By Joe Blank, Buy Me a Coffee, 4/30/26

Note: Images available at original link above. – Natylie

So I want to begin with a simple question for you, dear reader.

When you see the terms “humanitarian aid”, what images immediately come to mind? It’s relatively subjective. Some might picture medical tents setup in some remote outpost of civilization treating fever or a contagious disease. For others, it might be grain shipments, water shipments to starving people in times of famine, or emergency housing after a natural disaster. Blankets for refugees. It could be any number of things meant to alleviate human suffering. But odds are, it’s something good. Something humane.

And it’s under that simple premise, I’d like to introduce you to but one of several Ukrainian “charities” currently operating in the United States, 1Team1Fight, and their definition of “humanitarian aid”:

(Screenshot from 1Team1Fight’s co-founder, Dmitro Drei’s Twitter/X account 1/9/2024)


Now let’s go back in time. The first half of 2022, as the Russians had freshly invaded Ukraine. A former Estonian sales manager named “Harri” found himself waiting at a checkpoint between the two countries, already delivering body armor on behalf of an Estonian aid organization when, according to Estonian publication “Postimees”, Harri came up with a business plan to help bring in equipment for the military to fight the war, with “the funding scheme and social media strategy playing an important role”.

But despite helping to found the organization he was already working with, “Ukraine Aid Ops”, Harri wanted to take the effort in a different direction, apparently, as by the latter half of the year, a chance encounter in a Kyiv taxi would put Harri in touch with Dmitro. You see, Dmitro had been forced – according to the story – to driving a taxi after Russians had reportedly shelled his private business. Assuming anyone had the motive to get back at the Russians in a substantive way while developing a stable income, Dmitro would.

And so, with indications of some resentment between Harri and Ukraine Aid Ops, they parted ways and the independent 1Team1Fight began in earnest. Just two guys – a local Ukrainian who knew the lay of the land, and Harri, motivated to start receiving donations and expand the catalogue of equipment they were able to provide. A few months later, in 2023, 1Team1Fight then expanded it’s operations in the USA, filing for and receiving approval as a non-profit 501(c)3, allowing any donations received to be labeled “humanitarian aid”.

I hope it’s rather explicit where my concern is. You see, after doing just a bit of light research, it’s rather evident that equipping a foreign military for combat operations is NOT a cutout that’s been made for Ukraine. Generally, equipping a foreign military alone wouldn’t, but after years of their fundraising efforts, it’s clear what type of equipment has been provided.

“Kamikaze drones”, cheap, consumer-grade drones, likely put together by civilian volunteers with the aid of 3D-printed parts, meant to drop munitions on the enemy. All sorts of equipment is ran through 1Team1Fight to the Ukrainian military: thermal sights. trucks. ATV’s. laptops and Starlink systems,. By browsing their social media on Twitter/X alone, you can find the organization and it’s members frequently boasting of and showing images of equipment meant to fuel combat operations and make the military more effective:

(Screenshots from 1Team1Fight’s Twitter/X account)

After gaining 501(c)3 status, both Harri, Dmitro, and the organization began proudly displaying it on their website and almost every social media post, reminding those inside the US that donations could be written off as charity under US tax code, and that their affairs were managed by a certified public accountant. Again, being a public charity, this information was easy enough to verify so I reached out to the person listed on their documentation as being the CPA.

Curious to have a conversation with this person as to what in the US tax code allowed a cutout for funding the Ukrainian military’s equipment needs, I contacted the CPA who was a bit confused as to why. You see, she had apparently only been approached to establish the charity, and had no ongoing responsibility of monitoring their donations or preparing their tax forms. Which makes it even stranger, considering her name was associated as the CPA filing on behalf of the charity for both 2023 and 2024. The CPA assured me this was done without her knowledge and participation and that she would reach out to the IRS to have this corrected.

Deana is but one of two directors listed in the US for the 501(c)3. Neither she, nor the other, seem to have much of a public footprint, but one thing is clear. Reviewing her timeline on social media shows an almost rampant furor on behalf of the Ukrainian cause.

Now, in all this, I attempted to make contact with all three of these individuals, Dmitro, Harri, and Deana. Naturally, in Ukraine, to receive a beneficial tax status for equipping their military is a bit different. They have a vested reason to allow more favorable tax status to organizations providing weaponry and aid. Our system, not so much.

Harri was the least forthcoming of them all. When I brought up simple questions as to how this is allowable by US tax code, I was blocked on social media. Dmitro, for his part, was kind enough to reply, but when asked about the equipment he was purchasing qualifying as humanitarian aid, only had thinly veiled threats to “come visit him” and slurs in response:

Deana Brown, the US-based director of the organization, for her part, replied to my emails, simply telling me I had “wrong information” about them, and that she wouldn’t respond to drama or attacks. She did note that I should pay attention to other groups, like hers, currently operating in the United States. Sort of a “everyone else is doing it so why can’t we?”, as I took it, and told me to spare myself the embarassment.

Now, as it appears that donations are dying down the longer the Ukraine war continues to harangue Eastern Europe, though, it does seem that “Harri” himself has, in the past few weeks, decided to jump ship once again, leaving the organization for greener pastures. Maybe he feels like it’s not a viable business plan any longer. Maybe he’s concerned about scrutiny eventually sneaking in. No way to really know.

I make no secret that I’ve never seen the point of US government spending on Ukraine, unless it were to provide the basics of what, I argue, is normally defined as “humanitarian aid”. Relief for the injured and the displaced. Medicine. Heating for those without power. But it doesn’t sit well that this group, amongst others, is operating in the US, freely soliciting donations on social media with the disclaimer that they are a tax-exempt charity managed by a certified accountant, when indeed, they are apparently not.

Over $200 billion was spent during the Biden administration on Ukraine, enough, in theory, to provide a $200k home to every single homeless American man, woman, and child. This, without Ukraine being a US ally or having a treaty between our nations requiring that we provide so much as a dollar for their material defense. In our current economic situation here in the US, I feel it lax oversight that would enable groups like this to continue taking from the American tax system to benefit a foreign fighting force in combat operations.

So I leave it up to you to judge. If you, like I, believe that this activity is questionable (at best) and, as a responsible citizen, I plan to make both the IRS and the State of Florida aware of what I’ve learned and I would encourage you to reach out to them as well, as a thorough review of ther tax situation may be warranted. Please note I will continue digging into 1Team1Fight as well as the other, larger Ukraine aid organizations operating here in the USA, each with a distinct set of curious connections to NAFO and other well-known figures in the Ukraine propaganda sphere.

If you like the work, please feel free to support what I do on the main page of Buymeacoffee, as it’s always appreciated. I’m really interested in approaching the bigger groups, and any assistance helps buy me time to focus. Either way, I appreciate you for reaching the end.

– Joe