>>1660492025 has been one of the hardest years in my volunteering life for Ukraine.
It has been a year full of struggles, both in my work and in my personal life. A year that took a real toll on my health, mentally and physically. It forced me to stop pretending that I can do everything endlessly without consequences. It was a wake-up call to slow down, to listen to my body and my mind, and to take better care of myself. To step back from social media when it became too loud and too heavy. That's what I've been trying to do, even when it wasn't easy.
It's also the year I finally stopped living on energy drinks. Over a month now without them, caffeine down to the absolute minimum. It might sound small, but for me it's a big change. Small steps, but important ones, towards staying alive and functional for the long run.
This year I lost too many close friends. People I loved, people I worked with, people who were part of my everyday life. It's been a year where joy, happiness, grief, and pain walk side by side every single day. Sometimes within the same hour. And yet, it has also been a year where together we saved so many lives.
Cars for Ukraine. Equipment. Night visions, thermals, uniforms, boots, EcoFlows, generators. Support that helped my teams and my friends do their jobs better, safer, and come home alive. None of this happens without you. Not a single piece of it.
This year I received my temporary residence permit in Ukraine. I was honored to be awarded a medal by Ukrainian General Syrskyi for my volunteering work for the Ukrainian army. Moments like this are never mine alone. They belong to everyone who stood behind me, trusted me, supported my work, and believed in what we are doing even when it was hard to explain or justify.
It has also been a hard year in other ways. Constant harassment, stalking by ruzzian trolls, and death threats became part of daily life. I was doxxed by ruzzian Spetsnaz Espanola in their Telegram channels, with my full personal information published. Ruzzians opened fake "Wikipedia"-style pages about me on
http://foreigncombatants.ru, debates were launched about my work, and my data was spread together with my Defcon guys.
This is part of the price of doing this work openly. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier.
Life also brought light when it was needed the most. My cat Spetsnaz. My dog Tonia. Small souls that somehow keep you grounded, remind you to breathe, and pull you back into the present when everything feels too heavy and overwhelming.
This year taught me who my real friends are when it truly matters. It also showed me how two-faced people can be. It grounded me deeply. It made me calmer, kinder, and much more careful with my energy and with who I let close.
And through all of this, you stayed. You saw my losses. You saw the wins. You saw the exhaustion, the anger, the grief, and the moments of hope. And you were still there, quietly and consistently.
For that, I am deeply grateful.
I am not giving up. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here next year too, for Ukraine, for the army, for my friends. I'll carry everything this year taught me into the next one and keep doing my volunteering work as well as I possibly can. I will keep trying to be a better human, a better friend, and a better volunteer.
Thank you for standing next to us.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for helping save lives.
Never give up on Ukraine.
Keep supporting.
Thank you for everything