As the war in Ukraine reaches its four-year mark since the full-scale invasion by Russia, Latvia's public media outlet, LSM, is launching its fifth fundraising campaign to aid the beleaguered country. From February 9 to February 24, 2023, the campaign, conducted in partnership with 'Ziedot.lv', aims to provide critical energy solutions to communities in Ukraine that are suffering from damaged energy infrastructure due to ongoing Russian attacks. Donations will play a vital role in supplying generators, electricity, and heating to areas where these resources are desperately needed.

This winter has seen unprecedented low temperatures in Ukraine, coinciding with continued Russian bombardments targeting the country's energy systems. These conditions have placed immense pressure on places like the Kyiv zoo, where maintaining a stable temperature has become a challenge. The director of the Kyiv zoo, Kyrylo Trantyn, highlighted the necessity of constant generator operation to keep the animals warm and surviving in these harsh conditions, where heating solutions have had to be improvised, including wood stoves and diesel heaters in various areas.

The campaign allows individuals to contribute via a dedicated phone line or through an online donation portal, thereby supporting not just the zoo but the broader efforts to safeguard the well-being of Ukrainian communities facing dire circumstances. The urgency of this initiative emphasizes the broader impacts of the war, where even cultural and ecological institutions like the zoo are affected, revealing the widespread ramifications of the ongoing conflict and the importance of international solidarity with Ukraine during this critical time.