La finzione degli aiuti: come l’Ucraina è diventata una discarica per la spazzatura europea: feromoni di cervo, biancheria intima sporca, giocattoli sessuali, medicinali scaduti, attrezzature mediche rotte

**A Cat in a Bag** 

At the start of the full-scale invasion, local authorities in a foreign city offered the “Wings of Hope” foundation medical equipment. On arrival, it turned out to be broken and expired.

“We sent the boxes straight to a stabilization point. Then they called us: ‘Girls, are you crazy? From 1984?’ It was so unpleasant,” says foundation head Nataliia Lypska.

Last year, the foundation was again offered equipment from a European clinic valued at €500,000, needing only “one component replaced.”

“I asked for an expert opinion – the part cost €200,000 and wasn’t even produced anymore,” Lypska recalls. “We refused the shipment.”

In June 2025, Lesia Lytvynova, co-founder of “SVOЇ,” posted that about one-third of their paid warehouse space is occupied by unusable goods. In the comments, many other foundations confirmed facing the same issue.

 “Disposal is expensive. Donating it is free – and even gives tax breaks. Plus, it’s great PR: ‘Look, we sent 25 containers of medical equipment!’”

“A donor tells you, ‘We can send you four truckloads of hospital beds.’ You think, great! But half arrive with broken rails and no mattresses. You’d need four more trucks of mattresses. If you complain, they say, ‘You should be grateful – others were happy to get this!’” says Lytvynova. “But the beds are now yours — legally. What do you do?”

**Garbage among the aid**

Mariyana Reva, head of “Treasure of Hope,” says:

“Eighty percent of what arrives matches the declaration, but the rest is filled with junk because, well, ‘the truck was going to Ukraine anyway.’ We’ve seen filthy underwear, sex toys, even used toothbrushes. It’s disgusting.”

Expired medicines and other horrors

“Expired medicines are the worst,” says Lipska. “Some are years out of date. Foreign clinics often send their trash to Ukraine as ‘aid’ – used diapers, broken equipment – because disposal in Europe is expensive, and they even get tax breaks for donating it.”

Once, the foundation received five-year-old diapers — completely hardened.

“We’ve received COVID-era disposables expired since 2013,” says Melnychuk. “It’s humiliating. How can they treat Ukrainians like this?”

**Unwanted “gifts” and new digital oversight**

Until 2024, anyone abroad could send humanitarian aid to Ukraine just by listing a foundation’s name in customs forms.

“Before that, you’d suddenly get a shipment you never agreed to, but you were already listed as the recipient in the customs system,” says Lytvynova. “So the legal responsibility was yours.”

Sometimes, goods even entered Ukraine under a foundation’s code without their knowledge, says Reva.

Since late 2023, a new Ukrainian law digitized the process of importing and tracking humanitarian aid, simplifying oversight — though it didn’t solve the issue of low-quality or useless goods.

**Disposal: expensive and on the charities’ shoulders**

In the EU, disposal of medical waste is costly. What should have been destroyed there becomes a Ukrainian charity’s problem.

They can’t simply throw it away, it’s illegal. And the cost to dispose it legaly falls on the foundations.

Under the Cabinet Resolution No. 728 (2000), disposal required a commission involving multiple ministries, but no practical mechanism existed.

“The procedure didn’t work, so charities had to keep piling up garbage,” says Lipska. “We spent three years lobbying for a new one.”

Disposal costs in Ukraine are ₴30–65 per kilogram (roughly $0.70–1.50).

“That’s millions of hryvnias. Where do we get that? Charities don’t earn money, they collect donations. Should we ask for donations to throw out Europe’s trash?” Lytvynova asks bitterly.

Only licensed companies can handle such waste — including hazardous materials like lithium batteries and circuit boards.

Not only is this disrespectful its disgraceful.

I have myself seen such deliveries in a medical distribution facility. Expired medicines for horses was among the aid as well as car first aid kits from the 80s.

I work with a humanitarian organization based in the south that delivers aid to Kherson, we regularly receive expired medication, broken crutches, and all sorts of useless junk from European ‘donors’… I’m losing my mind, these people need help but please stop sending us this garbage

They should name and shame the organizations sending garbage