the Russian invasion and, for those unaware, of Ukraine’s proximity to Germany.
- As an act of defiance. Russia acts as a bully, but its chauvinistic intimidation must be met with absolute non-cooperation wherever possible. Anything less risks rewarding such behaviour.
Why cycle there?
Within this there are two questions: why fundraise for Ukraine and why cycle to Ukraine specifically.
A handful of pictures from my prior journeys. Top left, eastern Turkey likely Kurdish militia (2017), top right a lake in northern Sweden (2010), bottom left one of the first towns to the east of Lviv, Ukraine (2017), bottom right a shocked owl on the border of Romania/Serbia (2014).
There is a deeper reason as to why I feel a drive to fundraise for Ukraine beyond the obvious injustice. A sum total of nearly two years of my life has been spent cycling across 28 countries, within an approximately triangular region anchored in the three corners of northern Norway, the south of France, and Armenia.
I was in Ukraine a number of times, both in 2012 and 2017. The country treated me with the utmost kindness, leaving a lasting memory of a beautiful country rediscovering its identity. It was also clear to me, especially among the younger generation, that Ukraine wished to strengthen its ties with western nations. From my personal experience I can say the Euromaidan protests manifested organically.
To see this threatened with the evil bent that Russia has displayed is a threat to a people for whom I have a genuine fondness, forged by personal experience.
Cycling to Ukraine also makes the cause tangible. Lviv may sometimes seem distant from everyday life in Germany, but it is little more than 1,000 kilometres from Leipzig, a distance that can be crossed by bicycle in roughly a week.
I have long wanted to return to Ukraine. I had not imagined doing so under circumstances such as these, but exercising the freedom to visit this historic city is a reminder of the freedom Ukrainians are fighting to preserve.
The ride will be difficult, but that difficulty is part of its purpose, and yet it remains an infinitesimal and voluntary hardship beside what Ukrainians have endured for years.
You can follow my journey on my Youtube account, X, Instagram, and the route will be uploaded to Strava.
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