Latest on Ukraine from NovaRent

In his latest report from Ukraine, Aleksandr Shapovalov, the CEO of NovaRent, explains the challenges of operating in a war zone and highlights the feeling of unreality of the situation they find themselves in.

Rescuers work at a residential building damaged by a Russian military strike in the town of Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk, Ukraine on 11 July, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Gleb Garanich)

“Nothing has changed. We continue our activities despite the difficulties with the supply of spare parts and other imported consumables. The volume of activity fluctuates at the level of 50-60% of the pre-war level.

We have suspended some services, or recalculate the cost every few days, because of acute shortages and rapid changes in the price of fuel and consumables.

We have retained almost all of our staff.

Almost all available funds are spent one way or another on helping the victims.

There are no safe places in our country. The entire territory of Ukraine is exposed to missile strikes with varying regularity. Recently, almost all hits in residential buildings and shopping centers.

We have more than enough soldiers, but not enough equipment. We never imagined hostilities with such an enemy as the Russian Federation.

I am in Kyiv with almost the whole family. By law, as the father of a large family and a qualified specialist, I am not subject to mobilisation. The family decided to stay in the country and continue to work.

It is difficult to find words to describe everything that is happening: millions of destinies destroyed; tens of thousands dead; hundreds of thousands wounded and maimed, both soldiers and civilians. The tragedy of people who are trapped in the occupation - we can only imagine the scale of losses there, and so on.

Already more than 10 cities have been absolutely destroyed: Mariupol, Avdeevka, Severodonetsk, Lysichansk, Volnovakha, Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel. And also a not insignificant number of smaller towns.

We will definitely win. We just don’t have a choice”

You can read a previous report from Alexsandr Shapovalov here.