Poland's Ukrainian volunteer network struggles with dwindling support amid rising anti‑Ukrainian sentiment

The Warsaw‑based volunteer association “Courage Knows No Borders” (El Valor No Conoce Fronteras) assembles camouflage nets and FPV drones for the front lines in Ukraine. Since February 2023 the group has produced about 35,000 m² of netting – roughly the area of five football fields – and assembled around 100 drones, working every Saturday in a workshop near the Russian embassy.

Volunteers report that participation has sharply declined. A December CBOS poll showed only 48 % of Poles still support taking in Ukrainian refugees, the lowest level since the war began, and new transport regulations introduced in March have added lengthy bureaucratic steps that cause many truck operators to cancel aid deliveries. These factors have made it harder to secure donations and manpower.

Despite the setbacks, roughly 30 regular volunteers continue the effort. They include Olga, a hairdresser from Kremenchuk who spends her only day off weaving nets, and retirees such as Tetiana, who view the workshop as “a little Ukraine in the heart of Poland”. The volunteers say they remain motivated by solidarity and the belief that Ukrainian resistance matters for their own safety.