KYIV, Ukraine —  As Ukrainians face yet another grim milestone—the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion—World Central Kitchen renews its promise to stand beside them today, tomorrow, and for as long as we are needed. From the first cup of hot chocolate served in the earliest days of the invasion to the emergency distribution of warm bowls of borscht helping communities endure the harshest winter since the conflict began, WCK has now provided over 295 million meals across Ukraine.

Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, WCK has worked alongside Ukrainian cooks, volunteers, local organizations, and institutions to reach frontline communities, evacuation hubs, shelters, and cities hit by repeated strikes—responding daily to damage on civilian infrastructure, supporting displaced families, and ensuring communities can access food even as conditions remain unpredictable and dangerous.

Over time, the response has also evolved in practical ways: WCK has moved beyond a single model to a mix of approaches, pairing hot meals with new kit formats, supporting small-scale cooking through equipped community kitchens, and piloting projects like chicken deliveries to help families sustain themselves with simple, home-cooked meals

World Central Kitchen founder Chef José Andrés says:

“Four years. Four years of bombs, fear, and families forced to live with the sound of sirens. And still—Ukraine stands. Ukrainians stand. They are heroes.

“I have met WCK team members in Ukraine who, in the middle of war, have had children. They have gotten married. They have built families. Imagine that—choosing life, choosing love, choosing hope while missiles are falling. This is the strength of Ukraine.

“What the world calls resilience is simply what Ukrainians live every single day. They wake up, they go to work, they care for their neighbors, they rebuild, they cook, they share. They keep going. That is courage.

“Our work is possible because Ukrainians lead it—Ukrainian chefs feeding their own communities, volunteers delivering meals, partners opening their kitchens even when the lights go out. They remind us that food is not just a meal—it is a message: you are not alone.

“But we must be clear: no amount of meals can replace peace. No kitchen can stop a missile. The strikes must stop. The attacks on civilians must stop. Ukraine deserves safety, dignity, and a future.”

World Central Kitchen began responding to the war in Ukraine within hours of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, initially supporting people crossing the border into neighboring countries and quickly shifting operations inside Ukraine as needs evolved. As more people returned home and conditions changed, WCK adapted its response to focus on in-country food assistance, combining emergency hot meals with household kits and longer-term self-reliance programs. Today, WCK continues to support communities affected by attacks, displacement, and infrastructure damage across multiple regions of Ukraine.

For more information or media enquiries, please contact:  

Roberta Alves, Director of Media Relations at ralves@worldcentralkitchen.org or +1 202.400.7483

Our full media team is reachable at press@wck.org