Car or food delivery services solve logistical, mobility and even security problems for Ukrainians in the middle of war thanks to the digital economy
Until Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine on February 24, Mikhail worked at an agricultural company in the east of the country. “The attack forced us to shut down and almost all of us were kicked out. I was desperate for a few days because we barely have any savings and I have to support my wife and two children,” he recalls. It was then that a friend told him about the possibility of making his vehicle, a silver Hyundai, profitable. “I already knew Uklon (Ukrainian Uber), but I never thought of driving for them. I thought that during the invasion nobody would use it, but I was wrong,” says Mikhail.
With most public transportation suspended and emergency services overwhelmed, digital platforms like Uklon itself and its foreign competitors Uber and Bolt have become a lifeline for many. “We have taken people to hospital and rescued those who managed to escape from the invaded villages near Kiev. You should lend a hand if you can,” says Mikhail, for whom the platform provides essential support. “I want to go back to my original job, but that requires the port of Odessa to be reopened and it doesn’t look like this will happen anytime soon,” he laments.
On the other hand, Uklon has launched two solidarity initiatives: through its application, it collects donations from users for projects in the areas most affected by the war, as well as for the territorial forces composed mainly of non-professional soldiers. In border towns, it offers “repatriation trips” at discounted prices for those who want to leave the country. For example, the journey between Lviv and the Polish border is possible for less than ten euros per passenger.
For residents who prefer to stay in major Ukrainian cities like Oleksandr and Mariiana, electric scooters from Bolt have been another key to transportation, restoring service at heavily discounted prices in April. “We have a car, but getting gas is almost impossible. The queues last for hours, sometimes we do them for nothing because the fuel is running out and the prices have soared. These electric scooters have become a very good alternative in a city with so many slopes,” he says.
The Estonian company offers them for an ‘unlocking fee’ of 5 hryvnia (14 euro cents) to which you have to add 1.5 hryvnia (4 cents) for every minute of use. “It’s more expensive than the metro or the tram, but it gives a lot more flexibility,” Oleksandr notes.
With nearly all restaurants closed and the population terrified in their homes, home food delivery applications are equally relevant to the hospitality industry, Spain’s Glovo stands out. Although it suspended operations on February 24, it decided on March 9 to restart its services with some 700 “riders” who have risked their lives supplying the logistical deficiencies of a country at war. There are already about 2,000. Glovo has completed 10,000 orders in the first week since service resumed alone.
Many of the shipments came from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but there was also controversy over a photo showing a Ukrainian soldier carrying several ‘Kalashnikovs’ in one of the platform’s signature yellow backpacks. In any case, the “riders” were key to the survival of numerous families for several weeks. “We have made the decision to reopen due to high demand for food, medicines and other commodities,” the Barcelona-based company explained in a statement, adding that its operations in Ukraine are not beneficial and that it will not incur any costs. takes into account. their usual fees.
Ivan is one of his “riders” in Kiev. Initially, he kicked as a volunteer. “I signed up for the Territorial Forces, but they told me they didn’t need more people, so I looked for a way to help those who need it. We were having trouble getting food at home, so I thought we wouldn’t be the only ones,” he explains. And boy was he right. “We are not stopping. The company shortened the workday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the curfew and asked us not to work when there were attacks, but eventually we all got used to it. anti-aircraft alarm and little by little we have been able to work longer,” he says with a mischievous grin.
Currently, the curfew in Kiev is being extended from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., a much more appropriate time for the hotel industry, which is beginning to lift the blind and is grateful for the existence of “apps” for home delivery. Glovo has also become a welcome source of income for Ivan since he stopped volunteering. “The rates have tripled or quadrupled, and they are paid in just one or two days. My whole family lives on what I earn, because my parents have become unemployed,” he says. It used to be he who lived off them.
OA was admitted to the Territorial Forces when he volunteered to fight against the Russians. However, his superiors warned him that he would not have the most appropriate protective equipment. “So I started a crowdfunding campaign on the Internet,” says this 20-year-old computer scientist, who prefers to remain anonymous. “Within hours, people had donated more money than I needed for the bulletproof vest,” he recalls. Others followed in his footsteps with equal success.
Numerous campaigns in cyberspace have raised “heavy” funds for the Ukrainian armed forces, although the Defense Ministry has not indicated how generous they have been. “The diaspora is very active and the resources are very welcome. Many donations even come in with cryptocurrencies,” says the young fighter, who has already returned to his home in Kiev and donated his vest so that whoever redeems him does so with a certain guarantee of safety.
Source: La Verdad
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