A small non-profit group is stepping in to help Ukrainians whose homes were left with shattered windows as a result of fighting. The group says their windows are designed to withstand a blast wave. It claims they also insulate better than makeshift solutions from residents and make winter survivable.

Donetsk Oblast

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

A small non-profit group is stepping in to help Ukrainians whose homes were left with shattered windows as a result of the ongoing conflict. The group, Insulate Ukraine, says its windows are designed to withstand blast waves and insulate better than makeshift solutions from residents, making winter more survivable.

Workers from Insulate Ukraine are installing pre-made triple-layer windows made of polyethylene sheets in bomb-damaged buildings in the Donetsk region. So far, the group has worked on over 4,000 homes. Ukrainian pensioner Tetiana Bebiko is among those who have benefited from these new windows, noting the immediate improvements in her living conditions.

Founder Harry Blackiston-Houston, who first visited Ukraine in 2022, spent six months developing this cost-effective window solution. He highlights the importance of maintaining civilian infrastructure in war-torn areas, emphasizing that many residents near the front line depend on these services.

Houston states that residents near the front often have to wait months for imported glass, making the group's readily available solutions critical. Full compensation for damaged buildings involves a lengthy process, but the group's windows, made of PVC piping and polyethylene, offer a quicker and more accessible alternative.



Non-profit fits Ukrainian homes with safer windows

Ukrainian pensioner Tetiana Bebiko is happy about her new windows. This is great. It is brilliant. There's no draft, no blast of air. Before it was all shattered, there was a hole here. Since Russia's invasion in 2022, many Ukrainians living near the front have had to contend with smashed windows, in a country with often brutal winters. Now a small non-profit group is stepping in to help them replace shattered panes with cheap triple-layer ones made of polyethylene sheets. In the Donetsk region, workers from the group Insulate Ukraine are installing pre-made windows in bomb-damaged buildings just 30 miles from the front line. The group says their windows are designed to withstand a blast wave. It claims they also insulate better than makeshift solutions from residents and make winter survivable. So far, the group's worked on over 4,000 homes. Founder Harry Blackiston-Houston first visited Ukraine in 2022. The Northern Irishman spent six months developing a product that could make war-torn areas livable for those who remain. We've seen buildings that, well, their windows are shattered from the beginning of the war. They still haven't been touched. There are still millions of windows left to do. And the front line is dependent on these civilian areas for their postal services, their doctor surgeries, just their shops. It's really important to keep these things going and give them a future, and I think that's what we can help with. Houston says residents near the front line need to queue for months for imported glass. And while full compensation for damaged buildings requires time and funding from institutional donors, the group's windows are made of readily available PVC piping and polyethylene.

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Ukraine Invasion